About Us
A TOUCH OF HISTORY
Southeast Tennessee Whiskey-Making traces back to Europe where production and consumption of whiskey was a proud tradition. European immigrants who settled into Southern Appalachia began using locally grown ingredients to produce their own whiskey. This area of Tennessee is known for some legendary moonshiners who are considered part of the history of the State. Some of those distillers used Starr Mountain to hide their operations.
WHO WE ARE
Located in the shadow of Starr Mountain, our distillery honors the history of those who came before us by making quality spirits at our facility. Our Master Distiller has many years of experience in finding the right ingredients to ferment and distill, while keeping history and tradition alive here at SMD. We want everyone to know the pleasure of drinking Tennessee-Made Whiskey and other spirits. Please look for our labels at your favorite liquor store and visit us in Etowah, Tennessee!
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A NEW VISION
In 2016, John Bohannon and Davey Ingram invested in a distillery that was being formed on the main strip of Etowah. When that venture came upon hard times, Bohannon and Ingram decided to forge ahead and reform, so that they could keep their dream of a distillery alive. In 2018, they created a partnership known as B and I Enterprises and began to plan a distillery in a 100-year-old building in Etowah that they, now, jointly own.
Their plans began to bear fruit as 2019-2020 brought the addition of a hand built still system, renovations to the building, Duane 'Shine' Holtz as Master Distiller, and Chris Ingram to help manage and become Duane's apprentice.
2020 was a tough year for so many, us included! So, we were ecstatic when 2021 opened with the addition of Amanda Forbes as our Sales and Events director and the opening of our retail shop, tasting bar, and events room. This long-awaited and hard-earned dream has finally begun to take off.
Davey Ingram, Founder
Davey Ingram is a retired United States Air Force veteran who served 21-years in a wide variety of assignments as an air traffic controller. Due to his status, Starr Mountain Distillery is considered a veteran-owned business.
John Bohannon, Founder
John Bohannon is a local entrepreneur who has owned several businesses in the Etowah area over the years. He is a licensed real estate agent and works with the City of Etowah Utilities Water Department, and is also on the Etowah Planning Commission.
John is the original owner of the building that houses Starr Mountain Distillery. Since 2018, John has been a guiding force in the purchasing of equipment and the restoration of the distillery building.