Jack Daniel, a master distiller with a suave style, set out to create a great-tasting whiskey – and he achieved more than that! Old No. 7 received seven gold medals for its full-bodied taste and won its first award in 1904 at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. Since the recipe hasn’t changed for nearly 160 years, Jack Daniel has blended the flavour to perfection. The unique square bottle and black label design is an artistic masterpiece, just like the golden liquid itself, and fans never stop loving it.
Recently, it was discovered that there was a second whiskey master behind its sweet, smooth recipe. In 2016, it was officially announced to the public that Jack Daniel, founder of the brand, also had a co-founder. Nathan Green’s name is now being recognised and celebrated for his brilliance in the whiskey industry, which is certainly overdue, along with a continued celebration of the man who changed the trajectory of whiskey making – Jack Daniel.
The Making of Whiskey History
In 1864, Dan Call (a reverend who owned a farm in Lynchburg) stumbled upon 7-year-old Jack Daniel, who had escaped from a troubled home, and welcomed him into his family farmhouse in Tennessee and made him a chore boy. During this period, slaves were typically rented to farms and plantations, and Call’s family were keen on renting the most prominent whisky distiller, Nathan Green – nicknamed Nearest and most often known as the incorrectly spelt version ‘Nearis’.
Jack Daniel then met Nathan Green, who taught Daniel the art of whiskey distillation. Nathan Green later worked as a master distiller for Jack Daniel following the civil war. The technique Nathan Green taught Daniel involved a process described as ‘sugar maple charcoal filtering’, or in short, ‘charcoal mellowing’. It is suspected that the process was taken from native practices in West Africa where men and women filtered and purified their food and water with charcoal. This distillation method provided the whiskey with the euphoric flavour of a smooth and distinctly warming taste, which became the famous “Old No.7”. Thanks to Nathan Green’s teaching of this old practice, whiskey lovers from around the globe continue to warm their bellies with the rich, velvety-smooth blend. Grab a bottle and take your tastebuds back to 1864 to appreciate the fine artistry that Nathan Green and Jack Daniel blessed us with.
Nathan Green’s Legacy Discovered
It was a woman called Fawn Weaver who uncovered Nathan Green’s truth, whilst the company that owns the Jack Daniel’s brand (Brown-Forman) were unaware of his impact. During her travels, Weaver had come across a 1967 biography about Jack Daniel’s legacy and after becoming fascinated by Nathan Green’s hidden involvement in the most notable whiskey brand worldwide, began her year-long research project. The biography includes a quote from Call who instructed Nathan Green to teach Jack Daniel everything he knew about whiskey making, showing Call’s small yet impactful part in the first whiskey creation of Jack Daniel’s.
The biography has numerous mentions of Nearest and his sons: George Green and Eli Green and suggests Nathan Green was kept a secret by Jack and his family. This was not the case though, as Jack and his family seemed to be open and honourable about Nathan Green’s influence, however, the story slowly disappeared after Jack’s eldest descendant passed away in 1978. Only in 2016 did the Brown-Forman company acknowledge Nathan Green’s part in Jack Daniel’s brand and accordingly added an exhibition to their distillery tour, so visitors can learn about the history of Jack Daniel and Nathan Green.
A Memento of Green
With plans to commemorate Nathan Green, Weaver launched her brand of whiskey called ‘Uncle Nearest 1856’ in July 2017. She had wanted to make the story of Nathan Green into a book or film, instead, Nathan Green’s descendants had inspired her to create a whiskey to honour him in the way Nathan Green would’ve wanted. Weaver partnered with a Nashville whiskey maker and hired the descendants of both Nathan Green and Jack Daniel, and they all helped her to create the first blend which was bottled within a month. She produced the blend to mimic what she believed Nearest and Jack’s first creation would have tasted like, based on her research.
Now the first African American woman to own and establish a major spirits brand, Weaver paves the way for people of colour, and women, to unite in leadership roles and has coordinated a racially diverse, all-female team. She stated that she picked those who had a natural talent for picking exquisite blends and flavours. Their classic bottle, “Uncle Nearest 1856 – Premium Whiskey”, is a corn and rye blend which is put through the charcoal mellowing process (an honourable touch of Nathan Green’s delicacy). It has the perfect harmony of spicy and sweet with notes of vanilla and dried fruit and is a distinct yet pleasant taste. For those die-hard whiskey enthusiasts, we recommend you drink it on the rocks (with whiskey stones, of course).
Nathan and Jack pioneered the whiskey industry all because of their friendship that formed from a shared interest. Whiskey drinking doesn’t have to be practised alone either, pour one for you and a friend, and reunite Jack and Nathan for the ultimate whiskey lover’s combo – now you can be part of their inspirational story too!