Uncle Nearest Distillery Visitor Center and Humble Baron (World Longest Bar)
Interiors
Renovation of 1960's horse farm and sales arena to become the home for Uncle Nearest Whiskey. This project creates a Visitor's Center for tours by day and the World longest bar by night.
Awards Year | 2024
Project Statement
Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green was born in 1820, approximately 45 years before the end of the Civil War. He was an enslaved man who was known throughout Lynchburg, Tennessee and surrounding areas for his whiskey making ability. After the war between the states ended, Mr. Green continued to make his whiskey as a freedman. In doing so, Nearest became the first master distiller behind the famous Jack Daniel’s brand until 1884. He is also the first black master distiller of record in the United States. With the exception of his descendants, and people close to the family, the Nearest Green story was often overlooked.
The Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey officially launched in July 2017. Since then, it has experienced crazy growth for an independent whiskey brand. Even with 2020 being an anomaly in the global economy, the company still out paced their projections. Uncle Nearest whiskey is sold in 50 states, 12 countries with no doubt more will be added to their distribution. There is no stopping this brand at this point, the sky is the limit. Uncle Nearest is the largest selling African American owned spirit brand in history.
The visitor’s center is a 20,000 square foot history and touring center. Every step of this project is dedicated to history not just whiskey, but the probation period, women’s right to vote, and the beautiful horse breed the Tennessee Walking horse.
When a patron is finished with the history, there is entertainment at Humble Baron the world’s long bar, featuring a 19-station, 525-foot-long showpiece bar that wraps stunningly around an indoor stage, Humble Baron allows guests to enjoy elevated fare and creative cocktails while watching live entertainment. The Humble Baron bar is approximately 120 feet longer than the current record holder for the longest permanent continuous bar in the world.
Humble Baron is a place where everyone has a seat at the table and at a time when there is a lot of discrimination. Humble Baron reflects a varied music tastes and will cater to all.
Framework for Design Excellence Narrative
Design for Integration: The existing farm had been a staple in the walking horse breed world for more the 50 years and had hit some economic challenges that would jeopardize it’s existence. With Uncle Nearest needing a home on the whiskey trail, the property was perfect for an adaptive reuse. The community was in a similar position needing a story to change its future.
Design for Economy: This initiative and revitalization of this existing structure and farm, gave the owners a sold historical base to build out while create a new destination along the trail. The center to date is averaging 1 million visitor’s a year with continuous growth with the additional of the world’s longest bar at Humble Baron.
Design for Discovery: Every approach to this design ties to a story. Either the story of Nearest Green who first brought the charcoal mellowing process to Tennessee with the Jack Daniel Brand or the preserving of the walking horse who is the Tennessee state horse. Every path is mean to educate it patrons.
LEED/Green Certifications
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