JESSE JAMES DUPREE Issues Tennessee Whiskey Update - “It's Been Over A Year Now That We've Sat Dormant Because Of This Whiskey Law”
April 1, 2015, 9 years ago
Booze, bikes and rock 'n' roll. That's the plan for economic development in this otherwise sleepy town of Trimble, tucked away among the corn and soybean fields of northwestern Tennessee. The only thing standing in the way, say distillers Michael Ballard and Jesse James Dupree, is the state's stuffy law restricting how spirits must be made so they can be marketed as "Tennessee Whiskey”. They've found an unexpected ally in the conservative Koch brothers, whose political muscle they hope can help persuade lawmakers to vote for repeal.
"We're trying to get this town back on the map," said Ballard, the grandson of a Trimble sharecropper who has built his Full Throttle distillery on the former site of the town's shuttered cotton gin. "This law is just hindering us."Ballard, the proprietor of the Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota, wants to bring the biker party vibe back to his Tennessee home town by catering to hot rods, custom motorcycles and live concerts on the main drag outside his distillery and visitors center. Business partner Dupree is the lead singer of the hard rock band Jackyl, famous for his raucous chain saw solos to close out sets. Last summer, he broke ground on his latest venture, a nearby distillery where he plans to make Jesse James Tennessee Whiskey. But those designs were put on ice when state lawmakers didn't repeal the Tennessee whiskey statute they had enacted in 2013 at the behest of Jack Daniel's, which is by far the dominant player in the category.
"It's been over a year now that we've sat dormant because of this whiskey law," Dupree said. "That's another 30 people in this town who would be working."The elements of the state law most under dispute are that spirits must be filtered through charcoal and stored in unused oak barrels in order to be called Tennessee whiskey. Jack Daniel's argues that the law establishes basic quality requirements. Ballard and Dupree disagree.
"You could run the worst whiskey in the world through charcoal and virgin oak barrels, and it will still be the worst whiskey in the world," Dupree said.
Read more at this location.
Jesse James Dupree can be seen "playing doctor" in the commercial for Full Throttle S'loonshine; see below.
Using an early 1900's tradition and recipes along with an authentic copper still to make his Moonshine, Michael Ballard has given a true to the taste moonshine. With multiple flavors and a distinctive Platinum Batch, S'loonshine is satisfying and refreshing, handcrafted and distilled in the sleepy little town of Trimble, Tennessee.
Michael Ballard's authentic Tennessee Moonshine Recipe delivers a 80 proof punch and a taste that's second to none. Ask your bar or liquor store about Full Throttle S'loonshine and enjoy it with your friends. Further details available at this location.
Catch Jackyl on tour; confirmed dates are as listed:
April
10 - Marion, IL - Black Diamond Harley Davidson
11 - Effingham, IL - Effingham Performance Center
18 - Tucson, AZ - Pima County Fair Budweiser Main Stage
May
2 - Charlotte, NC - Carolina Rebellion
June
6 - Fargo, ND - Ribfest
12 - Rothbury, MI - Sandy Corley Memorial Run Double JJ Resort
13 - Westover, WV - Triple S Harley Davidson
20 - Earleville, IA - Romper Room
July
16 - Erie, PA - Roar On The Shore
17 - Cadott, WI - Chippewa Valley Rock Fest
18 - Oshkosh, WI - ROCK USA Ford Festival Park
18 - Waukesha, WI - Waukesha County Fair
24 - Morgantown, WV - MountainFest Motorcycle Rally
August
