Sustainability

Sustainability is important to Old Forge and Head Distiller Keener Shanton. His goal is to make more co-products than byproducts and to reduce waste in the distillation process while supporting local businesses and agriculture. Keener sources corn from Tennessee farmers and stone-grinds the grain next door at The Old Mill using the same water driven power that was used in the early 1900s.

After all alcohol is distilled out of the mash, the spent grain is sent to be reused. A portion of the spent grain is sent to the Old Mill and Pottery House Café restaurants for their homemade spent grain bread. It’s also used in the Old Mill Candy Kitchen to make spent grain dog treats for your favorite pup. The majority of the mash, however, goes to local farms to feed livestock.

In efforts to support local Tennessee agriculture, our 1830s Original Moonshine line is made entirely with Tennessee-grown corn from Batey Farms, which is located in Murfreesboro, TN.