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Prichard’s History

Distilling has been in our family for generations. Five generations ago in 1822, Benjamin Prichard of Davidson County, Tennessee passed his “still, tubs and utensils thereto” to his son Enoch. Benjamin’s will provides documentation of the last known “legal” distiller in the Prichard Family. Benjamin Prichard made his Tennessee whiskey with a high sugar content white corn, pure Tennessee spring water and it was distilled using ancient pot still techniques. Much of the unique character of Prichards’ spirits may be directly attributed to its production in small batches using our classic copper pot still techniques and rigid quality control standards.In 1997 Phil Prichard opened Prichard’s Distillery in Kelso. Prichards’ Distillery represents the first legal distillery to be built in Tennessee in nearly fifty years. Using some of the highest quality ingredients and the same techniques, Phil was able to craft some of the finest tasting rums and Tennessee whiskeys produced in America. The production of Prichards’ Fine Rum may truly represent the restoration of a lost art form.

Prichard’s Family History

Five generations ago, when Granddaddy Benjamin Prichard of Davidson County, Tennessee passed his “still, tubs and utensils thereto” to his son Enoch, his will of 1822 provided documentation of the last known “legal” distiller in the Prichard Family. Ben made his whiskey with a high sugar content white corn, pure Tennessee spring water and it was distilled using ancient pot still techniques.

Today almost everything is different. Yellow corn is used in the typical mash bill and chill filtering, practiced by most modern distilleries, removes flavor. Most classic American distilled spirits, like whiskey, are distilled in continuous run, column stills, similar to those used by oil refineries, spewing out millions of gallons of whiskey almost daily. The trends towards acquisitions and mergers by corporate giants have invaded the American palate with whiskies bearing little similarity to the hand crafted pot distilled whiskies of ages past.

Few can dispute our commitment to the production of the highest quality distilled spirits over ten years ago. Awards, the published reviews of notable industry experts and even the accolades of our competitors all attest to our successes. With that same commitment to hand crafted quality, Prichard’s Distillery has undertaken the production of true, pot stilled whiskies, distilled in the traditions and styles of the master distillers of an earlier time.

A bold new opportunity presented itself with the production of the first authentic, pot stilled Tennessee whiskey to be distilled in the United States since the early days of America’s history. Hoist your glass to ole Ben and enjoy some of the best whiskey you have ever tasted.

Rum Facts

We get asked about rum drinks all the time. Using Prichard’s will certainly enhance your rum cocktails but have you tried sipping our Crystal Rum? It is distilled 5 times to make it one of the smoothest rums produced. Equal to the distillation process in importance are the ingredients.

If you want to create quality rum drinks, you have to start with quality rum. Quality rum starts with great ingredients. Prichard’s Distillery crafts a traditional American rum fermented with a premium, grade “A” fancy molasses from the plantations of Louisiana. Our rum is distilled in traditional copper pot stills similar in design to ancient stills and aged in new charred oak barrels. We use the same techniques that have been used for hundreds of years.

With the flavor and character of a fine brandy, Prichard’s fine rums are an accurate recreation of America’s first distilled spirit. Our Crystal Rum is distilled 5 times and may be the only rum you ever drink straight.