About Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler
If you only visit one moonshine spot in Gatlinburg, make it the one that runs the brand's tour. The Holler is where Ole Smoky offers its behind-the-scenes distillery tour, and it is the easiest place on the Parkway to taste your way through the lineup with a crowd of fellow visitors and, according to the official site, live bluegrass in the mix.
What a visit looks like
Walk-in tastings need no reservation. The regular tasting is $5 per person and covers moonshine and whiskey samples, plus a $5 off coupon you can spend in the shop. The premium tasting is $8 and adds three more samples. The site notes that the flavors on offer can change from day to day, so treat any favorite you have heard about as a maybe.
The shop sells moonshine, whiskey, ready-to-drink cans, the James Ownby and Popcorn Sutton collections, plus apparel, drinkware and pantry items. If you are buying gifts, do the tasting first and use the coupon on the way out.
The tour
Guided tours go behind the scenes at Ole Smoky's first distillery and finish with a 13-sample tasting. Reservations are required for the tour, so book ahead rather than hoping for a walk-in spot, especially on summer weekends and during October leaf season. The tour page lists a minimum age of 13 to join, though only guests 21 and older can taste.
Hours and getting there
The Holler is on the Parkway at 903 Parkway, Suite 128, and the official site lists it open daily from 10am to 11pm. Downtown Gatlinburg parking is tight and priced by the hour or day, so a lot of visitors ride the free Gatlinburg trolley in and walk the last stretch. The call-ahead number on the site is (888) 615-1881.
Hooch Hop
Ole Smoky runs a passport program called the Hooch Hop. Make a qualifying purchase at three East Tennessee distilleries, collect a stamp at each, and the finished passport earns a free t-shirt. If you are already planning to visit the Barn in Pigeon Forge and the Barrelhouse down the Parkway, you are most of the way there.
Plan the ride home
Tastings are for guests 21 and older, and every spirit here is strong enough to catch you out. Pick a designated driver before you walk in, or plan on a rideshare or the trolley back to your cabin or hotel. Pours are small, but five or six of them add up faster than you expect.
Good to know
- Tastings: 21+ with a valid ID.
- Tours: reservations required, booked through the official site.
- Walk-in tastings: no reservation needed.
- Skip the afternoon rush by going right at opening or later in the evening.
