When Jeff Arnett left his nearly two-decade career at Jack Daniel’s, where he served in the prestigious role of master distiller, he wasn’t walking away from whiskey. He was walking toward something new. Something personal. Something made for good company.
Enter Company Distilling, Arnett’s exciting new venture based in Thompson’s Station, with additional outposts in Townsend and Lynchburg—just down the street from his former employer.
“I had been contemplating whether I wanted to do something else, something for myself,” Arnett says. “An opportunity came about where I could build my own distillery, my own brand. I knew myself well enough to know I’d probably regret it if I didn’t believe in myself enough to give it a shot.”
Arnett’s road to whiskey wasn’t a straight shot. A Jackson, Tennessee native, he originally set his sights on the automotive industry until a hiring freeze rerouted him to Procter & Gamble. There, he cut his teeth at the Folgers coffee plant in New Orleans, learning the intricacies of flavor evaluation—acidity, bitterness, body—all skills that would later come in handy with whiskey.
After stints managing decaffeination and dairy-style production plants (yes, he once helped make Hawaiian Punch and SunnyD), Arnett eventually found his way back home to Tennessee, landing a post in Jackson making Pringles. Soon enough, he shared a résumé with a Nashville headhunter, who helped him land a job in quality control at Jack Daniel’s. The rest, as they say, is history.
“When the master distiller before me, who had been with the company for about 40 years, decided to retire, they asked me to serve in that role,” he says. “I was responsible for overseeing all the whiskey production for Jack Daniel's.” As the de facto voice and face of the brand, Arnett traveled to 41 countries on its behalf.
Then the opportunity for his own brand began to take shape. The idea behind Company Distilling was simple: create spirits that feel like an invitation, whether you’re new to whiskey or a seasoned aficionado.
“I called it ‘approachable complexity,’” he says. “Can you create a single bottle that the new drinker and the mature drinker can both enjoy equally?”
The flagship whiskey is a wheated bourbon finished with maple wood, a nod to Arnett’s passion for wood finishes that go beyond the traditional oak barrel. Company Distilling also offers an apple wood-finished whiskey, a cherry wood-finished rye, and is experimenting with other woods nodding to the land around them (stay tuned for a mulberry product in honor of Lynchburg).
The brand began in Thompson’s Station, offering a neighborly vibe perfect for walking up, grabbing a cocktail and chatting with old friends. Company Distilling acquired H Clark Distillery in 2020 and planted roots that have grown to two additional locations.
Townsend, a quaint riverside town on the peaceful side of the Smokies, deviates from Thompson’s Station by serving as a “brewstillery.” With so many campers, hikers and outdoor adventurers in the area, it was important to offer a cold beer to cool off after a day outside.
And then there’s Lynchburg, a brand-new destination distillery just down the street from Arnett’s former employer. He hopes Company Distilling complements its neighbor Jack, offering a casual hangout for visitors to keep the spirits flowing after a guided tour.
In addition to its award-winning bourbons and craft beers, Company Distilling also produces Nothing Vodka, a cheeky, affordable vodka brand perfect for spiking a little orange juice around the campfire. There’s also an award-winning gin (produced on the same still from the former H Clark Distillery) and a lineup of eight flavored moonshines under the Ace Gap label, paying tribute to Tennessee’s rich logging and moonshining history.
“If you’ve got a cooler with some cups, milk, lemonade or limeade, we can basically pair up a bottle with that and you can make something that tastes pretty nice,” he says.
With three diverse distilleries in the market, Arnett encourages people to visit them all: gather with friends in Thompson’s Station, head to Lynchburg for a Jack Daniel’s tour followed by a cocktail, then truck it to Townsend for a hike cooled down with a cold beer.
To order a bottle online or to learn more about Company Distilling, visit CompanyDistilling.com
Gold Rush
1.5 oz Company Distilling Bourbon
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.75 oz Honey Syrup (1:1 Ratio Honey and Water)
Lemon Peel
In shaker, add all ingredients. Lightly shake. Strain into rocks glass filled with ice cube.
Garnish with lemon peel.
Maple Old Fashioned
1.5 oz Company Distilling Bourbon
.5 oz Maple Simple Syrup (Ratio 1:1 Water/Maple Syrup)
1 dash Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
Splash of Soda Water
1 Cherry
1 Orange Peel
Add bourbon, maple simple syrup, and bitters to a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir rapidly for 30 seconds until mixed and chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Add a splash of soda water. Garnish with cherry and orange peel.