Grains & Grits Festival: Townsend’s Annual Spirited Event

Any East Tennessee history buff can tell you plenty about the long history we have with Grains & Grits, liquor and bootleg in this neck of the woods. Corn whiskey dates back as far as the early settlers of the Appalachian foothills. Moonshining, named from the practice of distilling under the moonlight to avoid unwanted attention, became especially popular as state and national prohibition laws started to take hold across the country. During this time, many moonshiners were forced to either shut down their stills and lose their additional income or find themselves on the wrong side of the law. With the demand for whiskey at a prime, many folks took to the back roads of the Tennessee mountains, spending the rest of their careers avoiding the law. Lucky for us, as whiskey has made a resurgence in popularity, a talented few have taken their family recipes and turned them into legal distilleries across the region. 

On Saturday, November 5, 2022, we will celebrate these legendary distillers at our annual Grains & Grits Festival in Townsend, TN. It will be a festival of regional craft spirits and local gourmet cuisine, tucked into the Peaceful Side of the Smokies.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the Tennessee Distillers Guild members you will be able to sample at the event:

• Company Distilling
• Old Forge Distillery
• Sugarlands Distillery
• Old Dominick Distillery
• Jack Daniels
• George Dickel
• H Clark Distillery
• Short Mountain Distillery
• Leiper’s Fork Distillery
• Old Glory Distilling Co.
• Bootleggers Distillery
• Chattanooga Whiskey
• Tennessee Legend Distillery
• Post Modern Distillery
• Corsair Distillery
• Prichard’s Distillery
• Ole Smoky
• King Family Distillery
• Nashville Barrel Company
• BR Distilling Company
• Gate 11 Distillery
• Nashville Craft
• Junction 35 Distillery
• Big Machine Distillery

The Ring of Fire is Back Again

Michael Sullivan- aka- The Reverend of Fat is excited to bring “The Ring of Fire” to this year’s Grains and Grits Festival.  Sullivan is heading up the culinary aspect of the event.  “It’s a unique way for attendees to be satiated while enjoying their spirit samples.”
Five chefs will encircle a large fire pit where a whole pig, lamb, chickens, and sausages will be roasted and served.  Each chef will be paired with a distillery and will incorporate the distillery’s spirit into their dish.

This year, we are honored to have Chef Rubén García take part in the Ring of Fire. Garcia spent years in a 3-star Michelin restaurant, he appeared twice on Iron Chef as the victor and is now the Creative Operating Officer and Founder of UNFOLD Hospitality where he inspires new chefs and leads concept development with restauranteurs to help realize their vision and potential.

Participating Restaurants

• American Butcher
• Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro
• The Old Mill Pottery House Café and Grille
• City Limits Barbeque
• Motor Supply Co. Bistro
• AMICI
• Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant
• Lulu Liquor Cakes
• Willy’s Butcher Shop
• Junction 35 Spirits

 
Along with a variety of seasonal gourmet foods, you can also enjoy live music from Pink Cadillac. As one of Nashville’s best party, funk, rock, rhythm & blues, soul, dance band featuring a smoking rhythm & horn section, and topped off with their powerhouse choreographed female vocalists, and rock and soul male lead vocalist. There is something for everyone at the Grains and Grits Festival. 

 

Join us on the Townsend Visitor Center event lawn, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, for a unique fall tasting experience you can only find in the Great Smoky Mountains.  All attendees must be 21 years or older, and the event will take place, rain, or shine. Parking opens at 5:00 pm. For more information about the event, please check out our website at https://grainsandgritsfest.com.

See below for other events in Blount County:

Beer Lovers Unite at Maryville – Hops in the Hills

The Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival: A Kaleidoscope of Entertainment

By: Rachel Coffman