Nathan "Nearest" Green (c. 1820–1890) was an enslaved African American man who is recognized as the first known African American master distiller in the United States. Green is credited with teaching Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel the art of whiskey distillation in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and with perfecting the Lincoln County Process — the charcoal filtration technique that defines Tennessee whiskey.
Early Life
Details of Green's early life are limited, as is common for enslaved individuals in the antebellum South. He was enslaved on a farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee, owned by Dan Call, a Lutheran minister and distiller. Green became the head distiller of Call's operation, mastering the production of corn whiskey using traditional methods including the sugar maple charcoal filtration process.
Relationship with Jack Daniel
According to historical accounts confirmed by the Jack Daniel Distillery and independent researchers, Jack Daniel learned the art of distilling from Nearest Green while working on Dan Call's farm as a young boy in the late 1850s and early 1860s. When Daniel later established his own distillery — now the oldest registered distillery in the United States — Green's techniques formed the foundation of the Jack Daniel's production process.
After the Civil War and Emancipation, Green continued to work with Jack Daniel as the head distiller of the Jack Daniel Distillery. He was later succeeded in this role by his son, George Green, and descendants of the Green family continued to work at the distillery for multiple generations.
The Lincoln County Process
The Lincoln County Process, which Green mastered and taught to Daniel, involves filtering newly distilled whiskey through several feet of sugar maple charcoal before aging. This step, known as "charcoal mellowing," removes harsh flavors and imparts a distinctive smoothness that distinguishes Tennessee whiskey from bourbon and other American whiskeys.
This process is now a legal requirement for any spirit labeled as "Tennessee whiskey" under Tennessee state law (2013) and is the defining characteristic that separates Tennessee whiskey from bourbon.
Historical Recognition
For over 150 years, Nearest Green's role in the creation of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey was not publicly acknowledged. The distillery's official history focused on Jack Daniel as the sole creator of the brand.
In 2016, the New York Times published an article exploring Green's contributions, bringing national attention to the story. The Jack Daniel Distillery subsequently acknowledged Green's role and created the "Nearest Green Distillery" — a historical marker and visitor experience on the grounds of the distillery.
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey
In 2017, entrepreneur Fawn Weaver founded Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey to honor Green's legacy. The brand became the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in the U.S. and one of the most successful Black-owned spirits brands in history. The Uncle Nearest distillery, located in Shelbyville, Tennessee, operates on the same land where Green originally distilled.
Uncle Nearest Inc. also established the Nearest Green Foundation, which has funded scholarships and historical preservation efforts related to Green's legacy and the broader history of Black Americans in distilling.
Legacy
Nathan "Nearest" Green's story represents both the foundational contributions of Black Americans to the spirits industry and the systematic erasure of those contributions from the historical record. His recognition in the 21st century has become a catalyst for broader conversations about equity, attribution, and ownership in the American spirits industry.
Green is documented in the Indulge Black History archive as part of the historical record of Black contributions to American wine, spirits, beer, and mead production.