To sample and learn about the best in Tennessee whiskey, mark your calendar for October 26 and make plans to visit Chattanooga for the 10th Tennessee Whiskey Festival.
rural area legend David Allan Coe ( and subsequently more famously George Jones and Chris Stapleton ) once let the cat out of the bag , “ You ’re as still as Tennessee whisky / You ’re as sweet as strawberry wine-coloured . ”
While there are a few strawberry mark wine-colored festival around the land , that ’s plausibly not reason enough to jump in the car for a road trip . Whiskey , however , is a on-key motivating force — especially Tennessee whisky , a legally - protect subset of traditional American whiskey , fulfilling all the qualification of bourbon , but with additional requirement that it must be distilled in the Volunteer State and mellow out by filtering through sugar maple oxford grey .
To try and learn about the good in Tennessee whiskey , mark off your calendar for October 26th and make plans to visit battle of Chattanooga for the 10thTennessee Whiskey Festival . The event will take office in the garden of the historicChattanooga Choo Choo , a 24 - Accho holding cite after the Southern Railway line made famous in the Glenn Miller jazz criterion , and offer tastings from some of the most famous brands in American whiskey as well as boutique distilleries .
Courtesy of Tennessee Whiskey Festival
Drive Time:
2 hour from Nashville2 hours from Atlanta2 hours from Birmingham
What to Do Beyond the Whiskey Festival
It ’s well-off to make a long weekend out of a slip to “ The ‘ Noog . ” For additional spirits , pearl by the cozy tasting rooms atGate 11inside the Choo Choo complex or the experimental still ofChattanooga Whiskey Co.just down the street . Both feature forward-looking products that are made on - land site .
TheBluff View Art Districtlooms over the Tennessee River pass through the midriff of business district , and the historical neighborhood offers cozy coffee shop , restaurants , galleries , and theHunter Museum of American Artall within soft walking aloofness .
For resilient music , you ca n’t beatThe Signal , battle of Chattanooga ’s premier concert venue that host an eclectic slate of regional and national touring acts in a newfangled state - of - the - artistry facility since moving into the former Choo Choo Convention Center . Jesse McCartneyis play at The Signal on the eventide of the whiskey fest if you ’re a devotee . ( Even if you ’re not , he ’s still play . )
The quirkiest museum in town has to be theInternational Towing and Recovery Museum , which is exactly as it sound . You ’ll never find a dandy collection of towing and recovery equipment in one place , and it ’s nice to be happy about see a towage truck for once .
TheTennessee Aquariumis a centrepiece of downtown Chattanooga ’s riverfront development and a popular terminus . A sojourn starts on the top flooring , which showcases an exhibit of flow and minor river beast . As visitors descend , the habitats get larger as the virtual waterway flows from larger rivers until eventually reaching the ocean .
Lookout Mountainis a tall ridge that overlooks the daub where Tennessee meets Alabama and Georgia , offer the opportunity to see seven states fromRock City , an drawing card atop the heap . Ruby Fallsdescends 145 feet inside of the mountain , making it the marvelous and deepest hole-and-corner waterfall open to the public in the U.S. For the full Lookout Mountain experience , take theIncline Railwayon a dull sightseeing trip up the 72 - degree tier to the top .
Courtesy of Tennessee Whiskey Festival
Where to Eat and Drink in Chattanooga
sunrise : For a quick jolt of caffeine , drop in atFrothy Monkeyadjacent to the lobby of the whiskey festival ’s emcee hotel for a cupful of coffee or a speciality espresso drunkenness . Fresh adust good and a full food fare are uncommitted as well if you ’re feel peevish .
Dinner : Easy Bistrohas the metropolis ’s best sore bar plus a menu of Southern - inspired little plates wangle using Gallic techniques . It also feature one of the near cocktail menus in townsfolk . For a splurge , make reservations atSt . John ’s , a high - closing international eating place with artful plating and a prolific wine-coloured tilt . While it may not be in force for your fondness , Urban Stackis neat for your venter thanks to effete hamburger , handspun milkshakes , specialty cocktail and an impressive assemblage of whiskies .
swallow : Beer lovers should definitely check outOddstory Brewing Co. , a family - run brewery on the outskirts of downtown . The taps feature a panoptic sort of beer styles from German lagers to Belgian ale and sours . Tailgateis based in Nashville , but its Chattanooga location has cursorily become a Southside neighborhood favorite . In increase to 30 dissimilar beers on tap , the brewery also make one of the best pizzas in town .
Late night : Pickle Barrelhas been a late - night terminus since 1982 . The beloved beer legal profession is famous for fried pickle spears , the perfect complement to a hamburger and a dusty brew as a nightcap , especially if you savor it on the rooftop patio .
Where to Stay
You ca n’t get more convenient thanThe Hotel Chalet , the lodging pick that ’s part of the Choo Choo complex . you could even stay in one of its refurbished sleeper cars on a retired train racetrack for the full Choo Choo experience . The Read Houseis another luxury prop , still gloriously adorned with Jazz Age decor . Fun fact : Room 311 is reportedly haunted .
If you want to stay near the Bluff View Art District , there are a couple of heavy options . The Edwin Hotelfeatures so much nontextual matter in the common spaces that it charge itself as part hotel , part fine art picture gallery . gilded room furnishing and a relaxing health club make The Edwin a great spot for a petty pampering . Meanwhile , theBluff View Innis a adorable bed - and - breakfast spread across three historical family that provide all the consolation of home in a convenient positioning to downtown .
