Franklin County Distilleries has opened its much-anticipated tasting room in Boones Mill.
The company has made spirits for years in Franklin County, but this is the first time it's had a tasting room where patrons can sip on its products. The tasting room is at 25156 Virgil H. Goode Highway (U.S. 220), just down the street from Hammer & Forge brewery. The building has been under renovation for more than a year and was given the official OK to open after a referendum was passed in November allowing liquor by the drink in Boones Mill.
Franklin County Distilleries is believed to be the first legal distillery in Franklin County since Prohibition, and the county's well-known history of making moonshine is a prominent theme in the tasting room's decor. Pictures of Franklin County moonshiners and their handiwork hang throughout the 3,000-square-foot tasting room. There are also two antique stills on display. However, the tasting room is set up as a modern hangout with a new bar, a nook with comfy chairs and a fireplace, and an outdoor patio with a spot for food trucks to set up.
