Leiper’s Fork Distillery has plans to open its first location within Nashville at Nashville Yards in summer of 2026, owner Lee Kennedy told What Now Nashville.
Kennedy launched the distillery in Leiper’s Fork in 2016, focusing on producing high-quality Tennessee-based whiskey.
“All of our grains that go into our whiskey-making process come from within a 10-mile radius of the distillery, and they’re non-GMO grain,” Kennedy said. “So we really focus on quality ingredients and attention to detail, and pre-Prohibition styles of whiskey. We want it to be an expression of our surroundings.”
Since then, he and the team have been growing the brand organically, expanding their distribution to six states and the United Kingdom. However, Kennedy said they benefit most from the sales they make at their distillery in Leiper’s Fork. So, when Southwest Value Partners reached out about an opportunity at Nashville Yards, he was attracted to tapping into the tourism market there, as well.
“We weren’t necessarily looking to come to Nashville. I knew that it may be on our radar at some point, but just the opportunity at the Yards and the mix of tenants and concepts that will be there — it gives us a way to kind of grow our brand organically and in a non-traditional manner,” Kennedy said. “Most distilleries produce product, they have distributors in various states, and that’s how they sell their product. But we’ve seen so much success with on-site tourism here at Leiper’s Fork in those sales that it makes sense for us to go to Nashville and get our brand in front of a larger audience. Nashville is one of the most dynamic tourism markets in the country right now, so it allows us to tell our own message in our own way to the folks that are visiting Nashville.”
Kennedy first heard from Southwest Value Partners about the project in late summer 2024, and they began moving forward with the process of planning a location there.
They will have a 9,500-square-foot space, including a 2,500-square-foot space dedicated to material handling and production staging under the main floor. The main floor will be 7,100-square-feet and will feature a 500-gallon Scottish one-neck pot still that they are bringing over from the Leiper’s Fork location. Leiper’s Fork Distillery is working with Kentucky-based Joseph & Joseph Architects — known for designing multiple spots along Whiskey Row in Louisville — for the design.
They will have a kitchen on-site and plan to include a food menu. Leiper’s Fork Distillery is still looking for a food partner to supply that side of the menu, but customers can expect lunch and dinner dishes designed to pair well with the distillery’s spirits and that place an emphasis on local ingredients.
The distillery will also host tours of the facilities and offer tasting flights to highlight the spirits being produced.
Live music will also be a major element of the atmosphere, drawing another central aspect of Tennessee culture into the concept. There will be a stage for performances, and Kennedy said they would like to showcase up-and-coming artists.
Kennedy said he is excited to become part of such a major development in downtown Nashville. He has been tracking the progress on Nashville Yards for a while, and he hopes the distillery adds a great element to the development’s selection of tenants.
“I feel like it’s a great mix of what makes Tennessee, Tennessee, with our local, homegrown brands, and then also very exclusive global and national brands as well,” Kennedy said. “I think it’ll be the signature development in downtown Nashville, and obviously we’re excited to be a part of that.”
The additional location in Nashville will also triple Leiper’s Fork Distillery’s production capacity, giving them the opportunity to expand in distribution channels, as well. Kennedy hopes that the visibility they get in Nashville will allow them to grow their brand into new markets across the Southeast — and eventually across the country.
“We look at Nashville as doubling down in our own backyard. We’re still growing the brand inside Tennessee. Our goal is to be a strong regional brand, if not a national brand,” Kennedy said. “We’ve got a lot of whiskey sitting on wood right now. It’s just we need to grow the brand to be able to sell that. So going into places like Nashville allows us to get that brand message in front of people, and then as they travel back to where they’re from, we can start focusing on distribution efforts in those markets where we’re identifying folks are coming from. My goal for the brand is to eventually try to have a larger footprint.”
