From Dirt Floors to America's Largest Brewstillery: The Real Tennessee Hills Story
November 20 2025 – Jessica Callahan
Episode 1 of The Responsibly Rowdy Podcast is here, and it's the origin story we've never told. Until now.
Tennessee Hills Distillery just launched The Responsibly Rowdy Podcast, and if you've ever wondered how a high school romance, a chemistry degree, and one very good dog turned into one of the most ambitious craft spirits operations in America–this is for you.
Hosted by founders Stephen and Jessica Callahan, Episode 1 goes deeper than any distillery tour, press release, or Instagram caption ever could. This is the unfiltered story of how Tennessee Hills became what it is today: America's largest privately-owned Brewstillery, born in a 180-year-old building with dirt floors and built on 11 generations of Appalachian distilling heritage.
Let's break it down.
A Dog Named Jack & The Callahan Family Crest
Before the awards. Before the three locations. Before the #ResponsiblyRowdy lifestyle brand.
It was just Stephen, Jessica, and their dog Jack.
Jack (whose silhouette still lives inside the Tennessee Hills logo) wasn't just a pet. He was part of the Callahan legacy, tied directly to the family crest that connects 11 generations of distillers who've been making spirits in these hills since before Tennessee was even a state.
Most brands manufacture their symbolism. Tennessee Hills didn't have to. It was already in the bloodline.
How "Tennessee Hills" Almost Had a Different Name
Every brand has a naming story. Not every naming story comes this naturally.
Stephen and Jessica walk through the early brainstorming sessions, the almost-names, the ones that almost stuck, and how the final decision happened during the early days of building the business. This was long before the world (including them) knew what a Brewstillery even was.
The name Tennessee Hills wasn't chosen by a marketing committee. It was chosen because it felt true. Because this region raised them. Because these hills built the people who built this distillery.
High School Sweethearts to Chemical Engineers to Distillery Founders at 25
This is the part of the story most people never hear–how Stephen and Jessica:
- Met as teenagers
- Became college sweethearts
- Both studied chemistry
- Worked together at Eastman Chemical Company
- Learned process discipline, quality control, and how big operations actually run
- Realized corporate life wasn't for them
- Bet everything at age 25
- Moved into a 180-year-old building with dirt floors
- Turned it into the Salt House: the birthplace of Tennessee Hills
Jessica describes the moment they signed the lease: no guarantees, a mountain of work, and a perfectionist distiller determined to do it right. This is the grit, the grind, the late nights, the early mornings, the risks nobody clapped for at the time. This is what it means to be a Rugged Entrepreneur.
This is how you build something real.
Rowdy Moments, Responsible Ones & The Stories That Built the Brand
Yes, you get stories. The rowdy ones. The responsible ones. The "don't tell mom" ones.
Stephen shares memories that didn't just shape his personality; they shaped the entire Tennessee Hills culture: Rugged. Rowdy. Real.
This isn't marketing language. It's life in the hills. Being raised hard. Learning fast. Staying true.
And yeah–it's funny as hell.
What's Coming Next at Tennessee Hills
The episode wraps with a look at what's on the horizon:
Indian Motorcycle Giveaway
A massive sweepstakes to benefit Camp Friendship. Big partner. Big prize. Big moment.
Goo Goo Cluster Collaboration
Nashville heritage meets A True Taste of Tennessee. The world's first combination candy bar meets 11 generations of distillation heritage.
One-Year Anniversary Party in Bristol (November 22)
A milestone celebration at the Brewstillery–food, drinks, music, and everything that makes this place what it is.
This is just the beginning.
Why You Should Listen
Because this isn't just another podcast about whiskey.
It's the real story of how two people from East Tennessee took everything they had–11 generations of heritage, chemistry backgrounds, a 180-year-old building, and a whole lot of grit–and built something that's rewriting what an Appalachian craft distillery can be.
New episodes drop the third Thursday of every month.
Stay #ResponsiblyRowdy.
Listen to the Podcast Now:
🎧 YouTube: youtube.com/@tnhillsdistillery
🎧 Spotify & Apple Podcasts: Search "Responsibly Rowdy Podcast"
