Southwest Value Partners and Leiper’s Fork Distillery, a family-owned and operated whiskey distillery based in Williamson County, announced today that they will expand to Nashville Yards. Leiper’s Fork Distillery at Nashville Yards will feature on-site whiskey production, a restaurant and bar, retail store, private tasting room, and stage to host live music.
“As a Tennessee distillery, and as someone who grew up in Nashville, I’m incredibly excited to expand to Nashville Yards. This move allows us to share our story of authentic grain-to-glass whiskey production with a broader audience in the heart of downtown. With Broadway as the epicenter of Nashville tourism, establishing a presence at Nashville Yards offers us an opportunity to grow our brand and further solidify our reputation for crafting high-quality whiskeys that resonate with both locals and visitors alike.”
Currently located on 30-acres in Williamson County, Leiper’s Fork Distillery is a celebrated producer of small batch premium whiskeys. Since filling their first barrel in 2016, founder and distiller Lee Kennedy has recaptured the lost art of small batch pre-prohibition style whiskey production in Middle Tennessee. All Leiper’s Fork Distillery products are made by hand using traditional techniques, from grain-to-glass.
Expanding to Nashville Yards will allow the family to scale production; Lee plans to move the distillery’s existing 500-gallon still named “Ginger” from Leiper’s Fork Distillery to Nashville Yards and install a new 1,000 gallon system in its place.
The distillery will overlook Nashville’s historic rail lines and one of the most anticipated features of Nashville Yards – the highly curated open green space park, named Ascension Saint Thomas Landing. The Landing will include a tiered amphitheater space, dog park, and large open area capable of hosting concerts, movies, farmers and artisan markets, fitness classes, private events, and more.
“Leiper’s Fork Distillery at Nashville Yards will masterfully distill and showcase much of what we love about Nashville – friendship, whiskey, great bites and live music – in one incredible setting at some of the most uniquely beautiful architecture we have designed into Nashville Yards,” said Cary Mack, Managing Partner, Southwest Value Partners. “We are proud to welcome them and thrilled they will continue to build on their awesome history and Tennessee success story at our project.”
Leiper’s Fork Distillery’s plans for the nearly 9,000-square-foot space include a large patio that will open onto the Landing, a bar offering in-house spirits and curated flights, and a regular artist showcase series, building on the popularity of the brand’s “Still House Sessions” events in Williamson County. The distillery will be open for tours, with production running five days a week. Front-of-house functions, including the retail store and restaurant, will be open six days a week.
Leiper’s Fork Distillery at Nashville Yards expects to open in mid-2026 and will anchor the entire ground floor of the 18,500 square foot corten steel clad, two-story boutique building constructed next to the rail lines on the west side of the Pinnacle Tower at Nashville Yards. Highly visible from both Broadway and Church Street, this corten steel building offers a 10,000+ square foot versatile rooftop space, ample parking, and is easily accessible by foot from anywhere on the Nashville Yards campus and downtown Nashville.
Be sure to subscribe for more on this and Other Developments In & Around Nashville!
