Ole Smoky Moonshine Barn

Why go: A working distillery dropped into the middle of The Island, with daily tastings, an outdoor stage, and rocking chairs out front.

About Ole Smoky Moonshine Barn

The Barn is Ole Smoky’s Pigeon Forge outpost, the second location for a company that started in Gatlinburg and grew into the leading distiller of premium moonshine in the country. It carries the same three elements as the original Gatlinburg site known as The Holler: a working still, a tasting bar, and a retail store, packed into roughly six thousand square feet of public space.

The building was designed to feel like a smaller, more intimate version of its parent. Reclaimed local barnwood, similar fixtures and artwork, and an open corner with glass on two sides give the room a good deal of natural light, and the short distance between the still and the tasting bar means you are drinking within sight of where the spirit is made. Outside, a dedicated stage runs live music through the day, with rocking chairs lined up for anyone who wants to sit and listen rather than shop.

The flavor range is the main draw. Alongside the classics are fruit-packed jars, cream moonshines, whiskeys, and a rotating set of distillery exclusives that do not turn up in stores.

Getting to Ole Smoky Moonshine Barn

The Barn sits at 131 The Island Drive, inside The Island in Pigeon Forge, the entertainment complex off the Parkway near Traffic Light #6. The distillery occupies a corner position in the heart of the complex, close to the show fountain and the observation wheel, which makes it easy to find once you are inside. The Island has free parking in surface lots and a parking garage, though both fill quickly in peak season and on show nights, so an earlier arrival is worth the effort.

Why Choose Ole Smoky Moonshine Barn

Several distilleries in town offer tastings. What The Barn adds is that it sits inside an entertainment complex, so a tasting slots into an evening that is already happening rather than requiring its own trip.

• Inside The Island. The distillery is a stop on a night out rather than a standalone destination, which suits mixed groups.
• Live music daily. A dedicated outdoor stage runs through the day, with seating out front and no cover to listen.
• Distillery exclusives. A rotating set of flavors is only available at the distilleries and never reaches store shelves.
• Two tasting tiers. A regular flight and a premium flight with additional pours, both walk-up with no reservation.
• Dogs are welcome. Ole Smoky keeps its distilleries dog friendly, unusual for an indoor venue in a complex this busy.

Menu Favorites

The tasting bar pours a rotating selection rather than the full catalog, so what is available on the day varies. These are the flavors the distillery is best known for, and the ones worth asking after.

• Original. The unflavored corn whiskey that started the company, and the baseline everything else is measured against.
• Apple Pie. The best-known flavor in the range, sweet and cinnamon-forward.
• Moonshine Cherries. Whole cherries steeped in the jar, as much a souvenir as a drink.
• Moonshine Pickles. The savory outlier, and the one most visitors try on a dare before buying a jar.
• White Lightnin’. High-proof and unaged, for anyone who wants the traditional article.
• Blackberry. One of the fruit flavors that holds up well over ice rather than as a shot.
• Mountain Java. Coffee-forward and closer to a liqueur than a moonshine.
• Banana Pudding Cream. Representative of the cream line, which drinks like dessert.
• Popcorn Sutton and James Ownby Reserve. The whiskey labels, for visitors who want something aged.

What to Expect

The Barn is a retail and tasting venue rather than a tour stop, and a few of its policies differ from what visitors expect after seeing the Gatlinburg operation.

• No tours here. Distillery tours run at the Gatlinburg and Nashville locations, not at this one, though the still is in plain view.
• Tastings are paid and walk-up. Two tiers are offered daily with no reservation required, and the regular flight returns a coupon toward a purchase.
• No food. This is spirits and merchandise only, though The Island has restaurants a short walk away.
• Loud by design. Live music runs outside through the day, which is part of the appeal but worth knowing if you want a quiet tasting.
• Late closing. The distillery stays open later than most of the town, which makes it a workable last stop.
• ID required. Tastings are restricted to twenty-one and over with valid identification.

Nearby in Pigeon Forge

• Paloma Scratch Kitchen. Scratch cooking and a considered drinks list, the closest sit-down option to the complex.
• Puckett’s Restaurant. Southern plates and regular live music from a Tennessee grocery turned restaurant group.
• Bullfish Grill. Steaks and seafood in a room that works for a longer, slower dinner.
• Maddog’s Creamery. Hand-dipped scoops and soft serve on the Parkway, a short hop from the Island.
• Azul Cantina. Tex-Mex and margaritas a short drive away in the Mountain Mile.

Explore More

My Smoky Mountain Guide Pigeon Forge is a great resource for finding places to eat and things to do.

• Pigeon Forge Food & Beverage Guide. Restaurants, dinner shows, breweries, distilleries, and eateries throughout Pigeon Forge, from sit-down meals to grab-and-go stops.
• Pigeon Forge Outdoor Adventure. Mountain coasters, UTV rentals, rafting, helicopter tours, and other ways to experience the Smokies from outdoors.
• Pigeon Forge Attractions. Museums, escape rooms, mini-golf, arcades, and other family-friendly stops across the city.
• Pigeon Forge Entertainment. Dinner shows, live music, comedy, magic, and theater experiences throughout Pigeon Forge.