A Tradition Like No Other: The Jack Daniel's Barrel Tree
A Tradition Like No Other: The Jack Daniel's Barrel Tree
Folks in Lynchburg are big on tradition. We’ve been at it for over 150 years, so we’ve gotten pretty good at it. Our town, population 361 on a good day, is built on doing things the right way, not the fast way.
But tradition isn't just about protecting the old ways. Sometimes, it’s about having the confidence to start a new one.
That’s what happened just over ten years ago. We had an idea. What if we celebrated the holidays with a tree that was, well, a little more us? After all, a 30-foot tree made of whiskey barrels isn't exactly a pine-scented tradition. We weren't sure what folks would think. It was a new idea, and new ideas can take a minute to settle in.
But then, we thought about Mr. Jack himself.
Jack Daniel was never the kind of fellow to follow the crowd. He was the man who put his Distillery on the books as the first one registered in the U.S. He chose a square bottle when everyone else was using round ones. Why? Because it was his, and it was honest. Jack had a maverick streak, a keen eye for doing things his own way.
So, when we look at our own 223-barrel-tall, one-of-a-kind holiday icon, we think he’d probably get a kick out of it.
That first tree, the brainchild of our Brand Team and local contractor Benny Hoover back in 2011, was a testament to that spirit. Let's just say it involved a lot of barrels, a new spot over by the Motlow House, and probably more extension cords than we'd care to count today.
It was our way of honoring the wood. Not just any wood, but the handcrafted, toasted and charred white oak barrels that do so much of the hard work. They're where our whiskey gets its amber color and a whole lot of its flavor and character. They're an ingredient, plain and simple. It seemed right to put them front and center.
What started as a bright idea has, in the last ten-plus years, become a spark. The lighting of our hometown tree is now an event. It’s the official start of the holiday season in Moore County.
To be there on lighting night is to feel a certain kind of warmth that has nothing to do with the whiskey.
Hundreds of friends and neighbors gather in the Whiskey Garden at our Visitor’s Center. You see the warm sweaters and the down jackets.The air gets quiet. You can feel the collective breath. Then, the countdown begins, a chorus of voices echoing through the Holler: "Ten, nine, eight..."
And then, it happens. A single switch is flipped, and the crowd erupts. Our tree, decked out in "Old No. 7", bursts with a warm, golden light. It’s a spectacular sight. It just might be the jolliest day in Lynchburg.
It's become a tradition not just for us, but for friends who travel from all over to be here. We see familiar faces, and new ones, all joining us to raise a toast to the season. It means a lot to us to be part of something they look forward to.
This barrel tree doesn't go back 160 years. But it’s a strong reminder that starting a new tradition can be just as meaningful as celebrating an old one.
From the beginning, we knew this tree had to be more than just lights. It had to stand for something.
That’s where Operation Ride Home comes in.
It’s our partnership with the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), and it’s a mission we care about deeply. The program is straightforward: it helps junior-enlisted service members and their families connect during the holiday season.
These are young women and men who, for many, find the cost of a plane ticket is the only thing standing between them and a holiday with their family. We don't think that's right. So, we do something about it.
Since 2011, this program has helped more than 13,000 service members and their families get home. Together, we’ve raised over $2 million to make these reunions happen.
We’re proud to kick off the campaign each year, but the real heart of it comes from the barrels themselves. Those 223 barrels that make up the Lynchburg tree? They’re given a new purpose. Once the holidays are over, they're made available for our friends to purchase.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of every one of those barrels goes directly to Operation Ride Home.
When you buy one, you’re not just getting a piece of Distillery history; you’re buying a plane ticket. You're filling an empty chair at a dinner table. You're giving a gift that truly matters. We're proud to be a part of that, and we're grateful to all the friends of Jack who join us.
That Lynchburg spirit was too bright to keep in one holler. We’re proud to say this tradition, born right here, has found a second home in cities across the country.
What started as one tree has grown. This year, you’ll find 12 Barrel Trees in total, from our neighbors in Nashville to friends in Los Angeles, from Washington D.C. to New York City and beyond.
Each one is a piece of Lynchburg, a little bit of Tennessee warmth shared with the rest of the country .
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This is what we mean when we talk about ‘From Tennessee.’
It’s more than a pin on a map. It’s a way of doing things. It's the craft that goes into every bottle and the care that goes into every barrel. It's the provenance—the fact that this is a gift Lynchburg shares with the rest of the world, one drop at a time.
But ‘From Tennessee’ is also about our heartfelt rituals, the stories, and the people that bring us together. The Barrel Tree is that spirit, built from the ground up.
It’s like we’ve always said: It's not about what's under the tree that matters. It's who's around it.
We're proud to be a part of a tradition that gathers the right people, for the right reasons. So this holiday, whether you see one of our trees in person or you’re just raising a glass with friends, you’re part of that story.
That connection, that warmth, that's the real gift.
A toast, from Tennessee.
Seit 1866 hat Jack Daniel's Freunde auf der ganzen Welt. Wir möchten dich einladen, auch ein Freund von Jack zu werden.