On Tuesday, Tennessee whiskey brand Uncle Nearest launched Nearest Green, a lower-proof expression made with cocktails in mind.
Crafted by four-time Master Blender of the Year and fifth-generation Green descendant Victoria Eady Butler, Nearest Green arrives at a mellow 42 percent ABV and a price tag of just $30, according to a press release. Until now, the brand’s least-boozy offering was Uncle Nearest 1884, a small-batch whiskey bottled at 93 proof, while all of its other expressions have clocked in at 50 percent ABV or higher. According to the brand, the new addition to the lineup will provide bartenders and home mixologists with a less assertive expression at a more approachable price point.
“Our goal is simple: To make Nearest Green a household name, bringing people together to honor our past while embracing the future of Tennessee Whiskey,” Butler said in the release. “With this new brand, we’re not just expanding our offerings—we’re expanding the Uncle Nearest family, reaching new consumers who may not consider spending more than $50 on a bottle.”
Named after Butler’s great-great grandfather, Nearest Green comes packaged in a taller, slimmer bottle than the brand’s other expressions to ensure an easy pour behind the bar. The release comes just shy of four months after the publication of Uncle Nearest founder and CEO Fawn Weaver’s New York Times best-selling book “Love & Whiskey.”
Nearest Green Tennessee Whiskey is now available on the brand’s website via ReserveBar. Starting October 5, it will also be available at the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Bottles will start rolling out to stores, bars, and restaurants nationwide in the coming weeks.
