State lawmakers in Tennessee decided not to rewrite the legal definition of Tennessee whiskey this session, meaning the rules supported by Jack Daniel’s will govern other distillers in the state for at least another year.
The proposal that could have led to the outright repeal of the labeling law was moved to summer study panels that will convene after the legislative session ends.
The debate has pitched two global liquor giants against each other. Jack Daniel’s, which is owned by Louisville, KY-based Brown-Forman, first proposed the establishment of a Tennessee whiskey law last year. George Dickel, owned British conglomerate Diageo, led this year’s attempts to dismantle that law.
Some smaller distillers have spoken out against the restrictions, but others argue that strict rules akin to those governing bourbon whiskey would ensure a baseline of quality.
