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Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer

Townsend distiller’s legislation radically transformed Tennessee’s whiskey production

By Tom Wilmer
Published December 24, 2022 at 1:38 AM PST
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Correspondent Tom Wilmer (left) visits with Heath Clark at Company Distilling, Townsend, TN
Jillian Parks
Correspondent Tom Wilmer (left) visits with Heath Clark at Company Distilling, Townsend, TN

Join Heath Clark, founder of Company Distilling and H. Clark Distillery. Clark etched his name in the annals of Tennessee distilling when he ramrodded legislation that opened up distillery operations across the state of Tennessee.

traditional pot still at Company Distilling, Townsend, Tennessee.
Jillian Parks
traditional pot still at Company Distilling, Townsend, Tennessee.

Amazingly, before Clark’s game changing legislation distilling was illegal in 92 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. We’ll also visit with Cody, head distiller at Company Distilling.

Company Distilling retail display at their Townsend, Tennessee production facility.
Jillian Parks
Company Distilling retail display at their Townsend, Tennessee production facility.
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Conserving the past to inspire future generations of dreamers and preserving the legacy of Julia Morgan.

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Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer is featured on the NPR.ORG Podcast Directory
NPR
Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer is featured on the NPR.ORG Podcast Directory

You are invited to subscribe to the six time Lowell Thomas Award-winning travel podcast, Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer, featured on the NPR Podcast Directory, Apple Podcast, the NPR One App  Stitcher.com and more than twenty other podcast hosting sites including iHeartRadio and Spotify

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Tom Wilmer
Tom Wilmer produces on-air content for Issues & Ideas airing over KCBX and is producer and host of the six-time Lowell Thomas award-winning NPR podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer. Recorded live on-location across America and around the world, the podcasts feature the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine & spirits, brewpubs, and the culinary arts--everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls to interviewing the real Santa Claus in the Arctic.
See stories by Tom Wilmer