© 2026 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

How a formerly enslaved man helped create Jack Daniel's

Season 2024 Episode 216 | 8m 57s

Jack Daniel's is a famous whiskey brand, but Daniel didn’t create the method for distilling Tennessee whiskey. He learned it from a formerly enslaved man named Nearest Green. Fawn Weaver created Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey to honor and preserve Green’s legacy and it's now the most successful Black-owned liquor empire. Geoff Bennett sat down with Weaver to discuss her book, “Love and Whiskey."

Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by Consumer Cellular and Cunard Cruise Line. For a complete list of funders for the PBS NewsHour and PBS NewsHour weekend, click here.
Extras
Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on Trump’s shifting messaging on Iran war
April 6, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode
People in recovery find a fresh start by crafting Troublesome Creek instruments
Artemis II crew breaks distance record on mission around far side of moon
What international law says about Trump's threats to bomb Iran's bridges and power plants
News Wrap: Russian strikes on southern Ukraine kill at least 4
Farmers warn of food price spike as war drives up fuel and fertilizer costs
Trump claims Iranians 'want to hear bombs' because they want to be free
Iran war on verge of escalation as Trump and Tehran exchange threats
People in Tehran on edge as Trump’s deadline for Iran looms