© 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
Journalist discusses the ripple effects of extremism on a small American town
Trump’s mass deportation campaign takes a toll on college students
Why Sting challenges himself to push his artistry into new forms
As Russia pounds Ukrainian cities, Kyiv tries to turn the tide with battlefront innovation
June 2, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode
What to know about Trump’s controversial pick of Bill Pulte for acting spy chief
Justice Department scraps Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization fund’ after pushback from Congress
News Wrap: Rubio tries to assure Congress that talks with Iran are continuing
Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund hits setback amid political pressure from Republicans
A Brief But Spectacular take on cooking with pride