The founder of Uncle Nearest spirits is doing more than just raising a glassshe’s raising awareness.
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Did they enjoy their tasting?
Where was everyone visiting from?One pair mentioned their heritage, they were Chippewa, traveling from Oklahoma.
Welcoming people, making them feelseen.
This matters to Fawn Weaver.
She adds, “Think about the story I’m telling you.
To fully understand her optimism requires an understanding of Weaver herself.
She’s the first Black American woman to lead a major spirits company.
Only about 175 are Black-owned.
Today, Uncle Nearest is the fastest-growing whiskey brand in the U.S. And the whiskey, it’sgood.
Weaver’s story is a worthy one.
“Everything I’ve ever done, it’s been the exact same model,” Weaver says.
“Create a story so big, people are interested in it.”
In the summer of 2015, Weaver was coming to terms with an expensive miscalculation.
By the time she was ready to walk away, forecasting its failure, her losses were significant.
An estimated $2 million, according to her.
“I needed to get my mind off it.”
To clear her head, she accompanied her husband Keith on a business trip to Singapore.
Keith, who cofounded Uncle Nearest with Weaver, was then a senior executive at Sony Pictures.
At the time, it was curiosity that was on her mind, not starting a company.
Weaver returned home to plan the celebration of life.
The loss was devastating, and to cope, she tried to keep busy.
“So, I immediately went to my desk and started sorting through packages.
[The book] was one of the packages, so I just started reading it.”
“I thought,this is crazy,” she says.
“The book was published in 1967, the height of thecivil rightsera.
And you have this Black family being mentioned over and over again.”
The story of Green’s legacy moved Weaver, not only emotionally, but also literally.
The Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
Between her business and public relations background, she had the experience.
And anyway, she liked bourbon; she knew what tasted good.
Speaking candidly, Weaver says her husband was pivotal in confronting these difficulties.
And even before that, it was his paychecks that were used to keep the company afloat.
Other moments were brighter, however.
“He was more than a mentor to Jack Daniel.
He made history of his own and I’m extremely proud of that.”
“I believe that things happen in due time.
Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Spirits.
And about that book, Weaver wrote it after all.
“The intention was always about just sharing the story.
It could have been coffee or jeans,” Weaver says.
“It was never about the spirits, but all of this has led to this opportunity.”
Poignant words that could be applied to Weaver, and what she’s created, too.
Princesses, mermaids, and true love’s kiss, oh my!
But would I do it again?
The late pope spared no expense when it came to treating the infant prince in 2014.
