It’s time for some good company — specifically the arrival of Company Distilling in Lynchburg, Tenn., as well as the new cocktail emporium, Close Company, in the Neuhoff site on the border of Germantown and Salemtown. These both represent important steps forward in the local spirits and cocktail scene that are worth celebrating.
The return of former Jack Daniel’s master distiller Jeff Arnett to Lynchburg was certainly a celebratory event. Arnett left his position at Jack in 2020 after a dozen years running the distilling operations at the global brand. He emerged soon after as a partner and founding distiller at Company Distilling Co. The new distillery operated out of two facilities — in Townsend, Tenn., and Thompson’s Station in the former home of H. Clark Distillery. The company has also circled around a site near Alcoa, Tenn., but they are still figuring out a final plan for that facility, most likely as a major barrel-storage option.
The Lynchburg location opened on May 17 at 30 Hiles St., just off the charming town square. Hundreds of people gathered on the sidewalks waiting for Arnett to emerge and cut the ribbon, a bit like the crowd awaiting the puff of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney. The mayor welcomed Arnett back to town and oversaw the official ribbon-cutting for the attractive refurbished century-old building that had been torn down to the concrete walls as part of the remodeling process.
I met locals who were excited that “Jeff is coming home!” as well as international visitors who flew across the pond to be a part of the grand opening. Arnett greeted visitors inside the future home of Company’s gin-distilling operation — where the current Thompson’s Station still will live once it makes the move to Lynchburg. He assured the crowd that Company doesn’t intend to compete with Jack Daniel’s, but rather to complement the tourism efforts of Lynchburg. (This is clearly apt, because Jack makes more alcohol in a minute than Company will be able to make in a day at their new facility.)
The building is still under construction, but I could see the bones of the future operations — a rentable space called the “Gather Round Room,” spots for tastings including an large and attractive bar in the center of the building, a bottle shop and gift store, as well as a combination education room and production space that will soon be home to the 100-gallon alembic still.
Arnett plans to ingrain himself in the community again after purchasing a house in the area. He's being welcomed back by residents and visitors alike, and if this means that Company can someday expand their production, the impact of this move could be far-reaching.
Germantown’s adaptive reuse project puts the river front and center
Meanwhile, back in Nashville, longtime residents might remember when the Neuhoff District was the home of the city’s meatpacking facility, and when the killing floor was in operation and the wind was blowing in the right (wrong) direction, the trip around the I-265 loop on the north side of downtown (remember that?) could be quite unpleasant. Well, that abattoir has definitely been cleared away as part of the refurbishing of more than 1 million square feet of mixed-use retail and food and beverage space.
It’s a little hard to navigate the area between Block One and Block Two of the new Neuhoff, but Close Company kind of straddles the lowest level between them at 1316 Adams St. Basically, it’s right below Fishmonger if you’ve been there — and if you haven’t you should!
Close Company is the latest project from Gin & Luck, the hospitality pros behind groundbreaking NYC cocktail emporium Death & Co. The new Nashville bar is the first of at least three planned Close Company locations — other spots in Vegas and Atlanta are slated to open this summer.
As you descend the sweeping staircase into the industrial subterranean space of the new bar, it becomes clear that this is not your typical speakeasy with secret entrances and velvet ropes. This is intended to be a high-volume, high-energy space that wants to offer killer drinks and snacks at reasonable prices. The bar staff has designed several batch cocktails that will speed up service without sacrificing quality, and still allow time to concentrate on drink presentation and customer hospitality.
Close Company pastry
Even the servers are trained bartenders at Close Company, so everyone can help out if the bar gets busy. This is especially important because the service model stresses ordering at the bar over interacting with traditional cocktail servers. You know what you want when you want it, so step up and order it! As bar manager and local bartending legend Kala Ellis told me, “The nerds in the back batching up the drinks will be the real heroes!” Like soda jerks of yore, these cocktail scientists spend time experimenting with acidity levels, carbonation and recipes within the draft system.
The menu is divided into Zero Proof, Fizzy, Juicy and Boozy, along with large format or multiple quantity options labeled Group Activity. There are also simpler drinks named One & Ones, and combo drinks labeled Sidekicks. Food options revolve around flavor-bomb snacks like house pickles or a cheddar-and-jalapeño cheese ball, along with a range of pastry pockets that are much more thoughtfully created than your everyday Hot Pocket.
Large groups can go online to make advance reservations or schedule buy-outs, but Close Quarters will be more of a walk-in kind of bar that will welcome you starting at 4 p.m. every day of the week. Closing time ranges from midnight Sunday through Tuesday and 2 a.m. the rest of the week. Tonight is opening night — so drop in to welcome them to town!
