During the Prohibition era, Tennessee's hills and hollows were quite popular for bootleggers. In fact, bootleggers were common anywhere folks could have a little privacy, and there just happened to be a lot of it in Williamson County, which could satisfy the liquor demands of neighboring Davidson county.
Bootlegging (or moonshining) was big business in all over the state, dating back a decade before the nationwide prohibition made alcoholic beverages difficult to obtain. Tennessee's General Assembly banned the production of alcohol in the state in 1909, and even after the nationwide ban was lifted in 1937, it took years for legal production to bounce back to previous levels. Legal levels, that is.
Next month, Carnton Plantation is hosting a party that celebrates the outlaws that kept the drinks flowing through the dark era of Prohibition. The Bootlegger's Bash is Saturday, Aug. 8, from 7 to 11 p.m. and will feature spirits from Tenn South Distillery, Old Forge Distillery, Thunder Road Distillery, and H. Clark Distillery, which was the first distillery to operate legally in Williamson county for a hundred years.
The party is hosted by the Battle of Franklin Trust and will also feature food including chicken canapés, lamb chops, stuffed mushrooms and bread pudding. Live music from Hot Club Time Machine is also included with ticket prices, which are $50 per person or $75 per couple. All proceeds benefit the trust, which focuses on preserving, restoring, maintaining and interpreting the properties, artifacts and documents related to the historic Civil War battle.
7 to 11 p.m. Aug. 8
Carnton Plantation
1345 Eastern Flank Circle, Franklin
Tickets: $50 per person/$75 per couple
