Tennessee backroads are notorious for their beauty and knack for hospitality. Pick any old country road, and you’ll find good times hiding around each and every bend. Locally, if you were to take a ride down Riley Creek Road the gentle rise and fall of the road would lead you to Cascade Hollow, the quiet home of George Dickel Whisky.
Turning onto the extended driveway, Cascade Hollow Road, images of perfectly lush landscaping meet the eye. The smell of sour whisky mash floats and lingers in the air. Rolling down the windows and pulling back the sunroof, you slow your speed to a crawl. Holding your breath, you hear the slow trickle of the waterway nearby. This limestone-filtered water supply is used to distill world-famous George Dickel Whisky.
Easing your way down the road, you watch as the last few golden rays flirt their way over the ridge before they inevitably vanish. A few structures appear in your sight ahead. To the left, you see people scattered across a well-manicured lawn.
Walking up from the parking lot, you approach the commotion. Warm smiles and friendly faces meet you. A perfectly crafted cocktail is also present to greet you. Like a snapshot from a family reunion, blankets and camping chairs are placed together in intimate huddles. The sound of laughter fills the air as children romp and race about, chasing fireflies and one another.
On the porch stage, musicians do their final sound check, then signal that they are moments away from cutting loose. The warmth from the sun’s light slowly fades. The air becomes crisp and chilled, like the drink in your hand. Just as you ease back in your lawn chair, the lead guitarist strums the first few strokes of the night. You knew Tennessee backroads were some of the best hosts, but I don’t think anyone expected this level of hospitality. A toast is in order. “Raise your glasses high, to this little slice of heaven on earth.”
On the third Friday of each month, from May to September, Cascade Hollow Distilling Company has been the generous host of what they deemed “Front Porch Fridays.” These concerts were birthed from the desire to bring people back together following the COVID-19 shutdowns. A agency representative of Cascade Hollow shared, “We wanted to find a way to bring people back together and thought music was the perfect fit. We were inspired by the larger “Porch Session” concerts that took place at the distillery a few years ago. We wanted to create a scaled-down version of those where people could come to enjoy food, music, and George Dickel cocktails in a fun but laid back environment.”
This season’s Front Porch Fridays featured artists Timbo, Double Shot, Southerland, Jenny Teator, and Madison Kozak & Friends. Though Madison Kozak brought this season of music and fun to its official end on September 16, 2022, more excitement will arise around the bend soon. If an evening of live music, food, and cocktails sounds like your kind of fun, keep your eyes open for future events happening in the hollow, at georgedickel.com.
A group of talented women put on a show with GSM Productions at Bring It Back Games located at 108 Lane Parkway Suite EE. The all-female headliner group called Yesterday Morning was the highlight of the songwriters’ show. Yesterday Morning is a countryfolk duo composed of Jessica Terrell and Cassidy Dickens. GN
