ssee legislature postponed action yesterday on a dispute between two major distillers, creating a panel to study the definition of Tennessee whiskey.The battle involves two well-known brand names, Jack Daniel's and George Dickel, and two major liquor companies, the Brown-Forman Corp., the largest in the United States, and Diageo PLC, which has its headquarters in London and is the world's biggest beverage company.
The legislature decided to create a summer study committee to examine the issue.
A law passed last year requires anything labeled Tennessee Whiskey to be distilled in Tennessee and to follow what happens to be the Jack Daniel's recipe with at least 51% corn, with a filter of maple charcoal and aging in new barrels made from charred oak. Diageo, which owns the less-famous George Dickel label, is lobbying for a more flexible definition.
Rep. Ryan Haynes indicated that change may come yet, saying, "It's wrong for the government to codify recipes. I don't think we should be in that business." We'll all have to wait until the summer to see if the other lawmakers adopt his point of view.
