Established by brothers Andy and Charles Nelson in 2009, Nelson's Green Brier can trace its roots to the 1800s, when the Nelson brothers' great-great-great grandfather, Charles Nelson, purchased a distillery in Green Brier Tennessee, known as Old No. 5 Distillery (as it was the fifth registered distiller in the state of Tennessee). At one point, Nelson's distillery was the largest producer of Tennessee whiskey, selling 2 million bottles of Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey in 1885.
Designations on the ingredients and techniques used to make alcoholic beverages, as well as the locations in which they are made, are nothing new. Champagne can only be made in a particular region of France, single malt Scotch whiskey can only be made using barley, and bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels. For the most part, these are good rules that ensure a product bearing a particular designation will fit with the customer's expectations.