Blue Note Bourbon sits at 802 Royal Avenue in Memphis’s historic Cooper-Young neighborhood, occupying a converted 1920s automotive garage that the founders transformed into Tennessee’s most music-inspired distillery. Founded in 2014 by Marc Weinberg and Loyd Evans, two Memphis music industry veterans who spent years managing recording studios and live venues before deciding to blend their love of bourbon with the city’s legendary musical heritage. The 5,000-square-foot facility houses custom copper pot stills and bourbon barrels aging to the rhythm of Memphis blues that plays constantly in the rickhouses. They produce small-batch bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, and seasonal spirits using locally sourced grains and Memphis’s mineral-rich artesian water. The space maintains its industrial garage bones with exposed brick walls, concrete floors, and steel beams, while vintage recording equipment and music memorabilia create an atmosphere that’s part distillery, part recording studio. Weinberg, who previously worked at Ardent Studios where Led Zeppelin recorded, brings that same attention to sonic detail to his bourbon-making process, believing that sound vibrations actually help the aging process. The operation produces about 200 barrels annually, focusing on wheated bourbons that reflect the smooth, soulful character of Memphis music.