Gate 11 Distillery sits right in the heart of downtown Chattanooga at 1400 Market Street, tucked into a sleek urban space that feels more like a craft cocktail bar than a traditional distillery. Founded by Josh Christie and Nick Hartung, two friends who turned their shared obsession with quality spirits into a full-scale operation, Gate 11 opened its doors in 2017 after years of planning and navigating Tennessee’s distillery regulations. The name comes from their gate number during a memorable trip to Europe, where they first started seriously talking about leaving their corporate careers behind to make whiskey.
Christie and Hartung didn’t just jump into distilling blind—they spent months learning from established distillers and perfecting their recipes before committing to the venture. What started as weekend experiments in Christie’s garage evolved into a legitimate operation with custom copper stills and a focus on small-batch bourbon and rye whiskey. The duo handles everything from mashing to bottling, keeping production small enough that they can personally oversee every step of the process.
The distillery operates more like a tasting room with production happening behind glass, so you can watch the actual distilling process while sipping their spirits. The space has an industrial-modern vibe with exposed brick and steel, and the atmosphere stays relaxed even when it gets busy on weekends. You’re not getting the massive rickhouse tour experience here—instead, you get to meet the actual guys making the whiskey and taste spirits that are still finding their identity in the Tennessee market.
