Southern Pride Distillery sits on Smith Mill Road in Fayetteville, Tennessee, where founders Jim and Kathy Butler turned their retirement dream into reality in 2014. After careers in manufacturing and education respectively, the couple decided to try their hand at craft distilling, setting up shop in a converted industrial building that now houses their small-batch operation. They focus primarily on bourbon and moonshine, keeping things simple and traditional while building their reputation one bottle at a time. The Butlers didn’t jump into distilling on a whim—Jim spent months researching recipes and techniques, eventually settling on a mash bill that emphasizes corn from local Tennessee farms. The distillery operates with a 250-gallon copper pot still, allowing them to maintain tight control over every batch while keeping production at a manageable scale. Kathy handles much of the business side while Jim manages production, and together they’ve created something that feels authentically Tennessee without the tourist trap atmosphere. Visitors get a genuine look at small-scale distilling operations, complete with the smell of fermenting mash and the sight of copper gleaming under warehouse lights. The space isn’t fancy—concrete floors, metal buildings, and the kind of no-nonsense setup that prioritizes function over form. But that’s exactly what makes it work. You’re seeing how spirits actually get made, not a polished version designed for Instagram.