Black-Owned Whiskey Company Uncle Nearest Just Hit $100M in Sales and Is Set to Double It In 2023

Black owned whiskey brand Uncle Nearest just hit $100 million in sales this past October, and experts say that as one of the fastest growing companies on the market, it is the brand to look out for in the next year.

According to a December 6 press release, Uncle Nearest is projected to double that number by the end of 2023 with an estimated $200 million. Not only does the brand boast an impressive portfolio for its nascent five years in the industry—with products ranging in both age and character— adding to the brand’s appeal is its affordability. Bottles are priced between $49 to $149, urging consumers to stock their pantries with multiple bottles at a time.

The 323-acre distillery is located in Shelby, Tennessee and is family owned and operated. Founded in 2017 by the company’s current CEO Fawn Weaver, Uncle Nearest was later bolstered by Chief Business Officer Katharine Jerkens, and Nearest Green’s great-great-granddaughter (and the brand’s master blender) Victoria Eady Butler. In 2021, the family celebrated becoming the best-selling Black owned spirits brand in the United States.

“To reach this and every other milestone on our horizon, we continue to push nonstop, ” Weaver shared in the release. “Every cent we make in the future will continue to do the same. We have an entire generation of women and people of color, who represent 70 percent of our country but still feel marginalized and underrepresented, counting on us. This group continues to look to Uncle Nearest as proof that anything is possible. We will not let them down.”

But growth does not stop here. The company is committed to investing in the next generation of Black distillers. With the Black Business Booster program, the Nearest and Jack Advancement Initiative, and Uncle Nearest Ventures, Black and minority owned businesses are supported with resources, and professional mentorship opportunities.

We love to see it, and we’re certain that Uncle Nearest will be keeping holiday drinkers happy for decades to come.