Knocking on heaven’s door will soon look a lot like banging down the entrance of an old church asking for a glass of whiskey. That’s because the American whiskey brand, Heaven’s Door, created in collaboration with Bob Dylan, is opening a new distillery in fall 2020 at the renovated 160-year-old Elm Street Church in Nashville. As if you needed another excuse to visit Music City.
Not only will this distillery include all the bells and whiskeys of a bourbon, double barrel, and rye distillery (Heaven’s Doors’ three expressions), the place of whiskey worship will also include a “library” and restaurant.
While you won’t be able to sleep in a giant booze barrel or marvel at a million-dollar architectural distilling palace, Heaven’s Door has something totally unique: an extended Center for the Arts with a 360-seat live performance venue and “art sanctuary.” I mean, Bob freakin’ Dylan + whiskey + Nashville? There’s no way there wouldn’t be a stage.
Paintings from Zimmy will be on display in the arts center, along with crazy metalwork sculptures. Yes, the 77-year-old folk icon is also a welding badass. For proof of his artistic capabilities, just take a look at the artwork on the labels.
Heaven’s Door Distillery will settle in the SoBro neighborhood of Nashville and “serves as the perfect home to Heaven’s Door distillery, as each of the three core whiskey expressions have a direct tie to Tennessee, either through distillation, aging, barrel finishing, or bottling,” says a rep for the brand.
News of the distillery came as Dylan (and whiskey-drinking fans of country rock music) celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Nashville Skyline album released in 1969.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the anniversary of Nashville Skyline with our own addition to Music City’s skyline,” said Marc Bushala, CEO of Heaven’s Door Spirits. “We spent years looking for a property that truly captures the essence of the Heaven’s Door brand, and when we finally found the deconsecrated church in SoBro, we immediately knew that it would be the perfect physical and spiritual center for the brand and Bob’s art.”
Just as you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, you don’t need an article to tell you how delicious Tennessee whiskey is. Mark your calendar, Mr. Tambourine Man.