It all began with two visionaries, Jeremy Reed and Daniel Taylor, whose friendship developed in the small town of Jefferson City, Tennessee. Both eventually became entrepreneurs, Reed in Jefferson City and Taylor in San Antonio, Texas. Their shared roots and ongoing friendship led to the creation of Pursue Bourbon, which was followed by Pursue Spirits Co. and then Mossback Distillery. The friends’ vision was to create a space that would bring a community together while giving back to the town they love, encouraging the area to grow.

Mossback Distillery, established in 2021, is nestled in the foothills of the Smokies in the small Tennessee town of Jefferson City. Once called Mossy Creek, the city’s entrepreneurs were nicknamed “Mossbacks.”

Our beloved city was named Mossy Creek by the early settlers due to the vivid green moss growing the area’s creek bed. According to history, a few of the business and professional men were called “Mossbacks” and were recognized as such when they traveled to other areas of regions. In the year 1901, the men and women of Mossy Creek supported changing the name Mossy Creek to Jefferson City, to honor President Thomas Jefferson who served as the United States President from 1801-1809 (Jefferson City: A Tale of Two Cities, Hotz)

Just like our entrepreneur namesakes from Mossy Creek’s founding, Mossback Distillery is proud to be a part of Jefferson City Tennessee’s community. Mossback Distillery is comprised of a team of men and women whose different abilities and perspectives work together to capture the spirit of what it means to be a good business. We strive to operate the way a business is meant to, to always have not only the benefit of our customers in mind, but also our community, starting with the mutual respect of each of our own members. We understand that regardless of position or job description, each one of us has meaningful work to do that we all depend upon. From the distilling process to pouring the final product into a glass, every tasting experience is brought to you by not one of us, but by us all.