REMEMBERING OUR Roots
A successful whiskey distillery has two key ingredients: the whiskey it makes and the story it tells. Ever since Andy and Charlie Nelson revived Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery in 2014, the story we’ve told has largely focused on their great-great-great grandfather, Charles Nelson, an immigrant who arrived in America at age 15 with nothing but the clothes on his back. From those humble beginnings, Charles went on to build one of the largest, most prosperous distilleries in America… before the rude interruption known as Prohibition.
Charles Nelson’s life represents an almost perfect illustration of what was once called the American Dream. Several generations later, his descendants Andy and Charlie, along with their colleagues, reap the benefits of his hard work every day.
Stories about “the American Dream” typically revolve around self-made men and often overlook those who have been historically excluded from participating in it. Not here at Nelson’s. No conversation about the distillery’s history could ever be complete without first foregrounding the accomplishments of Louisa Nelson, whose marriage to Charles lasted more than 30 years. As Charles’s wife, she was his shrewdest and most ambitious partner—first in their work as wholesale grocers, then later as distillers and distributors of whiskey and spirits.
rESPECTING OUR ELDERS.
Our first impulse was to pay tribute in physical ways: we named our first liqueur Louisa’s Coffee Caramel Pecan Liqueur in her honor. We also christened our big copper still “Miss Louisa,” then commissioned a mural portrait of her to gaze down on the production room.
But the more we thought about it, the more we wanted to bring the story of Louisa Nelson into the present and incorporate her important lesson of learning to look beyond ourselves. Thus, the Louisa Nelson Awards were born: an annual, catered gala commemorating Louisa’s life and accomplishments by honoring contemporary Nashville women whose powerful work echoes the lasting influence of our distillery’s unrivaled matriarch.
The ceremony shines a light on the honorees by presenting their accomplishments in detail, interviewing them on stage, offering a financial contribution to the organizations they represent, and naturally, drinking a toast both to the honoree and to Louisa. (We are a distillery, after all.)
Making A SPLASH.
At their inception, the Louisa Nelson Awards focused on the achievements of businesswomen, but over the course of five years, the scope of the event has broadened to include scientists, philanthropists, activists, organizers, educators, and artists—all selected by an advisory panel comprised of former honorees, community leaders, and distillery colleagues.
And make no mistake, it really is a celebration. Every year, the enthusiasm of the presenters, combined with the stories of the honorees and the memory of Louisa, have a way of filling the Green Brier Oak Room with a most unorthodox energy: lively, inspirational, uplifting, and surprising. In all, the awards remind us to reflect on life in the 19th century and remain optimistic about the 21st.