Moonshine is as much a part of the Smoky Mountains as the fog on the ridges. Long before it came in mason jars with fancy labels, mountain families distilled corn whiskey in the hollows of East Tennessee, and today a short drive through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg will take you past more tasting rooms than you could visit in one trip. It’s one of the most popular things for grown-ups to do in the Smokies, and a fun, low-key break from the parks.

What a moonshine tasting is like

Most tastings work the same way: you step up to a long bar, a bartender pours a row of small samples, and they walk you through the flavors while telling the story of the distillery. Expect the classics, like a straight “white lightning” corn whiskey that will clear your sinuses, alongside dessert flavors like apple pie, peach, blackberry and salted caramel. Many tastings charge a small fee, and some credit it toward anything you buy.

Fair warning: not everyone loves the straight stuff. My mom’s reaction below tells you everything about her first sip of the high-proof moonshine. (She liked the apple pie much better.)

Close to the cabin: Sevierville

Tennessee Legend Distillery has its tasting room on Winfield Dunn Parkway (Hwy 66), the main road into Sevierville from I-40, just minutes from Firefly Hollow Cabin. It makes moonshine in a long list of flavors, along with whiskey, rum, vodka and cream liqueurs, so there’s something for every taste in your group.

From Firefly Hollow Cabin, Tennessee Legend is 0.6 miles away, about a 3-minute drive. Pick a designated driver, or take a rideshare for the short hop back.

Tennessee Shine Co. also has a Sevierville location that offers distillery tours, if you’d like to see how it’s made.

In Pigeon Forge

• The Old Mill area. Our own favorite tasting was at the distillery by the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, pictured throughout this post. Pair it with dinner at the Old Mill Restaurant (the corn chowder is famous) and a walk along the river.
• Ole Smoky Moonshine has a big tasting room at The Island, so you can fit a tasting into an evening of shopping, the fountain show and the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel.
• Junction 35 Spirits pairs tastings with a restaurant.

In Gatlinburg

Downtown Gatlinburg has several tasting rooms within a few blocks of each other, including Ole Smoky Moonshine’s “Holler” and Sugarlands Distilling Company, which makes it easy to compare a few on one walk down the Parkway.

Tips for a tasting day

1. Bring ID. You must be 21 or older to taste, and everyone gets carded.
2. Pick a designated driver, or plan a tasting day around walkable downtown Gatlinburg or The Island. The samples are small, but they add up fast.
3. Pace yourself. Eat first, and don’t try to hit every distillery in one afternoon.
4. Check hours and prices before you go. Tasting fees, hours and Sunday schedules vary by distillery and change from season to season.
5. Buy what you love. A jar of apple pie moonshine makes a great souvenir, and a better nightcap by the fireplace back at the cabin.

Back at the cabin

After a day of tastings, Firefly Hollow Cabin is a relaxing place to land: two gas fireplaces, a private hot tub on a screened deck, rocking chairs on the back deck, and a game room downstairs. It sleeps 11, every bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, and it’s eight miles south of I-40 with no steep mountain roads. See the cabin, or check your dates below.