A Night at Brushy Mountain State Pen & Distillery

A Night at Brushy Mountain State Pen & Distillery

10/08/2023 · Petros, Tennessee

We made the trip out to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee for a Blackberry Smoke show and ended up getting way more than just a concert. Brushy Mountain used to be a maximum-security prison, first opened in 1896 and operated until 2009. Now it’s part historic site, part distillery, part live music venue. You can walk the yard, have dinner, taste their in-house moonshine, and then watch a band play with the mountains in the background. It’s a wild mix in the best way.

Entrance sign at Brushy Mountain State Pen reading 'Dangerous Since 1896' with mountains in the background.
The “Dangerous Since 1896” sign at Brushy Mountain State Pen. The site ran as a prison for more than 100 years and now operates as a historical landmark, distillery, and live venue.
Exterior of the main Brushy Mountain prison block with barred windows and mountain backdrop.
Main building at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. You can still see the old cell block structure set against the mountain line.
Old stone guard tower standing along the prison wall at Brushy Mountain State Pen.
One of the old guard towers on site. The prison layout is mostly intact, and you can walk areas that used to be restricted.

We didn’t make it in time for the full guided tour of the prison, but we did get to hit The Warden’s Table for food and spend some time in the distillery before the show. Big Beard went straight for the jalapeño burger. Still Will took down a grilled chicken sandwich and potato salad. Solid pre-show stop.

Big Beard and Still Will seated at The Warden’s Table restaurant inside Brushy Mountain, eating before the concert.
Inside The Warden’s Table restaurant at Brushy Mountain. Good food, fast service, and an easy place to sit before heading out to the yard.

Brushy Mountain also runs its own legal operation on-site as End of the Line Tennessee Moonshine. Outside on the property, they’ve got old-school style still displays that nod to how things used to be done. Inside, the distillery is clean, modern, and built for real production. Seeing that contrast up close was worth the trip on its own.

Display of vintage-style moonshine stills set up outdoors on the Brushy Mountain property.
Vintage-style stills on display outside at Brushy Mountain. A visual nod to the illegal side of Appalachian distilling.
Interior of Brushy Mountain Distillery with polished stainless fermenters and a copper-topped column still.
Inside the Brushy Mountain distillery. Legal production now runs where contraband once got people locked up.

When it was time for music, everyone moved out into the prison yard. The stage sat against the rock and the sound carried across the mountains. Blackberry Smoke absolutely delivered. We were having so much fun we didn’t even think to take performance photos — which is the best review we can give.

Big Beard and Still Will standing in front of the concert stage at Brushy Mountain State Pen in Petros, Tennessee.
Big Beard and Still Will out in the yard before the show. The stage sits where inmates once stood for headcount. Now it’s a concert spot.

Brushy Mountain is one of those places where Tennessee history, food, live music, and legal shine all overlap in one spot. It feels serious, because the past is serious. But it’s also welcoming. People on staff were helpful, direct, and treated everyone like they belonged there. We’ll be back — and next time we’re booking the paranormal tour.

Rusted 'Death Row' prison bus on display at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, styled like a rat rod.
Fun Extra - “Death Row” bus at Brushy Mountain. One part display, one part photo stop. Hard to forget.

Also in attendance

Thanks to the Brushy Mountain State Pen & Distillery crew and The Warden’s Table staff for keeping things running smoothly all night — food was fast, lines moved, and the whole place felt organized and safe even with a full crowd in the yard.

👕 Worn at This Event

You Can't Handle The Proof! tee worn by Big Beard at Brushy Mountain State Pen & Distillery.

“You Can’t Handle The Proof!” Tee
worn by Big Beard

Sour Mash Kids tee worn by Still Will at Brushy Mountain State Pen & Distillery.

“Sour Mash Kids” Tee
worn by Still Will

Event took place October 8, 2023 at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee. Original Facebook coverage for this trip was first posted on October 8, 2023. Extra photos and comments from the community are available on Facebook: View the original post.

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