# Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-10-04
- Length: 1h 16m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver

## Summary

Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, explains how she pivoted from planning a book to launching a whiskey brand after purchasing the 300-acre Dan Call farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee. She details the strategic decision to hire Sherry Moore, former head of whiskey operations at Jack Daniel's, and the legal maneuvering required to tell Nearest Green's story without infringing on Brown-Forman's trademarks. Weaver also describes overcoming industry gatekeeping by having her husband Keith pose as CEO to secure distributor callbacks, and leveraging scarcity marketing and award sweeps to drive rapid national growth.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver#t=0) Introduction: Fawn Weaver and the Uncle Nearest Story
- [4:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver#t=294) Weaver's Early Life and First PR Business Failure
- [24:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver#t=1475) Discovering Nearest Green and Buying the Dan Call Farm
- [41:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver#t=2490) Pivoting from Commemorative Bottle to Full Brand Launch
- [50:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver#t=3044) Navigating Legal Risks with Brown-Forman and Jack Daniel's
- [56:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver#t=3399) Overcoming Industry Gatekeeping and Distribution Barriers
- [1:02:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-04-uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver#t=3723) Sales Strategy, Scarcity Marketing, and Pandemic Response

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey (product)
- Jack Daniel's (product)
- Brown-Forman (company)
- Sherry Moore (other)
- Dan Call Farm (other)
- Covenant House (other)
- Happy Wives Club (product)
- Thomas Blacksher (other)
- Daddy Long Legs (product)
- G. Garvin's (other)
- Sony Pictures (company)
- Motown Records (company)
- Hollywood Bowl (other)
- New York Times (other)
- Jeffrey Wright (other)
- BevMo (other)
- Costco (other)
- Sam Adams (product)
- Boston Beer Company (company)
- Budweiser (product)
- Coors (product)
- Miller (product)
- Diageo (company)
- Chivas (product)
- William Grant (company)
- Bacardi (company)
- Pernod Ricard (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)

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- [Founder Feature: Emmanuel Waters and Courtney Tucker of Old Hillside Bourbon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-03-06-founder-feature-emmanuel-waters-and-courtney-tucker-of-old-hillside-bourbon) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [343 - Returning guest, Manya Rubinstein on her new BIG venture!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-03-17-343-returning-guest-manya-rubinstein-on-her-new-big-venture) (People of Packaging)
- [Founders Feature: Lucy Dana of One Trick Pony](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-11-21-founders-feature-lucy-dana-of-one-trick-pony) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Caroline Howard Walker Brothers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-12-13-founder-feature-caroline-howard-walker-brothers) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Poppilu's Founder Melanie Kahn Is As Bold As Her Lemonade](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2021-02-01-poppilus-founder-melanie-kahn-is-as-bold-as-her-lemonade) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

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