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Driving For A Distillery
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Driving For A Distillery

Billy Kaufman, left, and Christian Grantham stationed themselves outside the Cannon County Courthouse Monday in their effort to collection signatures for a petition that would allow for the distillery of liquor in Cannon County.
Members of a local group wanting to start a whiskey distillery operation in Cannon County were stationed outside the courthouse Monday collecting signatures for a petition.

Billy Kaufman, a local farmer on Short Mountain, and his brothers want to open a distillery on his land. It would be called Short Mountain Distillery, a locally owned and family-funded manufacturer that would create jobs and a sustainable relationship with farmers throughout the county, said local farmer Billy Kaufman said.

The group need to collect enough signatures from registered voters in order to be able to put a referendum on the ballot for the November election.

The group needs at least 550 signatures from registered voters before the petition can be presented to the Cannon County Commission. Kaufman said as of Monday they have collected close to 300.

Before the referendum allowing the operation of a distillery can be placed on the ballot, it must first be approved by the county commission.

The business will also have to apply and be approved for a federal tax stamp before beginning operations.

If approved, the distillery would manufacture whiskey and sell it outside Cannon County. No municipality in Cannon County currently allows the sale of alcoholic beverages other than beer.

For more information about Short Mountain Distillery or on how to sign the petition, visit shortmountaindistillery.com.
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Member Opinions:
By: Tea on 7/12/10
Wanting to create and run a new business legally in Cannon County is an admirable endeavor. Producing whiskey here, in my opinion, is neither a benefit nor, "adding life", to our community.
How many of our families are or have been impacted by alcoholism, and drunk drivers?
There are so many businesses that would be of great benefit, not only to our own community but to those around us. Please direct your time and resources to a more beneficial business, for our children, families and community.

By: Reading on 7/13/10
Are you kidding me? Really producing whiskey here or any where does not make someone drink it that is a choice they make all on their own. People that blame a product whether it is alcohol or a gun for their own faults, need to wake up. Each and everyone of us are responseable for make a our own choices weather good or bad. A drunk driver should not find blame in the whiskey, the person that chose to drink it irrresponseable to soley to blame. This company is a wonderful chance for our community to not only bring jobs but to bring tax dollars in. If the bible thummpers of our community would stop passing judgement on everyone and everything we might get to move into the 21st century. We can drive 20 mins in 3 direction to buy whiskey why spend my tax dollers for another county to benefit from. Wake up and smell the future, they are not asking you to buy it or even drink it, they are just going to make it here.

By: tngram on 7/13/10
Would be great! We need jobs in cannon county!

By: redneckgurly on 7/14/10
If I had known they were there I would have signed! Why go to one of the surrounding counties and buy it? Lets keep our money in the county.

By: JohnnyRingo on 7/14/10
They won't have any problem finding plenty of experienced folks to work there here in Cannon County.

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