Walk down the Gatlinburg Parkway and you’ll hit both of them within a few blocks of each other: Ole Smoky Distillery’s flagship location, The Holler, and Sugarlands Distilling Company’s downtown tasting room. Both pour Tennessee moonshine, both charge a small fee to taste (credited back toward a purchase), and both will happily sell you a jar of Apple Pie shine on your way out — which makes picking just one for a short trip harder than it sounds.
We compared what you actually get at each: the cost of tasting, how many samples you get, what flavors are on the list, and which one has the better overall vibe if you can only do one. Here’s the rundown so you can decide which stop earns your limited vacation time — or hit both, since they’re an easy walk apart.
Quick Answer
Both charge $5 for a standard tasting, and that fee comes back to you as a $5 coupon toward merchandise, so tasting is effectively free if you buy anything. Ole Smoky’s Holler edges ahead on atmosphere, with rocking chairs and live music plus an $8 premium tasting that adds extra pours; Sugarlands counters with a bigger 12-flavor standard flight and paid whiskey and cocktail experiences for $25 each. Most visitors who have time simply do both, since they’re both in downtown Gatlinburg within easy walking distance of each other.
Cost, Samples, and How Each Tasting Works
Ole Smoky’s Regular Tasting at The Holler costs $5 per person and includes moonshine and whiskey samples plus a $5-off coupon toward anything you buy in the store, so the tasting is essentially a wash if you leave with a bottle. Step up to the $8 Premium Tasting and you get everything in the regular lineup plus three additional samples, including some higher-proof pours. No reservation is required for either — you just walk up to the tasting bar and show ID to confirm you’re 21+.
Sugarlands’ standard tasting also runs $5 per person for a 12-flavor flight, with that same fee credited as $5 off your merchandise purchase. The tasting takes about 20 minutes and the day’s flavor lineup is posted in the distillery. If you want to go deeper, Sugarlands offers paid premium add-ons: the Roaming Man Whiskey Experience ($25 plus tax, including a still house tour and three whiskey pours) and Cocktails Behind the Stave ($25 plus tax, a three-cocktail flight), plus a back porch cocktail bar for made-to-order drinks after your tasting.
Bottom line: both distilleries charge the same $5 entry fee for a standard tasting and both refund it as store credit, so cost isn’t really a differentiator. Ole Smoky’s premium upgrade ($8) is cheaper than Sugarlands’ premium experiences ($25), but Sugarlands’ paid add-ons go deeper into whiskey and cocktails rather than just adding more moonshine samples.
Atmosphere, Flavors, and What Makes Each One Different
Ole Smoky opened in 2010 as Tennessee’s first legal moonshine distillery, and The Holler leans into that history with a courtyard of rocking chairs, a small stream, and a stage that regularly features live bluegrass music — it’s as much a hangout as a tasting room. The lineup covers the classics (Original, White Lightnin’) alongside fruit and dessert-style flavors like Apple Pie, Salted Caramel, Peach, and Blackberry, plus cream-based options like Mountain Java and Banana Pudding. The retail store is large, with more apparel and gift options than most other stops on the Gatlinburg moonshine trail.
Sugarlands, founded in 2014 in downtown Gatlinburg, built its reputation on a broader craft spirits lineup that has grown to include whiskey and vodka alongside its moonshine and “sippin’ cream” liqueurs — flavors like Appalachian Apple Pie Moonshine, Mark Rogers’ American Peach Moonshine, and Butter Pecan or Banana Pudding Sippin’ Cream. Visitor opinions genuinely split here: some reviewers rate Sugarlands’ moonshine as the better product with a more polished, guided tasting experience, while others prefer Ole Smoky’s bigger selection and looser, party-like atmosphere. Neither is objectively “better” — it comes down to whether you’re there for the drink or the experience.
Tips / Common Mistakes
Go early or late in the day if you want to avoid a crowd at the tasting bar — both distilleries get packed with foot traffic from the Parkway during peak afternoon hours in summer and October. Bring a valid photo ID even if you’re clearly over 21; both locations enforce ID checks for every tasting, no exceptions.
Don’t skip the coupon: your $5 tasting fee at either distillery comes off your total if you buy merchandise, so hang on to it rather than assuming you paid for nothing. Don’t fill up on samples at your first stop if you’re planning to do both distilleries — pace yourself, since between Ole Smoky’s regular-plus-premium lineup and Sugarlands’ 12-flavor flight you’re tasting a lot of spirits in one afternoon. If you actually want to buy a bottle, compare prices before you commit; jars of the same style (like apple pie moonshine) are similarly priced at both, so let taste, not price, be the deciding factor. Finally, check each distillery’s site the week of your trip — flavor lineups and tasting prices are subject to change.
Explore more: More Gatlinburg food and drink guides.
Ole Smoky vs Sugarlands Distilling FAQs
Is the moonshine tasting free at Ole Smoky or Sugarlands?
No, neither is free. Both charge $5 per person for a standard tasting, but that fee is credited back as $5 off your merchandise purchase, so it’s effectively free if you buy anything. Ole Smoky also offers an $8 premium tasting; Sugarlands offers $25 premium whiskey and cocktail experiences.
Which is better, Ole Smoky or Sugarlands?
It depends what you’re after. Ole Smoky has a bigger, livelier atmosphere with live music, more retail variety, and a cheaper $8 premium tasting, while Sugarlands offers a larger 12-flavor standard flight and deeper paid experiences for whiskey and cocktail fans. Many visitors do both since they’re a short walk apart in downtown Gatlinburg.
Do I need a reservation for either tasting?
No reservation is needed for the standard daily tasting at either distillery. Sugarlands’ premium paid experiences (like the Roaming Man Whiskey Experience) can book up during peak season, so it’s worth checking ahead if you want one of those specifically.
How many samples do you get?
Ole Smoky’s $5 Regular Tasting includes moonshine and whiskey samples, and the $8 Premium Tasting adds three more. Sugarlands’ $5 standard tasting includes up to 12 flavors, with the day’s specific lineup posted in the distillery.
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Images: Olesmoky.