Sazerac has announced the name of its Tennessee operation as AJ Bond Distillery.
The name honors the bond between Allisa Henley and the late John Lunn, whose passion and decades of experience helped bring Sazerac’s Tennessee whiskey ambitions to life. The company entered the category in 2016 with the acquisition of the Popcorn Sutton distillery facility, retaining the production team led by Henley and Lunn. Continued investment in equipment and capabilities followed, culminating in the relocation of the operation in 2019 to its current home in La Vergne. The distillery is producing and aging what will become Sazerac’s first Tennessee whiskey brand, crafted from a mashbill originally developed by Henley and Lunn.
Henley and Lunn began working together in 2004 and worked side-by-side for more than 12 years before joining Sazerac. Their expertise, combined with guidance and resources from Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace Distillery, helped establish the foundation of the operation. The AJ Bond name honors Henley and Lunn’s partnership, which was cut short in 2023 with Lunn’s passing…