Z. Brown Distillery in Dahlonega, owned by the Zac Brown Band, has announced that it is closing its doors, only months after it invested in a local distillery there.
Local residents in the middle of Georgia's wine country said they were sad to lose a neighbor but they did not believe that their departure would have a huge impact on their overall business.
Sharon Paul, proprietor of nearby Three Sisters Winery said she was very sad to see Z. Brown leave the area. The distillery was not only a good neighbor, she said, but they turned one of Three Sisters' wines into a brandy.
"We are very sad to lose a good neighbor," Paul said. "We have enjoyed having the Z. Brown Distillery just down the road and we thought it was a hoot that they chose to distill our Fat Boy Red into a brandy. It was nice to have their staff stop in and on those rare occasions, Zac, himself. We hope someone will purchase the property and keep the dream alive."
Dahlonega is considered the heart of Georgia's wine country with five wineries and a dozen different wine tasting rooms according to the Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber & Visitors Bureau.
According to a message on the Z. Brown Distillery website, the distillery will close its doors on Nov. 18. They invited everyone to visit the Zac Brown's Social Club restaurant in the newly renovated State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta.