Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTDaniel KlineSat, September 19, 2026 at 4:59 AM GMT+2 4 min readFew stories have taken as many turns as the saga of Nathan "Nearest" Green.Green, the first known African-American master distiller, was part of the process of creating the recipe for Jack Daniel's. That was something that could not be recognized back in the 1800s, so Green remained "the best whiskey-maker the world never knew," according to the Uncle Nearest website.That legacy was brought to light by the Uncle Nearest company, an African-American-owned liquor brand bearing his name."In the late 1850's, Green — a farm owner's slave — started working with a young orphan named Jack Daniel," CBS News reported. "…That partnership was an open secret in Lynchburg, Tennessee."Using Nearest's recipes, Uncle Nearest, owned by Fawn Weaver and co-founded by her husband Keith Weaver, gave Green his triumphant redemption and the posthumous recognition he did not receive while alive."Uncle Nearest is the most awarded new American premium whiskey brand in United States history, garnering 75 awards since its July 2017 debut, including being one of two brands named 'World's Best' at Whisky Magazine's 2019 World Whiskies Awards, and earning 15 Best in Class. Cigar & Spirits Magazine also named Uncle Nearest one of the 'Top 5 Whiskies in the World,'" the company shared.That saga, however, has since taken multiple negative turns, with the Uncle Nearest brand being operated under a court-appointed receivership, while a bar owned by Keith Weaver that operates at the distillery has been forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy.Humble Baron, owned by Keith Weaver, operates at the Uncle Nearest distillery."The longest bar in the world wraps around an indoor stage, turning a record-setting structure into a gathering place where dinner, cocktails, and live sound share the same room," the brand shared on its website.Humble Baron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 5, according to documents filed on Pacer Monitor.Now, a federal bankruptcy judge has ordered Humble Baron Inc. out of Chapter 11 and into Chapter 7, taking control of the company's bankruptcy estate away from management and putting it in the hands of an independent trustee, the MC Observer reported."U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Nicholas W. Whittenburg ruled after a hearing of more than two hours in Winchester that 'cause' existed under federal bankruptcy law to either dismiss the case or convert it. He chose Chapter 7, finding that course better protected Humble Baron's creditors and the estate," the paper reported.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info