Uncle Nearest, the Black Woman-owned Tennessee whiskey brand founded by Fawn Weaver, has officially sold out of its 1884 Small Batch Whiskey nationwide, thanks to a viral consumer push known as the #ClearTheShelves movement.
But the milestone comes at a legally challenging time for the company, which was recently placed under federal receivership.
Weaver took to Instagram over Labor Day weekend to share the update with her more than 100,000 followers. “Officially SOLD OUT coast to coast — our Uncle Nearest 1884 is gone from warehouses nationwide. Whew! Y’all are NOT playing with the #ClearTheShelves movement,” she wrote.
She assured fans that the team at Nearest Green Distillery is working around the clock to restock in time for holiday celebrations.
In an accompanying video, Weaver credited loyal customers for the brand’s remarkable growth, citing double- and triple-digit sales increases in 35 states, even as much of the spirits industry has faced downturns.
“For six straight years, Uncle Nearest has been the world’s most awarded bourbon and American whiskey,” Weaver said, reiterating the brand’s unique position in the market as an additive-free whiskey that is naturally sugar-free, carb-free, fat-free, and gluten-free.
But Uncle Nearest’s record-breaking demand arrives as the company faces a legal crossroads. Earlier this month, a federal judge placed the brand under receivership after it defaulted on $108 million in loans from Farm Credit Mid-America, a cooperative bank.
The move gives court-appointed overseers authority to manage the company’s assets—including potential real estate sales or restructuring efforts—to ensure creditors are repaid.
Weaver, who launched Uncle Nearest in 2017 to honor Nathan “Nearest” Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, has described her mission as both entrepreneurial and historical. She has also pledged that the brand will ultimately be bequeathed to Green’s descendants, a vision now complicated by the legal oversight.
Despite the ongoing litigation, Weaver’s message to fans over the holiday weekend remained focused on celebration and solidarity.
“If anyone shows up at the cookout with anything other than Uncle Nearest, tell them the founder, owner, and CEO said, ‘Do better,’” she joked.
The company’s trajectory—simultaneously a case study in Black entrepreneurship and a high-stakes legal battle—is being closely watched by both the spirits industry and legal observers.
Whether Weaver can navigate the receivership process while maintaining the brand’s explosive consumer momentum remains a critical question for Uncle Nearest’s future.
