Jack Daniel's warehouse construction in Tennessee halted due to black whiskey fungus infection: lawsuit
A Tennessee property owner claims he has spent thousands cleaning up the fungus
A recent lawsuit claims the release of ethanol vapors from six Jack Daniel's distilleries in Tennessee is causing the growth of black whiskey fungus on nearby property, causing a halt in construction.
The whiskey giant is being sued by Christi Long, who owns an event venue next to six Jack Daniel's distilleries in Mulberry, Tennessee.
Black whiskey fungus, or baudoinia compniacensis, is a common occurrence for distilleries that age their alcohol in wooden casks.
The ethanol vapor released during the aging process attracts the fungus. The fungus then grows not just in distilleries, but wherever the vapors reach.
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23 Febuary 2018, USA, Lynchburg: Barrels of the whiskey producer Jack Daniel's stacked in one of the barrel houses. Company founder Jack Daniel established his first distillery in 1866. With its production of about 90 million litres, Jack Daniel's is (Kyle Dean Reinford/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Black whiskey fungus can reach nearby building surfaces, traffic signs and trees. Christi's husband Patrick Long says he has spent $10,000 powerwashing it from their business and home.
The lawsuit claims that the planning and zoning department involved in the construction of the distilleries fail "to meet the building requirements for a structure to house a hazardous material."
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Florida, Miami Beach, Walgreens liquor store, Jack Daniel's, whiskey. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"If you have any decent nails on you and you rode it down the side of a tree or a property within a quarter of a mile to a half-mile of these barrel houses, your entire finger will be covered in black fungus," Patrick Long told Insider.
"You can't see the tree limbs anymore. Our house, we have to have it pressure-washed four times a year now," he continued.
The couple has asked Jack Daniel's to add a ventilation system, which will stop the fungus growth. Long's lawyer says that they hope air quality and building safety concerns will be addressed.
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LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 06: Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey on display at The 6th Annual Fillies & Stallions Kentucky Derby party, hosted by Black Rock Thoroughbreds, along with Tito's Vodka, Jack Daniels and Red Bull on May 06, 2016 in Louisville, K ( (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Ark Endeavors))
"My clients are pleased with the court's ruling directing a stop work order to be issued against the Jack Daniel's barrelhouse currently under construction, and we are hopeful that their ultimate concerns about air quality and building safety will be addressed as the distiller now moves through the proper planning and building approval processes," Attorney Jason Holleman told FOX TV Stations.