While a lot of the story behind the craft spirits made at Hard Truth centers around Master Distiller Bryan Smith, he will be the first to advocate for the larger team’s involvement. In Bryan’s own words, “it’s everyone on the team, through every step of production, that do the hard work.”
“I’m tired of doing all the work,” Shalee joked when asked about the inevitability of adding more people to the production team. “It’s a little crazy how fast production has increased. We’re all super busy, but we joke around a lot and keep things interesting.”
From hand-bottling small batches to the newer, automated processes and large production runs of Toasted Coconut Rum, there are only a few areas where Shalee hasn’t been involved during her nearly ten years with Hard Truth. Since her start at the restaurant host stand, this long-time Nashville native shares her journey with us and gives an idea of the team dynamics within the production team making craft spirits and sweet mash whiskeys.
Read below to hear about Shalee’s experience with Hard Truth, her future aspirations, and how she unwinds at the end of the day:
What does a day of processing look like?
I build all of our craft spirits from the recipes that Bryan built over the years. I come in, get everything ready, set it up, and go from there. For example, with our Toasted Coconut Rum, I’ll start with a base and then add Hard Truth high wines from the still. I proof that down and at that point I have our white rum. We then soak real toasted coconut flakes in it overnight, and the next morning, I pull that out and add my other ingredients, like sea salt, to get it right where it needs to be. The proofing can be tedious and there are a lot of evaluations, but it’s pretty formulaic. It’s a slow process to get it right where you need to be. You don’t want to over proof it, or under proof it. It needs to be just right and I make sure that happens for each batch.
How has your role at Hard Truth evolved?
I’m actually coming up on my 10-year anniversary and over that time I’ve worked in a variety of different roles. I started as a host at The Original (the first Big Woods Restaurant in Nashville). From there, I moved up to serving and eventually went over to Big Woods Pizza and began working in the kitchen which led to a shift lead position.
Bryan came down and talked to me about a big project going on at “The Hill” which is what we used to call this property. He told me they’re building a distillery, and he wanted me to join the team once it’s complete. I got burnt out on being in the kitchen and left the company for a while, but about a year later, he reached out again asking if I was still interested. I was like, yeah! So, in 2019, I started at the distillery. Back then, I was doing everything by hand. I would mix everything in spirit totes, fill every bottle, cork them, and apply sleeves. Everything was done by hand. On a good day, I could maybe finish a layer and a half of a pallet, compared to the 14 pallets the team can do now in a day.
It’s wild to think about how much things have scaled since then. The work remained the same in concept, but the volume increased dramatically. In those early days I was doing everything start to finish but now we have a full team and equipment to keep up. As we grew, my role continued to expand right along with it.
I’ve been told I’m the first female distiller in Indiana but I wouldn’t really consider myself a distiller. In the beginning, Cole and Martin had me shadow them, teaching me how to cook and distill. I even cooked a few batches of whiskey myself but I never ran the whiskey column still. I eventually moved more into the processing and bottling but one part I still oversee from start to finish is distilling the Gin. I get my base, which is basically our wheat-based vodka, and then soak my botanicals with oranges, lemons, and juniper being the main ingredient. I let that soak then pull it, proof it, and distill it.
Being part of this growth and seeing my role continue to evolve has been pretty cool. I’m excited to see where I continue to go.
How have your team members impacted you?
Bryan was the one who got me started here. He began showing me the way things were done, how the recipes were made, and he was always willing to help, especially when I was bottling everything by myself. It’s been cool to work with him over the years. He’s an awesome guy.
Beyond Bryan, Martin and Cole played a huge role in where I am today. They taught me the day-to-day operations of the distillery and my role in it. Martin has been a big influence – he’s been here about as long as I have, if not longer. I’m sure I drive him crazy some days, well most days, but he’s helped me through a lot. I joked with him the other day that I might take his job!
As for the rest of the team, we all get along well and have created a solid group. We keep each other sane, especially on the tough days, and always find ways to help each other out. We joke around to keep things interesting and stay positive. I have a great team. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What does life look like outside of work?
Most of my time outside of work revolves around my kids, especially my youngest. We spend a lot of time outdoors, going on walks and playing at parks. Living in Nashville is nice because we can walk through town, visit local shops, or go to the state park. It’s also convenient being right down the road from work.
One of my favorite spots in town is the Candy Dish. We go there a lot. There’s also a new coffee spot that we go to right off the road by Ferguson House, Olde Bartley House Coffee & Donuts. Their donuts and cronuts are really, really good. 
After a long day, I do enjoy having a good cocktail. I really, really enjoy our Gin. My favorite would have to be either a Gin and Tonic or a Gimlet. Both are great and really refreshing.
How does it feel to see Hard Truth in other states?
I mean, it’s pretty awesome. It is really cool to see the Toasted Coconut Rum as far away as the Bahamas and even on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. I catch myself thinking, ‘I made that!’ and I’m proud knowing something I made is receiving so much attention. At the same time, it is a little crazy how fast production has increased the last few years. In some ways it’s strange to be a part of something like this, especially when I started at The Original and none of this existed. But mostly, I’m just proud.
