The Board of Directors for Ole Smoky and Tanteo Tequila appointed Michael Novy as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Novy, a 35-year beverage industry veteran, succeeds Robert Hall, who served as CEO since 2016. Hall will assist Novy in making a smooth transition before retiring. Novy brings experience from leadership roles at E. & J. Gallo, Constellation Brands and, most recently, as the CEO of Calabasas Beverage Company. Ole Smoky produces more than 25 moonshine and 17 whiskey varieties and, in 2023, acquired the Tanteo brand. Founded in 2010, the company’s roots are traced to the Smoky Mountains’ earliest settlers and families who produced moonshine. It was the first federally licensed distillery in East Tennessee. Today, Ole Smoky is the most visited distillery in the world — with over five million visitors annually — and the No. 1 selling and most awarded moonshine brand in the world.