Spirit-ed adventure

Travel the state’s new Whiskey Trail, which promotes the ever-growing number of distilleries

The choices were staggering.

There were so many spirits to try at Corsair Distillery that I had it trouble narrowing it down to a reasonable few.

There’s Triple Smoke whiskey, which starts with three types of malted barley and smokes each with a different fuel, resulting in a complex and, yes, smoky flavor.

On the sweeter side, there is the Vanilla Bean vodka, which is pretty self-explanatory.

And then there’s Oatrage, a whiskey made with malted oats and coffee malts.

“We are trying to do cool, trendy stuff,” said a woman who gave a tour of the business. “We’re the only people in the world who’ve made a quinoa whiskey.”

So fun and trendy is Corsair that I had to be pulled away from its small bar, which, at the time of this visit in late August, had a cocktail menu wholly inspired by the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones.” (I would return after checking out the premise for a Mother of Dragons, a drink that combined the Triple Smoke with honey and Havana & Hide bitters. It was tough to choose that one over others such as as Bronn of the Black Water and Jorah’s Exile, but I had no regrets after bending the knee to the delicious Mother of Dragons.”)

Begun at the beginning of the decade by childhood friends Darek Bell and Andrew Webber, Corsair has quickly made its mark. Its creations have won 41 medals at international spirits competitions.

Corsair is one of about 30 distilleries — from tiny boutique operations to the biggest of boys, Jack Daniel’s — linked by a new venture, The Tennessee Whiskey Trail. Designed to pump up tourism in a state that is already a top draw for fans of music and music culture, the trail will allow travelers to sample spirits while experiencing much of the interesting landscapes and Southern hospitality and charm the region offers.