Is Jb Rader Related To Popcorn Sutton? – Celebrity
Emily Carr
Updated on January 17, 2026
Sutton said he considered moonshine production a legitimate part of his heritage, as he was a Scots-Irish American and descended from a long line of moonshiners. In the 1960s or 1970s, Sutton was given the nickname of “Popcorn” after his frustrated attack on a bar’s faulty popcorn vending machine with a pool cue.
The sale included only the distillery, not the brands, which are owned by Popcorn Sutton Distilling LLC, which is based in Ohio. Lunn and Henley and the other employees of the distillery became employees of the Sazerac Company.
In December 2016, the Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the Sazerac Company. The sale included only the distillery, not the brands, which are owned by Popcorn Sutton Distilling LLC, which is based in Ohio.
“Hank Williams, Jr. Helps Continue Popcorn Sutton’s Moonshine Legacy”. The Tennessean. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. ^ Sanford, Jason (November 13, 2010). “Popcorn Sutton’s whiskey goes legit with Hank Williams Jr.’s stamp of approval”.
How did JB Rader meet Popcorn Sutton?
He Met Sutton While He Was At Work. JB Rader and Popcorn Sutton’s working relationship began in a rather ordinary way. Rader was working at a local store when Popcorn came in one day and asked if Rader had work the next day. When Rader replied no, Popcorn invited him to the distillery.
One of the things that made JB Rader and Popcorn Sutton so successful is that they weren’t afraid to take chances. They were responsible for coming up with new and innovative ways to make moonshine and they loved to experiment with different flavors.
He appeared in two documentaries on Popcorn Sutton’s life including the 2008 film, The Last One and the 2014 film, Popcorn Sutton: A Hell of a Life.
In 2019, JB Rader teamed up with a distillery in North Carolina to produce his own line of moonshine. According to the team at the distillery, “We showed J.B. our facility here at South Mountain Distilling Co. and let him try all of our spirits.
He Still Loves To Have A Good Drink. It’s unclear exactly how old JB Rader is. However, most people estimate that he’s in his late 70s or early 80s. But despite no longer being a young man, JB still loves to have a good time.
JB Rader isn’t a name that many people are familiar with, but in the world of moonshine, he is considered a legend. He is exactly how to make the perfect moonshine. As a result of the attention he’s received from Moonshiners, his level of fame on the Internet is increasing as well.
Having a song written in your honor is one of the true marks of a legendary person. Singer/songwriter, Chad Triplett wrote a song in JB’s honor called “ The Legend of JB Rader “. The song highlights JB’s career as a moonshiner who worked alongside Popcorn Sutton.
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Who is the master distiller of Popcorn Sutton?
In March 2015, it was announced that John Lunn, who had until then been master distiller of George Dickel Tennessee whiskey since 2005, would be joining Popcorn Sutton Distilling as its new master distiller.
Sutton’s memorial grew in spectacle as country music singer Hank Williams Jr. flew in to pay his respects. A small memorial was also held for close friends and family. A conventional grave marker was used at the head of Sutton’s grave, reading “Marvin Popcorn Sutton / Ex-Moonshiner / October 5, 1946 / March 16, 2009”.
Popcorn Sutton’s Tennessee White Whiskey. A bottle of the namesake whiskey ( c. 2013) On November 9, 2010, Hank Williams Jr. announced his partnership with J&M Concepts LLC and widow Pam Sutton to distill and distribute a brand of whiskey named after Sutton that was asserted to follow his legacy.
The brand now uses a clear, round bottle with a smaller label. In 2014, Popcorn Sutton Distilling opened a new distillery in Newport, Tennessee, the county seat of Cocke County.
Sutton was featured in the 2007 documentary Hillbilly: The Real Story on The History Channel. The source footage from the 2002 documentary was also re-worked into another Hutcheson documentary, The Last One, which was released in 2008 and was broadcast on PBS. It received a 2009 Southeast Emmy Award.
In 2014, Popcorn Sutton Distilling opened a new distillery in Newport, Tennessee, the county seat of Cocke County. Copper stills for the facility were made by Vendome Copper and Brass in Louisville, Kentucky. The CEO of Popcorn Sutton Distilling is Megan Kvamme.
He said he had considered a harsher sentence of 24 months, but had decided on 18 months after considering Sutton’s age and medical condition.
Who is the author of Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton?
Join Neal Hutcheson, author of The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, for an online book reading and interactive question-and-answer session. Sponsored by Blue Ridge Books and hosted by SMN’s Cory Vaillancourt, the event is free and open to the public and will be held via Zoom, but registration is required.
As long as water runs downhill: The story of Popcorn Sutton. People have been making moonshine almost since the day water started running downhill, and it seems like people have been talking about enigmatic Appalachian moonshiner Popcorn Sutton for just as long. But now, for the very first time, a full-length biography attempts to explore …
With many of us, there’s a wish that he was still around to talk to, but I think what plays into the myth and the legend of Popcorn Sutton more is the fact that he did die and the fact that he didn’t live to go through a prison sentence and come out of that in diminishing health, his life winding down slowly.
