Whiskey fungus infests town — Jack Daniels plants targeted in lawsuit

Tennessee residents who live close to Jack Daniels distilleries are trying to stop the company from building more facilities as a whiskey fungus overtakes surrounding towns.

The fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis, grows on liquor that evaporates during the aging process, also known as “the angel’s share.”

It appears to stick to just about anything, including houses, cars, road signs, trees and patio furniture.

The centuries-old black, sticky substance is nothing new for those who live around bourbon, rum and whiskey makers.

But Jack Daniels, owned by Brown-Forman, now has six warehouses — called barrelhouses — in Tennessee’s Lincoln County and wants to build more than a dozen in the future.

A Tennessee woman sued her local zoning office in January, trying to prevent the building of 14 more distilleries unless ventilation systems are installed, as she claimed the hard-to-remove fungus has harmed her nearby property, which includes a party and wedding venue.

On March 1, the court ordered Jack Daniels to temporality halt construction.

Residents of Kentucky and even Ontario, Canada, have dealt with similar fungi that they worry pose harmful health and environmental risks.

Melvin Keebler, general manager of the Jack Daniel Distillery, said in a statement to the New York Times that the company “complies with all local, state, and federal regulations regarding the design, construction, and permitting of our barrelhouses.”

“We are committed to protecting the environment and the safety and health of our employees and neighbors,” Keebler added.

The Post has contacted representatives for Jack Daniels and Brown-Forman for comment.