Uncle Nearest paid $125,000 for a world record. Bank wants to know why
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Uncle Nearest paid $125K for a Guinness record used to market its bar brand.
- Farm Credit seeks court approval to probe financial links among related entities.
- Lender alleges misuse of loan funds and blurred finances among Weaver-owned firms.
Uncle Nearest paid the Guinness World Records $125,000 to have a 518-foot bar at its Tennessee distillery declared “longest bar in the world,” according to a new court filing.
The whiskey then leveraged that into stories in “Garden and Gun” and “The Bourbon Review,” generating publicity for the brand, according to the document, filed in ongoing lawsuit against Uncle Nearest, Nearest Green Distillery and Fawn and Keith Weaver.
The distillery’s lender would like to know why, if the restaurant and the distillery are unrelated financial entities, the distillery paid, not the restaurant on its grounds.
While having a record verified is technically still free, corporations often now pay for help finding and adjudicating records for publicity stunts, according to published reports.
Nearest Green, Uncle Nearest in receivership
Kentucky lender Farm Credit Mid-America has sued the Weavers and the whiskey, now in default on more than $108 million in loans. On Aug. 14, at the request of Farm Credit, Uncle Nearest was placed in receivership.
Earlier this month, receiver Phillip G. Young asked U.S. District Judge Charles E. Atchley Jr. for a ruling on whether other assets attached to the financially distressed distillery, the whiskey and the Weavers should be included in the receivership, including the Humble Baron restaurant and entertainment venue where that really long bar (202 seats) is located.
The Weavers, Young said, are expected to oppose this move.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Distilling Group, a contract distillery that actually makes what is sold under the Uncle Nearest labels, is watching closely: Their attorney has given notice of appearance and has asked to receive all filings and notices in the case. The attorney did not respond to a request for comment on why.
Now, Farm Credit has weighed in with a statement supporting the move to bring in several entities and is using the Guinness World Record payment to argue its case.
According to the lender, records have turned up that show there is significant financial overlap between the distillery and the entities.
“The Weavers and Uncle Nearest have maintained no financial discipline or corporate formalities,” the lender said.
The lender said that an order from the court providing the receiver access to books and records of at least three entities — Grant Sidney Inc., Humble Baron Inc. and Quill and Cask — is necessary.
Grant Sidney payments to Uncle Nearest
Grant Sidney is listed on Uncle Nearest’s website as the owner of both the Uncle Nearest whiskey brand and the Nearest Green Distillery and “is wholly owned by Fawn Weaver.” According to the filing, Grant Sidney wired more than $16 million to Uncle Nearest for payroll, plus another $7.5 million to the lender and paid other operating costs.
“Grant Sidney’s significant infusions of capital during this short time period to Uncle Nearest warrant an investigation by the Receiver into the source of these funds. These transfers are also an example of the lack of separation of finances between the Weavers, Uncle Nearest, and the other entities related to the Weavers,” the lender said.
Humble Baron’s links
In the case of Humble Baron, the restaurant and bar on the distillery grounds in Shelbyville, Uncle Nearest apparently paid an August 2024 confidential settlement with Levy Premium Foodservice in a dispute that also involved Shelbyville Barrel House BBQ (which also appears to be linked to Keith Weaver) over failure to pay Levy contracted amounts.
“This settlement payment, alone, demonstrates that (Farm Credit’s) collateral has been used to fund Humble Baron’s obligation,” the lender said.
The bank also pointed out that the restaurant doesn’t appear to have a lease or to have paid any rent to Uncle Nearest and said the bank can’t get a list of employees to see if distillery employees are working there.
Then there’s that Guinness World Record: In March 2023, Uncle Nearest paid $82,500, and then an additional $42,500 in April 2024. The day after the first payment, Guinness World Records named Humble Baron as the holder of the record for longest bar in the world, according to the lender’s filing.
Mystery ‘buyer’ for Uncle Nearest barrels?
Quill & Cask, apparently a Tennessee-based LLC with the same office and mailing address as Keith Weaver, paid $275,000 to Uncle Nearest in January 2025, allegedly for barrels of whiskey, according to Farm Credit. Interestingly, Farm Credit said that when it originally inquired if the buyer was tied to Weaver, the link was denied. “Now,” the lender said, “that the receiver has begun his diligence, the fact that Quill & Cask is an affiliate is undisputed.”
“This payment leads to more questions about the relationship between Quill and Cask and Uncle Nearest,” the lender said.
Other potentially linked entities were identified by the receiver and Farm Credit said that the court should order those books and records be examined to determine if they are possibly related or transferring money to or from the Weavers or Uncle Nearest.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 10:41 AM.
