Ober Gatlinburg Sold to Group That Includes Ole Smoky Moonshine Founder

The first legal moonshine distillery in Tennessee is the baby of Joe Baker, and now he and a few other local natives are forging ahead as the new owners of Ober Gatlinburg. I remember hearing about this a few months ago from a few Gatlinburg YouTubers, who are also residents of the area. So it’s safe to say the information was legitimate, since it has now officially been announced through the news media.

Ober Gatlinburg has existed for more than 50 years, but the name wasn’t adopted until 1977. Ober is a German word for upper in English, which makes sense given the location sits high over Gatlinburg. It has grown over the years to include an ice rink, arcade, wildlife viewing, a mountain coaster, and mini golf, not to mention its primary appeal as a winter destination for skiers.

It’s fitting that they hold an Oktoberfest to celebrate all things German. Food, dances, live entertainment, and of course, beer are among the many things to enjoy at the resort during the most of the month of October. I think this would be a fun diversion from the norm if we were to visit at this time. We’ve only been fall visitors twice, but a trip up to Ober during Oktoberfest would figure to be tons of fun.

Joe Baker also owns Yee-Haw Brewing, in addition to Ole Smoky Moonshine, and adding Ober Gatlinburg to the portfolio should be seen as a positive for the future of this ski resort. If you haven’t visited, it’s been overshadowed during the non-winter seasons by Anakeesta and the Skylift Park. Also, it’s a bit dated, to be nice…but it is a fair statement. I fully expect Baker to do everything in his power to give Ober a much-needed modernization to the facilities. If successful, visitors will have a tough time deciding between 3 fantastic Gatlinburg mountaintop parks.

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