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My Gen X Playlist: Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton

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Daily writing prompt
What are the biggest mistakes people make when visiting your country?
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This is a tough one. I’m not quite sure how to answer this one. I haven’t met any tourists who have royally screwed things up on their travels to America.

For Americans who travel abroad, I always recommend eating the local foods. One of the fun parts of travel is tasting the culture. And even if you try something that you absolutely detest, at the very least, you have an interesting memory and good story to tell.

Under that vein, what foods can visiting tourists eat in America? A few come to mind:

1. New York style pizza

2. Chicago deep dish pizza

3. Maine lobster rolls

4. Philadelphia cheesesteaks

5. Texas BBQ

6. Alaskan king crab

7. Florida key lime pie

8. New England clam chowder

9. Napa Valley wine

10. Tennessee whiskey

I know there’s a whole host of foods I’m missing. If you have any suggestions, add your recommendations in the comments below.

I first tried Tennessee whiskey not in the US, but when I lived in Japan. And the decision to try it was purely economical. When we went out to the bars, I could drink ten or so beers. The dollar wasn’t as strong then as it is now and my bar tab was adding up. I found that I could drink two or three whiskeys and get the same effect at a fraction of the cost. Whiskey sometimes became my drink of choice.

The only whiskey song I know is Chris Stapleton’s Tennessee Whiskey. I’m not sure where I’ve heard this one, but it’s pretty good. Any other whiskey songs out there?

Used to spend my nights out in a barroom
Liquor was the only love I'd known
But you rescued me from reaching for the bottom
And brought me back from being too far gone

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
You're as sweet as strawberry wine
You're as warm as a glass of brandy
And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time

I've looked for love in all the same old places
Found the bottom of the bottle's always dry
But when you poured out your heart I didn't waste it
'Cause there's nothing like your love to get me high

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
You're as sweet as strawberry wine
You're as warm as a glass of brandy
And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time

[Instrumental]

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
You're as sweet as strawberry wine
You're as warm as a glass of brandy
And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey

30 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton”

  6. Yes, whiskey is very popular in TN. I went to Pigeon Forge a few weeks ago, and I stopped by the Ole Smoky Whiskey shop not to buy anything from there but just because I was curious to look at their walls stacked up with bottles of whiskey and moonshine mixes.

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  7. Your “eat the local foods” rule is exactly how we travel as a family — even the misses turn into stories the kids retell for years. And first trying Tennessee whiskey in Japan for the bar-tab math made me grin; some of the best travel discoveries happen sideways like that. Adding Texas BBQ to our must-eat list!

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    1. I can think of a number of misses that were worth the story. I liked that your kids created wonderful memories from your food missed. It certainly makes trips memorable!

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  8. This song is one of my favorites and I only discovered it about two years ago at a local concert. The guy singing it is Japanese and he did the best version of this song better than Stapleton, I think.

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      3. I can’t find any videos of them either! I don’t know why that is. They just had a show on June 20th but we missed it. I’ll keep an eye out for their next show and let you know.

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  10. Great song! My favorite song about whiskey is “Whiskey” by Trampled by Turtles. I also like the Irish song Whiskey in the Jar. I’m not sure who the original artist is/was, but it’s been covered by lots of artists from traditional Irish bands to Metallica and The Grateful Dead. This was mentioned already, but I also like Whiskey Lullaby.

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  11. I’ve had them all but the lobster rolls (never been to Maine.) How about One is the Whiskey by Mike and the Moonpies? They’ve changed their name to Silverada now (I can’t imagine why) but they’re a great overlooked band.

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  12. We used to travel along Route 17 to see my grandparents in Daytona before I-95 was around. We’d sometimes stop at little roadside stands for snacks and interesting stuff. My dad once bought a mason jar of clear liquid with an ornately scripted label that said MOONSHINE.

    It got shoved into the back of the liquor cabinet until years later at Christmas when we were looking for booze for the punch. The lid had rusted and some if it had evaporated, but me, my dad and my brother dared each other and took turns with it as the women rolled their eyes and uttered dire predictions.

    It could probably have doubled as a very effective drain opener… and the first few choking breaths after swallowing had to be well away from any ignition sources… but white lightning it was and the headaches the next day were epic. Good times! 😂😉

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  13. Interesting take on the question.
    I’m happy to say that of the places we have visited in America that you feature we have eaten accordingly!
    Although not featuring “friend green tomatoes” from South Carolina is a slight misdemeanour. They featured high on my list of “Best Food To Date” – https://amidlifeadventure.org/2026/06/01/exploring-the-best-local-foods-during-my-travels/

    Songs featuring whiskey. How can you not include “Whiskey in the Jar” by the legend that was Thin Lizzy?

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      1. Yes the peanuts were on the tacos!

        I was definitely surprised about the taste of fried green tomatoes and actually purchased a cookbook whilst in the Gullah area to try out recipes at home!

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