THE FATHER BLOG

Today’s topic is not the war with Iran as I’m not a political debater or someone who follows politics closely. I will certainly stick with my Monday topic of Finances though as the two are undoubtedly intertwined.

So, how will this war with Iran effect the Stock Market? It already has and if you are paying (or paid) attention, there is money to be made. Overall, the market has dipped and you could simply buy into more S & P 500 ETFs as the prices are down and make some good long term money because they will eventually rise. Where will it bottom out? That’s anyone’s guess but never a bad time to buy as the S &P 500 has already lost it’s yearly gains for 2026.

You can research as well….but maybe look into the defense sector, oil, gold, silver, etc….those just may get a temporary boost.

It’s all how you want to play it. Long term or quick hit for profits and get out. Either way, market fluctuations and volatility is not always a bad thing if you’re doing your due diligence.

Having a business meeting in Nashville, or the “Bachelorette Capital of the World” or “Nashvegas,” probably could have been more interesting, but I’ll say it was uneventful at best.

The weather wasn’t great, the meeting obviously took place mid week, etc. But I will say downtown Nashville, particularly Honky Tonk Highway, is a pretty lively place and you will never run out of places to slip into for live music. The bands were all good that we heard and don’t think for a second that you will only hear country music there. It definitely dominates the scene but we listened to a great band at Kid Rock’s who played a great 80’s set list while we were there. You can probably find whatever you’re looking for there if you search hard enough.

I was a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t research the hockey schedule better as the Chicago Blackhawks were in town and my hotel was across the street from the Bridgestone Arena. Had I stayed the extra night, I could have watch the game. In hindsight, the Predators beat the Blackhawks last night so maybe it worked out for the best.

Drink-wise…you can’t go wrong with the hard stuff there. Bourbon and whiskey galore! The handful of craft beers I had were mostly average (at best). The Homestyle IPA from Bearded Iris brewing was by far the best and luckily was available everywhere…so I basically stuck with that one.

Would I go back to Nashville for a vacation? I highly doubt it. Nice city but don’t think I could spend more than a night or two there unless you are really into country music. There is the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame if that’s what interests you. Maybe I’d fly into Nashville for a night on the way to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park just for a change of pace and a great meal.

So despite 2 feet of snow that piled on us from Sunday into yesterday, the roads are amazingly clear, the airports are operating again and I must attend my meeting in Nashville. So what am I to do? Drink what the locals do, of course!

But in Nashville, TN, are the locals drinking bourbon or Tennessee whiskey? I had to do a little research myself as to the distinction. Here is what our AI buddy, ChatGPT came up with for us:

All Tennessee whiskey can legally be bourbon, but not all bourbon is Tennessee whiskey. The big difference is an extra step and where it’s made.

Here’s the breakdown 👇

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🥃 Bourbon

Legal requirements (U.S.):

• Must be made in the United States
• Mash bill must be at least 51% corn
• Aged in new, charred oak barrels
• Distilled to no more than 160 proof
• Entered into barrel at no more than 125 proof
• No additives (except water to proof down)

Despite the myth, bourbon does not have to be made in Kentucky — it can be made anywhere in the U.S.

Examples:

• Maker’s Mark
• Buffalo Trace
• Wild Turkey

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🥃 Tennessee Whiskey

Tennessee whiskey follows all the rules of bourbon, plus one extra requirement:

✅ The Lincoln County Process

Before aging, the whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal.
This step smooths the spirit and slightly mellows the flavor.

It must also be made in the state of Tennessee.

Famous examples:

• Jack Daniel’s
• George Dickel

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🔥 Flavor Differences

• Bourbon → Often sweeter, richer, more caramel & vanilla forward
• Tennessee whiskey → Usually smoother, slightly lighter, mellowed by charcoal filtering

That said, flavor overlap is huge — some bourbons drink smoother than some Tennessee whiskeys.

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Simple analogy:

Think of it like this:

Tennessee whiskey = bourbon + charcoal filtering + made in Tennessee