Whiskey Fungus Causes Last of Us-Like Situation in Tennessee
In Lincoln County, Tennessee, residents are dealing with a rapidly growing and hard-to-control Last of Us-like fungus that is spreading across trees, homes, cars, signs, and decks. The cause? Jack Daniels and its warehouses full of whiskey, which this particular fungus feeds off of.
Whiskey fungus has become a serious problem for the residents of Lincoln County, who are dealing with a “sooty, dark crust” over everything outside near the six different Jack Daniels barrelhouses in the rural county of 35,000 people.
The whiskey fungus is actually a strong, heat-resistant fungus that survives and grows off ethanol fumes, including the kind released during the whiskey aging process. And while it can be easily removed via washing, Jack Daniels has declined suggestions to power wash nearby homes or businesses, claiming they could be held liable for any damage caused during the cleaning process. They also declined to add air filters to its barrelhouses to control the release of ethanol fumes, as they do not want to hurt the flavor of their popular whiskey.
One couple has even sued Jack Daniels for the disgusting fungus spreading across large portions of the county. They maintain an old mansion they use for weddings and events and have to pressure wash and clean the outside frequently to fight the build-up of whiskey fungus.
“It wrecks patio furniture, house siding, almost any outdoor surface. I’ve seen trees choked to death by it,” says Dr. Scott. However, he adds that the fungus poses no health threats to anyone or animals.
At this time, there have been no reports of the fungus mutating people into zombie-like monsters as seen in The Last of Us. Nevertheless, it’s not much comfort to the folks fighting back against this fungus in Lincoln County, especially as Jack Daniels continues to ignore their pleas for help or changes.