The U.S. military buys more Jack Daniel's Single Barrel whiskey than any other purchaser in the world

If you're ever searching for Jack Daniel's Single Barrel whiskey and finding it hard to track down, try a U.S. military base.

"Over the entire span of (the Jack Daniel's 'By the Barrel') program, the U.S. military has been the largest purchaser," Master Distiller Jeff Arnett told Business Insider. "It has been represented by base exchanges, individual units, as well as other on-base military entities like Officers' Clubs."

The distillery began its' "By the Barrel" program in 1998, which allows purchasers to tour Jack Daniel's Lynchburg, Tennessee, headquarters, and handpick a barrel of the whiskey. Then, the distillery ships an empty barrel, along with 250 bottles (the number that can fit in a 53-gallon barrel) to the buyer. One "By the Barrel" purchase costs between $9,000 and $12,000, depending on the exact volume of each individual barrel.

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A tour guide told Business Insider that Navy SEAL Team 6 celebrated its successful raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound by purchasing a barrel; the distillery would not confirm that claim, but it has sold to other SEAL teams in the past.

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