Jay-Z-Backed Whiskey Maker Uncle Nearest Battles Lender

More than a century after Nathan “Nearest” Green — the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel to distill whiskey — was largely erased from history, the brand built to honor his legacy is at the center of a legal and financial fight.

Uncle Nearest Inc., the Black-owned whiskey company that helped establish Green’s place in American history and drew backing from figures including Jay-Z, filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday as it battles its primary lender for control of the business. The bankruptcy, however, was quickly thrown out on Thursday when a judge ruled the distillery’s founders had been stripped of most of their corporate powers.