WORDS Sam Wootten PHOTO Jon Kohn
Whiskey season is upon us! Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
This
is not an actual season that any true whiskey fan would recognize, as
whiskey is a year-round endeavor with great rewards and exciting
releases that know no season. However, as temperatures cool and nights
grow longer, we may find the warm comfort of a wee dram just the thing
to stave off loneliness or bolster courage in the face of Old Man
Winter’s approach.
Now is a good time to stock up, as shelves are brimming with new whiskies and exciting releases from old standbys. Statistics show that whiskey sales have increased steadily since the 2007 economic downturn, and are now leading market share again according to DISCUS. And craft distilleries, much like craft breweries, are the leading the charge. According to the American Distilling Institute, there are about 240 small distilleries in the U.S. and Canada. Some estimates suggest the number will likely jump to 400 to 450 by 2015. Craft whiskey is a huge part of that, and consumers crave libations with stories to match their slow food / buy local aesthetic. Industry insiders believe we will witness a localization of all our favorite beverages, so that “each town will have a brewery, distillery, coffee roaster and cacao artisan.” This makes some sense, as today’s beverage enthusiast finds knowing who is making your liquor is as important as who is mixing your cocktail. With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to explore some of the craft whiskeys being put together in our region.
As you may have recently read in these very pages, Alabama is now finally jumping on that craft distillate trend with their first legal distillery since prohibition. High Ridge Spirits have begun making their “Stills Crossroads ’Shine” just down the road in Union Springs. Jamie Ray and the guys down in Bullock County are working hard and will have product on the shelves in a matter of weeks. Peaden Brothers Distillery in Fairhope is in the construction phase of their facility, and fundraising to get product out as fast as possible. Two more licenses are in the early stages, and we may see a distillery renaissance here in Alabama to match the surging craft beer boom that has made our state the fastest growing market for new beer in the nation.
This timeframe may not suit those of you who, like me, feel the slightest hint of a nip in the air at night and go for the pantry’s top shelf stash. You eager souls may want to research some of the other craft whiskies making a splash in the pages and on the palates of our dutiful staff from their travels hither and yon.
Georgia’s Thirteenth Colony (available at your local ABC Store) is producing multiple-award winning Southern Corn Whiskey, and a tasty Rye Whiskey for those of you with more adventurous palates, as well as vodkas and gin. With roughly a half dozen micro-distilleries operating in Georgia, you have your pick of neighborly options, but without distribution, it may require a trip to Atlanta to stock up.
Tennessee has long been a go-to state for whiskey fans, with Jack Daniels and George Dickel being the elder statesmen. However, craft whiskey fans will likely know Prichard’s (their Double Barreled offering is a personal favorite), and up-and-comer Corsair is quickly making a name for itself. For those of you traveling to the Carolinas, pick up some of Asheville’s Troy & Sons or Greenville’s Dark Corner whiskies and moonshine to taste what is a legal renaissance of the Appalachia’s rich distilling history.
Of course, whatever you’re tasting, I hope it is warming your spirit and relaxing your woes. Please be responsible and safe, and SLÁINTE!