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Conecuh Ridge Whiskey, officially marketed as Clyde May's Conecuh Ridge Alabama Style Whiskey, is a recreation of a high-quality aged moonshine whiskey which was produced illegally in Alabama during the mid to late 20th century. In 2004 it was designated the official "State Spirit" of Alabama by legislative resolution. Later the same year the company's founder Kenny May was charged with several violations of Alabama liquor laws, to which he pled guilty. After a 15 month period where the whiskey was unavailable for purchase in Alabama, it can now be purchased from Alabama Crown Distributor.
History
The History of Conecuh Ridge Whiskey begins with Clyde May, a legendary Alabama moonshiner and bootlegger. From the 1950s to the 1980s Clyde managed to produce around 300 gallons a week in a still of his own design in the woods near Almeria, Alabama in Bullock County, southeast of Montgomery. His product was known for its high quality relative to typical moonshine. According to his son, Kenny, the reason was his painstaking insistence on using the best equipment he could fabricate and taking extra steps during production to maintain the purity and quality of the product. While much of it was sold, unaged, as corn liquor, a certain amount would be casked in charred barrels with a couple of dried apples for flavor. This would be aged for about 1 year. Clyde claimed that the hot Alabama summers accelereated the effect of aging, requiring only one year instead of the minimum of two given to Kentucky Bourbons. This would be bottled and given to friends and valued customers as "Christmas Whiskey". Always operating outside the state liquor laws, Clyde May served an 18-month sentence at Maxwell Air Force Base in 1973. He gave up his cell to the man who convicted him, Attorney General John N. Mitchell, who was convicted in 1974 on charges from the Watergate scandal.
When Clyde May died in 1990 his son Kenny began looking for a way to honor his father's memory by producing legal whiskey from his recipe. Careful planning led to a production run of 4000 bottles of Conecuh Ridge in 2002. Though Conecuh Brands' offices were in Union Springs, the actual distiller for the first batches was Kentucky Bourbon Distillery of Bardstown, Kentucky, overseen by master distiller Even Kulsveen. Under contract from Conecuh Brands they produced the mash using Conecuh Ridge spring water trucked in from Alabama and distilled the product in oak barrels before bottling and returning it to Alabama for distribution.
In April 2004, both houses of the Alabama legislature voted to override the veto of Governor Bob Riley and adopted a resolution, now known as Act of Alabama 2004-97 naming "Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey" the "official state spirit". For a few months it was sold in Alabama's 147 ABC State Liquor Stores and privately-owned package stores in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. During 2004, citing distribution difficulties and limited demand for the boutique-priced liquor, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board stopped stocking Conecuh Ridge in its stores, but would still take special-orders for customers who requested it.
In December 2004, state liquor agents charged Kenny May with misdemeanor violations in two counties. He pleaded guilty to charges of selling liquor without a license, possessing excessive quantities of liquor in a dry county, and selling alcohol to a minor. The Control Board immediately moved to revoke Conecuh Ridge's distribution licence, meaning that once stores sold out of their existing stock, the state's official spirit could no longer be sold in Alabama. May's stock was held in trust pending the outcome of his trial. Attorney Alva Lambert assumed leadership of the company.
After May entered his guilty plea, the state House of Representatives moved to repeal the declaration of Conecuh Ridge as Alabama's "Official State Spirit." The reversal legislation never passed the state Senate.
Abker Douglas & Associates, based in LaGrange, Ga., acquired a majority interest the whiskey maker in November 2005. The acquisition paved the way for Conecuh Ridge to return to Alabama shelves in May 2006. According to the firm's president, Tom Abker, Kenny May is no longer associated with the company and owns no stock in it.
Character
Conecuh Ridge is described as an "Alabama Style Tippling Whiskey", a rather imprecise designation which basically means that it's patterned after the spirits that would have been available at informal "tippling houses". Spring water from Alabama is added to a corn, wheat and rye mash, such as is used to make Bourbon whiskey. It is then aged for four years in caramel-charred white oak barrels.
The result is a 90-proof light-bodied sweetish red whiskey considered welcoming to novice drinkers, but not much of a challenge to the palates of Bourbon connoissuers.
References
- Emerson, Bo. "Ala. 'state spirit' is son's tribute to fine moonshiner." Arizona Republic. May 25, 2004.
- Harris, Clay. "Triple take: Alabama's first state spirit." The Auburn Plainsman. March 25, 2004.
- Kuntzman, Gersh. "Crushed Sprits: Why has Alabama banned sales of its official state whiskey? Our columnist investigates." Newsweek. February 28, 2005
- Hall, Wade. Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge: The Clyde May Story. Montgomery, Alabama: New South Books. 2003. ISBN 1-58838-135-8
- Irvin, David. "'Official state spirit' returning to stores." Montgomery Advertiser. May 10, 2006
- "Alabama's official state whiskey will return to shelves this week, new owner says." * Birmingham Business Journal. May 23, 2006
External links
"Conecuh Ridge Whiskey"