Conecuh Ridge Whiskey
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.
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.
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.
*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." [
1]
Birmingham Business Journal. May 23, 2006
*
Conecuh Ridge Official Site*
Review of Conecuh Ridge for Spirits Review*
The Alabama State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
