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| Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey |
On April 8, 2004, the Alabama state legislature designated
Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey as Alabama’s Official State Spirit.
According to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, the designation
was made because "the bourbon, Conecuh Ridge, is produced using pure
Alabama water and embodies family pride, independence, entrepreneurial drive,
innovation, and respect for the tradition and craftsmanship which is evident in
this family tradition."
I ran across this little nugget of trivia sometime during
the past year and made sure to add the state spirit to the 2015 version of my
“bucket list.” As a nod to the start of another New Year, I procured a 750-ml
bottle of Conecuh Ridge at the ABC Store in Evergreen on Wednesday of last week
and responsibly sampled this bourbon for the first time on New Year’s Day,
which was last Thursday. I’m not a big whiskey drinker, but I found this
bourbon to be mighty fine.
According to the Department of Archives and History, this
bourbon is made from Clyde May’s family recipe for “special Christmas whiskey”
and the current version that you buy in stores is a recreation of whiskey that
was produced illegally years and years ago. According to the label on the
bottle I bought, it’s “hand crafted in small batches from Mr. Clyde’s famous
Alabama recipe.” The label also has this to say:
“Just a few years ago, only a select few could taste the
smooth, mellow whiskey Clyde May made in South Alabama. Take one sip and you’ll
understand why folks from miles around risked a brush with the law for a bottle
of Mr. Clyde’s famous Alabama Style Whiskey. Using a recipe passed down for
generations, Clyde May’s is made with the purest spring water and the best whole
grains, aged to perfection in caramel-charred white oak barrels. Clyde May’s
famous whiskey is now available, legally, for your enjoyment.”
The bottle goes on to say that this brand of bourbon, which
is 85 proof, is distilled in Kentucky and is bottled by the Conecuh Ridge
Distillery in Auburndale, Fla. Auburndale is located in Polk County, Fla., not
far from Tampa, that is, pretty far from the Alabama state line. Also, Conecuh
Ridge is produced by the Spirits Acquisition Corporation, which is based in
Dallas, Texas. Clyde May passed away in 1990, and his son, Kenny, began
producing this bourbon in 2002 in honor of his father’s memory.
In the end, how many of you have ever sampled the Alabama
state spirit? What did you think about it? What other types of notable liquor
would you recommend for responsible adults? Let us know in the comments section
below.
(It should go without saying that you should drink alcohol
responsibly. If you decide to sample some Conecuh Ridge bourbon for yourself,
do so responsibly and with good, old fashioned common sense. Don’t be a fool
and drink too much, and you should never drink and drive. Also, if you not of
legal drinking age (21), forget about it until you’re old enough to buy it.)
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