If your gift list includes some Christmas spirits, Alabama distillers produce tipples for most every taste.

From Huntsville to Atmore, Alabamians craft vodkas and gins from grain, and distill rums from various sugars. They make aged bourbons, ryes, and other whiskies. Some produce spirits from the blue agave cactus; if made in certain regions of Mexico, those would be called tequilas. Many of these have won awards at national and international competitions.

Or if the adult on your stocking stuffer list is curious about how whiskey is made, several distilleries listed below offer ticketed tours, and some have private samplings. Most boast tasting rooms that serve cocktails as well.

This is not an exhaustive list, but a broad selection of the best spirits made in Alabama.

 

Dread River Distilling Company

2400 Seventh Avenue South, Birmingham

Products

• Straight Bourbon, Silver Medal winner at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• Sherry-Finished Rye, Gold Medal Winner at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Gold Medal, 2023 Bartender Spirit Awards
• Blended Whiskey, aged some three years
• Vodka and gin, made from wheat. Botanicals in the gin impart flavors of cucumber, grapefruit, and lemongrass with juniper in the finish
• Rum, Caribbean-style made with molasses and dark brown sugar
• Blackstrap rum
• Blue Agave Spirit, Silver Medal winner at the 2023 Finger Lakes International Wine and Spirits Competition
• Double-Barrel Blue Agave, aged some three years in casks previously used for bourbon and sherry; Batch 1 won silver at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Batch 2 is presale only

Shop

All Dread River products and special bottlings including its 106-proof Master Series Volume 2 Veteran’s Edition Bourbon are available at the distillery; shipping to several states (not Alabama) is available; its lineup also is sold at ABC and premium liquor stores

Tasting Room

Open Tuesday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-10 p.m.; Friday 3 p.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday 12 p.m.-11 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday

Tours available?

Yes. Tickets are $20.

 

Irons ONE Distillery

2211 Seminole Drive SW Studio 2061, Huntsville

Products

Small-batch bourbon and bourbon-mash whiskeys

Shop

Order online for pickup at the distillery

Tasting Room

Open Wed-Sat 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

Tours Available?

Yes, Saturdays at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.

 

John Emerald Distilling Company

706 North Railroad Avenue, Opelika

Products

• Single malt-whiskey; Silver Medal, San Francisco International Spirits Awards; Bronze Medal, New York International Spirits Competition
• Purveyor’s Series Double-Oak Bourbon
• Purveyor’s Series Double-Oak Rye
• Gene’s Spiced Rum features Madagascar vanilla beans, Indonesian cinnamon sticks, Chinese star anise, and Alabama pecans; 2016 Alabama Rum Distillery of the Year; 2019 Silver Medal, Las Vegas Proof Awards
• Spurgeon’s Barrel-Aged Rum; two years in barrels previously used for John Emerald’s single-malt whiskey; Silver Medal, San Francisco International Spirits Awards
• Sara’s Silver Rum made with sugar cane grown in Headland and sugar cane juice from Florida
• Elizabeth Vodka, corn based; Gold Medal, American Distilling Institute; Best in Class, American Distilling Institute
• Hugh Wesley’s Gin features flavors of foraged wild juniper berries, anise, orange peel, cucumbers, pecans; Silver Medal, San Francisco International Spirits Awards; Silver Medal, Las Vegas Proof Awards
• Hugh Wesley’s Barrel-Rested Gin; notes of smoke and caramel from oak barrels add nuance to the gin’s anise and pecan flavors
• Casa Esmerelda Silver blue agave spirit; an Anejo is aged one year
• Leslie’s Muscadine Brandy; Elizabeth’s liqueurs made with fig, satsuma, and pecan

Shop

Buy on premise or in liquor and ABC stores; shipping available

Tasting Room

Open Monday 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday 1 p.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 12 p.m.-midnight; closed Sunday

Tours Available?

Yes, either with or without tastings

 

Boogie Bottom Spirits 

22100 County Road 47, Perdido

Products

• Joe Cane Rhum Agricole, sugar cane rum aged in used Jack Daniels barrels
• Blue and Gold Alabama Rum, sugar cane
• Shipwreck Blanco Rum

Shop

At the distillery, state ABC stores, and private liquor stores

Tasting Room

Open Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m; closed Sunday

Tours Available?

No

Dettling 1867

Atmore, Alabama

Products

• Six-Grain small batch straight bourbon whiskey
• Four-Grain Platinum White Whiskey
• Single-Barrel cask strength straight bourbon whiskey, aged four years
• Single-Barrel Bespoke Collection features special batches with unusual grain bills
• Limited releases: Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, Bottled in Bond High Rye Bourbon Whiskey

Shop

ABC and other Alabama liquor stores; no shipping

Tours Available?

No