The wort is distilled twice, creating a colorless spirit that contains about 190 proofs, or 95% alcohol by volume (commonly known as ABV). You can only buy uncut moonlight at full power at the original distillery, but for most sales, Murder Creek dilutes the clear product to a standard strength for spirits, 80 Proof (40% ABV). UNION SPRINGS, Alabama — Alabama`s first legal distillery since prohibition has opened in a county notorious for illegal whiskey production. Due to restrictions in dry counties, it is illegal to produce fuel yourself with a federal license. Wet counties that allow stills for the production of non-alcoholic beverages would have to allow fuel production with a federal license. A license issued by the county is available and required. Read the REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS for more information. You may also want to read about TTB`s alcoholic fuel laws, so state law prohibits liquor gifts, so the OWA tasting room charges a $1 fee for adults to taste one or all of the moonbeams. The OWA website also sells the 750 ml jars of products in the moonlight of Murder Creek. His version of a Bloody Mary, for example, mixes one part of Pickle Moonshine, one part of Hot Shot and two parts of Whiskey Willie`s Bloody Mary Mix, which is made in Orange Beach. Murder Creek`s tribute to Gulf Beach`s favorite drink, bushwacker, consists of one part peccan moonlight, one part chocolate moonlight, and two parts ice cream, or half and half. Ray chose Moonlight not only because of the county`s history, but also because it offers a faster return on the more than $100,000 he and his partners have invested in the distillery.
It takes one to two weeks from the start of the process for the product to be in the bottle, he said. In Alabama, it is legal to own a distillery for non-spirits that produce uses such as essential oils or water distillation in wet counties. In dry counties, owning a distillery is illegal for any reason, as is the legal production and sale of spirits. For this reason, Alabama is listed here based on the county`s dry laws. Stephen and his partners hope OWA`s location is the first step in expanding retail sales in Murder Creek, Alabama. Moonlight glasses are fairly easy to find at the Florida Panhandle, but in its home state, most sales now come from distilleries. Ray said people`s desire to taste beers beyond the big brands is now extending to spirits, which is why craft distilleries are booming. He decided to locate his business in rural Bullock County because he and his wife already had a small horse farm there and because the location gave him a promotional tool. The sparsely populated rural county has been famous for decades for producing moonlight from illegal stills hidden in its gentle forested hills. Building on this story, Ray makes moonshine from rye and sugar. He calls his product Stills Crossroads Alabama` Shine for the unincorporated community where his company is located, 15 miles southwest of the county seat of Union Springs.
Traditionally, the main ingredient in moonlight is corn, which also flavors the mind. But the people of Murder Creek create a neutral spirit by making their product primarily with sugar, with enough rice bran to support the yeast added to convert the sugar into ethyl alcohol in the first stage of moonlight making, called mash. Wet counties: It is illegal to make moonlight or own a distillery for the production of spirits. However, since there are no specific laws to own a distillery for non-alcoholic production, it is legal to own a distillery or use it for other purposes (essential oils, water, etc.). Dry counties: It is illegal to make moonshine or own a distillery, regardless of its use in these counties. It seems that even legal distilleries are not even allowed. Stephen produces Murder Creek moonlight in small batches, but runs his system constantly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When the pandemic hit in 2020, it shifted from legal commercial production of moonshine to the production of pure alcohol distillate for hand sanitizers. Then came an increase in demand among homebound consumers for glasses of clear, flavored alcohol from Murder Creek. Cynthia Thomas uses a heat gun to seal bottle caps in the moonlight at the High Ridge Spirits distillery near Union Springs, Alabama, Friday, Oct. 25, 2013.
Alabama`s first legal distillery since prohibition opened in a county famous for illegally producing whiskey. High Ridge Spirits has joined the growing trend of more than 600 craft distilleries operating across the country. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) There is currently no law allowing non-commercial production of alcohol in Alabama, so citizens cannot produce alcohol for their personal use. It is illegal to be in possession of moonshine. In dry counties, it is illegal to produce moonlight or possess a still. In wet counties, it is illegal to own a distillery to produce alcohol. So you can own a still, but it should not be used to make alcohol. Mad County Winery in Madison received a distillery license in July and produced practice batches of moonlight and rum. Cotton Williams, who runs the business with his wife, Melinda, said he doesn`t know when their product will go on sale because they`re waiting for their brand labels to be approved. “We`re completely at the mercy of someone we don`t see or know,” he said. Bill Owens, president of the American Distilling Institute, said High Ridge Spirits is among the 602 craft distillers in the country and their number is growing at about 30 percent a year. He said the development of craft distilleries is similar to the rapid growth that began years earlier with craft breweries.
“It`s a little different than how they do it in the forest,” said founder and head distiller Jamie Ray. A creek behind his distillery contains the remains of a distillery attacked many years ago, including two rusty 55-gallon barrels with axe holes on the sides. High Ridge Spirits won`t be Alabama`s only distillery for long. Production at Murder Creek was a family affair. Stephen leads production and business at both sites. His father, Dan, co-founded and programmed the software for the Murder Creek automated distillation system. Stephen`s mother, Maryann Matthews, develops the aromas that are mixed with the distillate. Alabama`s silent laws are divided into two categories: wet counties and dry counties.
If you are in Florida Panhandle and would like to have Murder Creek Moonshine in your liquor store, contact GOLDRING via the link below! Williams said he doesn`t expect an influx of distilleries into Alabama because he said they require as much hard work as wineries. “The only reason I entered is a massive case of ignorance, but I`m glad I was so ignorant,” he said. “Go up, start asking questions, and I`ll show you everything,” he said. “That`s all you have to do with me.” Head burner Jamie Ray says it`s been a little different from the woods of Bullock County for decades. A creek behind the High Ridge distillery even has the remains of a stills that was overgrown years ago. Due to Alabama state law, we are unable to ship Murder Creek Moonshine (alcohol) products. Pitches are already selling our “brilliance. Look here! “The best distillers come from a brewing background because beer wort can make beer or whiskey,” Owens said.
Flavored products can be consumed pure or mixed to make cocktails, like the mixed drinks that Murder Creek dodges at its OWA bar. “It has a really clean taste with a sweetness at the front and a peppery finish. That`s the signature of the malted rye I use,” he said. While OWA doesn`t offer official tours, Stephen says he`s happy to talk about distillation and how it works at the original Riverview facility near Brewton. No appointment is required. “Most of them are my mother`s creations,” says Stephen. “When we think about things or when people ask us for a taste, we start working on them. The next one will probably be the lemon because people keep asking for it. Ray, 49, entered the distillery business after 22 years as a brewer, working at breweries in Montgomery and Auburn, among others, and helping start a brewery in Gadsden. The American Distilling Institute says High Ridge is one of 602 craft distillers in the country, and that number continues to grow. The company is also celebrating the one-year anniversary of its second location — a small distillery, tasting room and bar in downtown OWA at the Poarch Creek Indian-operated Foley Resort. The factory was an immediate success and today accounts for about 40% of the distillery`s turnover.
The Murder Creek Distillery in Riverview has embarked on a winding journey since its founding four years ago. OWA distillation can be seen through a glass partition. Stephen says he plans to add signs explaining the process. A selection of flavors from Murder Creek (OWA Parks & Resort / Contributed). If you have a manufacturer`s license, it costs $5000. “We are very grateful to have been invited to be part of downtown OWA,” said Stephen Matthews, co-founder who operates at both locations. “Small businesses like ours don`t have opportunities like this very often.” It delivered the first 37 boxes to the state liquor agency in October.