johnlittle.com

Its an old article, but relevant nonetheless. I like the statement.. “We’re not politically savvy people …We just want to make whiskey.” Anyone else get the feeling that it is hypocritical for the state to have an official whiskey but be so restrictive toward beer? How about let’s have a state beer, and not Budweiser please.

Crushed Spirits
Why has Alabama banned sales of its official state whiskey? Our columnist investigates

WEB EXCLUSIVE

By Gersh Kuntzman
Newsweek
Updated: 5:15 p.m. ET Feb. 28, 2005

Feb. 22 – It sounded like a story from The Onion: The state of Alabama announced last week that its official state spirit, a potent elixir known as Conecuh Ridge whiskey, had been banned from sales within the state of Alabama.

I was immediately intrigued by this story for several reasons:

1. I drink a lot of whiskey.

2. I’ve been to Alabama many times.

3. I have never used the words “Alabama” and “whiskey” in the same sentence.

4. I find it difficult to believe that a state, let alone a Bible Belt state, has an official state spirit. I mean, birds, flowers, gemstones, certainly, but an official state booze?

Clearly, a lot more investigation was required. What I quickly ascertained was this: If it sounds strange that Alabama has an official state spirit, you obviously haven’t been drinking enough state spirit of Alabama. This is a state that has never been bashful about legally proclaiming dozens of once-innocuous household items, species of fish and forms of recreation as “official” symbols of the state.

Read more…

Here’s a handful of Alabama still seizure pics I received from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board…. A few from recent times and a couple from the 60s. In Alabama, we have a need to distinguish illegal distillation from typical homebrewing of beer, mead, cider and wine. I’m going to try to get more of these pictures from time to time and put something together that clearly demonstrates the difference and shows that typical homebrewers are not making moonshine.