Reviewed by: Audrey Johnson
Locally made whiskey you should try right now
Most folks know about the dozens of local craft beers that are made right here in the Huntsville area, but did you know that the Rocket City is also home to a couple of pretty darn good whiskey distilleries?
If you haven’t tried these local whiskey brands, you’re missing out:
Irons ONE
Irons Distillery produces Irons One whiskey — with bourbon and bourbon mash as your choices — which is sold online and distributed at their offices in Lowe Mill.
The difference between the two varieties is that bourbon must be aged in a new charred American white oak barrel. When making bourbon mash, French oak is added during the aging process which imparts a hint of cinnamon to the finish.
“I love making whiskey. From mashing, to fermenting, to distilling, to aging and bottling – I love this process. My goal is simple – provide the finest whiskey that I can make for our local community and those who will travel to get Irons ONE. I want my customers to enjoy my whiskey and drink it with pride.”
Jeff Irons, master distiller, Irons Distillery
Visit the distillery on Facebook to get updates on when new batches are available.
Black Patch
Gary Cooper co-founded Black Patch Distilling Co. with his son Clayton. The initial recipe was developed while Clayton was deployed into combat and Gary wanted to make the “perfect whiskey” for his son.
While in combat, Clayton lost his leg, and therefore Gary has pledged a portion of all sales to benefit veterans’ groups.
The result has been an award-winning lineup of whiskies and spirits that include:
- Bourbon
- HEAT Cinnamon whiskey
- Agave-flavored whiskies
- Rye
“I designed this recipe while my son was on his first combat deployment. Although my son lost his leg after being seriously wounded in combat, he helped me perfect this recipe and it has remained unchanged for over a decade.”
Gary Cooper, BlackPatch Distilling
Black Patch operates out of 500 Lanier Rd c3, Madison, AL 35758.
Beyond just making whiskey
In addition to the home-grown whiskies here in the Rocket City, some more spirits are being produced here as well.
Guajana Spirits was established in 2018, and they make artisan rum and vodka varieties. Currently, they offer rum tastings, distillery tours and they host private parties.
They’re also located in Madison, at 9582 Madison Blvd Suite 3, Madison, AL 35758.
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