John Emerald Distilling is a small batch craft distillery located in beautiful downtown Opelika. Their mission is to honor their forefathers by making the finest Spirits available. Stop by for a taste test, tour the facility, or try one of their craft cocktails! Experience the light, crisp, and refreshing Hugh Wesley’s Gin – made with hand-picked Alabama Juniper Berries. Do you prefer vodka? The Elizabeth Vodka is the first of its kind in Alabama – a corn-based vodka that is triple filtered to smooth out its demeanor. John Emerald Distillery features more Spirits including John’s Alabama Single Malt, Spurgeon’s Barrel Aged Rum, and Gene’s Spiced Rum. JED is wicked good.
About John's Alabama Single Malt Whiskey:
One sip of John's “Alabama Single Malt Whiskey” reveals a smooth, sweet beginning that transports your taste buds to the hints of vanilla provided by its oak barrel aging. Next up: the subtle smoke of Southern peach and pecan wood, a taste that gently binds all the flavors together. Alabama wine barrel staves provide a complex and perfect finishing touch.
This whiskey is more than an exquisite taste. It’s the first legal whiskey distilled in Alabama since Prohibition. For over 100 years, whiskey poured from illegal stills in the woods of the South. But in 2015, John Emerald Distilling Company of Opelika, Alabama, began distilling a distinctive whiskey that can truly be called Alabama Whiskey. The spirit is not bourbon, it’s not corn or scotch. It’s a distinctive style of whiskey distilled and bottled only in Alabama.
Owned and operated by father and son team John and Jimmy Sharp, the distillery is the first to bring the tradition of fine whiskey creation back to the state. Made from 100% malted barley, a portion of which is smoked with peach and pecan wood, the whiskey is as warm on the tongue as a sweet Southern drawl.
John Emerald’s award-winning “John’s Alabama Single Malt Whiskey” is now waving the Alabama banner in 5 states: Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and New York, where it can be found in establishments across Manhattan and up the Hudson River.