Skip to main content

Clyde May’s Alabama Whiskey

By Matt Domino Published August 11, 2014

As we’ve covered extensively, distilling whiskey and moonshine is no longer a regional trade. Sure, there’s nothing like a traditional Kentucky (or even Tennessee) bourbon, but in recent years, brands of high-grade brown spirits have popped up all over the country.

That’s why it should be no surprise that Clyde May’s is putting Alabama Whiskey firmly back on the map. Formerly known as Conecuh Ridge Whiskey, the brand has recently changed hands (due to some risky business that you can read about elsewhere) and is looking to make a splash on the whiskey market. And with a great taste, as well as a sleek, Prohibition era bottle design, Clyde May’s should prove more than able.

Recommended Videos

Clyde May, the man, is a legend in his own right. Over 70 years ago, in the Conecuh Ridge (located in the southeast corner of Alabama), Clyde May distilled his first batch of whiskey. His batches were known for their purity due to the use of copper stills, fresh spring water and fine, local grains. Unfortunately, May was a bit of a rebel and operated outside of Alabama’s state liquor laws. He was eventually put in a state penitentiary to serve an eight-month sentence. Before and after his hitch, Clyde May was known for his “Christmas Whiskey,” which he gave away to locals as a sign of festive goodwill.

What gives Clyde May’s its “Alabama Style” (other than originating in Alabama), is the addition of oven-dried apples to each barrel. This extra ingredient gives the whiskey hints of green apple and cinnamon that are not frequently found in other brands of whiskey and bourbon across the country. We’re talking about hints of cinnamon here, not a full-on blast that you find in something like Fireball.

After being named the state spirit of Alabama under the Conecuh Ridge Whiskey name, Clyde May’s is looking to move forward and establish a brand new tradition in a crowded market place. With its notes of cinnamon, caramel and butterscotch, a boozy kick that will satisfy the serious drinker and a sleek package, there’s no doubt that you’ll be seeing Clyde May’s at barstool near you soon.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Matt Domino is a writer living in Brooklyn. His fiction has appeared in Slice and The Montreal Review, while his non-fiction…

Topics

Liquor, Beer, Wine & Drinks

Food & Drink

Blended Scotch whiskies you’ll want to drink neat

These blended Scotch whiskies are too good to be used solely as mixers

Dewar's 15

If you’re a Scotch whisky drinker, I know you have at least a few bottles of blended Scotch whisky that you would never drink neat or on the rocks. Perhaps you were given a bottle, or you just bought one because of a flashy label, only to realize it was fairly unpalatable on its own, best mixed with soda or other ingredients. But, if you limit your whisky collection to blended Scotch whiskies that you’d never want to drink neat, you’re missing out on some outstanding expressions just waiting to be discovered.

I was once like this. When I first started writing about alcohol, I didn’t know much about Scotch whisky, and my only experience with blended Scotch was a less-than-stellar expression that came in an easy-to-grab plastic bottle. It wasn’t the type of whisky I was going to want to crack open when my friends or family members stopped by.

Food & Drink

A guide to destination drinking

A more authentic imbibing experience that explores origin stories

Glass, Alcohol, Beer

These days, it's not enough to pour a product. What splashes in the glass needs a good story, preferably one involving genuine sustainability efforts or a cool new hop variety. Moreover, that liquid becomes all the more intriguing when it reflects its origin, whether that's a coastal gin made with local botanicals and seaweed or a seasonal Georgian beer brewed with ripe peaches.

Wine may have capitalized on the concept of terroir but it certainly didn't invent it. There's an element of place in all of agriculture, meaning there are distinctive flavors tied to Nevada-grown whiskey grains and Washington state hops, destined to be showcased in an India Pale Ale.

Food & Drink

Rotisserie chicken is back and better than ever

Slow-turned birds are back, baby

Rotisserie chicken at ROSTO.

What goes around comes around, again and again. Certainly the culinary world knows as much, just consider the slow food movement or even a good Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe, back in its best forms since, well, the 90s. The latest thing to reemerge is slow-cooked chicken on a spit.

Yes, rotisserie is back and arguably better than ever. Like most things, the epicenter of the movement is taking place in New York City, but it's spread to other food-friendly towns, from Portland to Providence. Maybe we never wanted to let the style go. Maybe we're reliant on a relatively cheap protein in this wobbly economy. Regardless, there's no denying the deeply comforting sensation that is chowing down on some.