By Brittany Reeves
In the foothills of Birmingham sits the first vodka distillery the Steel City has seen since prohibition. Two Auburn graduates, both originally from Florence, Alabama, founded Redmont Distillery after years of brewing beer together.
Based on their love of liquor and visits to distilleries on their own, they thought a distillery would be a good addition to Birmingham.
“I just seemed like something Birmingham needed. It seemed like a good business opportunity,” said co-founder Stephen Watts. “That’s what drove us to do this.”
The state of Alabama is a control state, meaning that the Alcoholic Beverage Control is the only customer that distilleries in the state have where then they disperse the liquor to restaurants, bars and liquor stores in the area.
“We’ve put about 1,000 bottles out into the world,” Watts said.
Watts graduated from Auburn with a degree in philosophy and has taught himself the entire distilling process solely from reading books and attending workshops. Having never worked in a brewery or distillery, Watts said there are plenty of books out there that teach how to distill properly.
Redmont’s vodka is made from 100 percent corn and is gluten-free.
“I would describe it as smooth and slightly sweet. It’s not overwhelming or offensive,” Watts said.
The owners of Redmont have a specific image they want to create for the company as far as branding.
“Our goal is to be the Billy Reid of liquor; that’s our branding goal. We want to be the sophisticated, Southern thing,” Watts said. “We’re not doing moonshine. We’re not talking ’bout great-grand-pappy’s recipes.”
They are looking at a more progressive vision of Alabama, which Watts compared to the Alabama Shakes. They aren’t necessarily laced in tradition like the stereotypical idea of Alabama.
As of right now, Redmont is not open to the public. But in the near future, Watts either plans on purchasing the entire building Redmont is currently located in or moving somewhere bigger entirely. Watts plans on expanding and adding a tasting room, where customers would be able to sample all of their spirits. Not only does Redmont plan to expand with real estate but also with brand and menu.
“Were trying to just focus on Birmingham now and then the rest of Alabama and then at some point expand outside of the state,” Watts said. “I think were going to go to New York and California next.”
With each state having a different alcohol law and licensing procedure, expanding outside of the state would require a lot of time and paperwork.
Watts also plans to possibly add a whiskey, gin, bourbon and brandy to Redmont over the next few years.
“Right now, we’re just focused on clear spirits to get out there and get everything moving and brand awareness,” Watts said.
Getting their name out and finding what is going to sell is the most important thing that Watts is focusing on right now. However, Watts is constantly looking for Alabama ingredients and local inspiration for future experiments with Redmont.
For more information, visit Redmont’s website at http://www.redmontdistilling.com.
Based on their love of liquor and visits to distilleries on their own, they thought a distillery would be a good addition to Birmingham.
“I just seemed like something Birmingham needed. It seemed like a good business opportunity,” said co-founder Stephen Watts. “That’s what drove us to do this.”
The state of Alabama is a control state, meaning that the Alcoholic Beverage Control is the only customer that distilleries in the state have where then they disperse the liquor to restaurants, bars and liquor stores in the area.
“We’ve put about 1,000 bottles out into the world,” Watts said.
Watts graduated from Auburn with a degree in philosophy and has taught himself the entire distilling process solely from reading books and attending workshops. Having never worked in a brewery or distillery, Watts said there are plenty of books out there that teach how to distill properly.
Redmont’s vodka is made from 100 percent corn and is gluten-free.
“I would describe it as smooth and slightly sweet. It’s not overwhelming or offensive,” Watts said.
The owners of Redmont have a specific image they want to create for the company as far as branding.
“Our goal is to be the Billy Reid of liquor; that’s our branding goal. We want to be the sophisticated, Southern thing,” Watts said. “We’re not doing moonshine. We’re not talking ’bout great-grand-pappy’s recipes.”
They are looking at a more progressive vision of Alabama, which Watts compared to the Alabama Shakes. They aren’t necessarily laced in tradition like the stereotypical idea of Alabama.
As of right now, Redmont is not open to the public. But in the near future, Watts either plans on purchasing the entire building Redmont is currently located in or moving somewhere bigger entirely. Watts plans on expanding and adding a tasting room, where customers would be able to sample all of their spirits. Not only does Redmont plan to expand with real estate but also with brand and menu.
“Were trying to just focus on Birmingham now and then the rest of Alabama and then at some point expand outside of the state,” Watts said. “I think were going to go to New York and California next.”
With each state having a different alcohol law and licensing procedure, expanding outside of the state would require a lot of time and paperwork.
Watts also plans to possibly add a whiskey, gin, bourbon and brandy to Redmont over the next few years.
“Right now, we’re just focused on clear spirits to get out there and get everything moving and brand awareness,” Watts said.
Getting their name out and finding what is going to sell is the most important thing that Watts is focusing on right now. However, Watts is constantly looking for Alabama ingredients and local inspiration for future experiments with Redmont.
For more information, visit Redmont’s website at http://www.redmontdistilling.com.