Redmont’s kindred spirits
Though its vodka has only been around for a little more than a year, Redmont Distilling Company already is making a name for itself among the plethora of new breweries and bars in Birmingham.
Alabama’s first legal distillery since Prohibition has been hard at work this summer. It released its second spirit, Alabama Cotton Gin, at Slicefest on June 11. It became the official spirit of this year’s Sloss Music & Arts Festival on July 16-17, and it has done the same for the Secret Stages Music Discovery Festival on Aug. 5-6.
Its owners, Florence natives Jake Hendon and Stephen Watts, said they’re excited to see the business take off after the long months they spent awaiting federal approval. They developed the idea for a distillery in late 2013 after Watts moved back to Birmingham from California.
“We started thinking ‘Why can’t we take this big movement in the craft beer scene and transition that into a distillery?’” Hendon said. “The more research we did, we found that it’s a pretty big movement across the country, and we thought Alabama was prime for that, especially Birmingham.”
Redmont, named for Birmingham’s Red Mountain, was formed in 2014. The two spent the next year getting their equipment and real estate settled before starting the federal application process. To prepare for production, Hendon and Watts said they spent time touring distilleries across the country and attending distilling classes. They easily decided that vodka would be their first venture because it’s the quickest and simplest to produce. It is also one of the highest selling spirits nationwide.
Unlike most vodkas, Redmont vodka is made with corn rather than wheat. Hendon said this gives the alcohol a clean aftertaste and a creamy texture. As an added bonus, the alcohol is gluten free. From vodka, they progressed into producing gin because it is made by re-distilling vodka through a gin basket filled with botanicals. Redmont’s Alabama Cotton Gin is a traditional gin with heavy notes of juniper and citrus, the owners said.
So far, Birmingham has welcomed Redmont with open arms. Its spirits are sold in a number of Birmingham bars, restaurants and private liquor stores. Its vodka and gin also can be found at ABC liquor stores across the state, as well as in restaurants and bars in Florence, Muscle Shoals and Baldwin County near Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.
In Birmingham, Hendon said they’ve received considerable support from high-end restaurants whose chefs build their menus around local products. “These local chefs get it,” he said. “They understand and see value in pushing a local brand.”
Hendon also said Redmont has been helped by the general push for local products in Alabama. When he and Watts first wrote out their business plan, they identified their potential customers as the same people who frequent Birmingham breweries.
“I think we coincide with the breweries wholeheartedly,” he said. “The same people who go to a grocery store and buy a Good People IPA instead of a Budweiser are the same people who are going to go to an ABC Store and pick up a local made spirit.”
Hendon and Watts’ plan is to grow the Redmont brand in Alabama until it is a household name, then begin distributing outside the state. They also hope to add more spirits to their repertoire. Hendon said whiskey is likely to be next, but he’s holding out for his favorite, bourbon, somewhere down the line.
Expanding the brand also means giving Redmont Distilling Company a permanent home — one that’s even open to visitors. After two years in their location on Fifth Avenue South, close to Trim Tab Brewing, Hendon and Watts said they are in no hurry to move.
“We love the Lakeview District and all the developments that are around here, so hopefully this is home base,” Hendon said.
They plan to add a tasting room to their 1,800-square-foot space and use its equally sized yard as part of the experience for visitors. They will run the operation similar to the way breweries like Avondale and Good People sell their beer right where it’s made, but on a much smaller scale.
“We’re going to go for a more intimate, laid back lounge atmosphere where people can come enjoy our cocktails,” Hendon said.
Though it might be a year or so until they can focus on opening a shop to the public, between developing new spirits, co-sponsoring events and marketing their goods, the guys of Redmont Distilling Company have plenty on their plates.
“We think we’re here at the right time — maybe a little bit early,” Hendon said. “But we love Birmingham and the growth of the city, so we’re here to stay.”