Meet Alabama’s craft distilleries and find out how they make their spirits

Alabama craft distilleries, like their microbrewery cousins, are sprouting up across the state. In addition to John Emerald Distilling, which became the first legal whiskey-maker since Prohibition when it barreled its inaugural batch in 2013, seven other distilleries are now open with at least one more in the works. The raw material that these artisans use to conjure spirits is diverse. Bourbon is made from at least 51 percent corn, rounded out with grains and cereals like malted barley, wheat, and oats. Rye whiskey mostly starts with the grain that gives pumpernickel bread its distinct taste.