Connect with us

Alabama

How an Alabama moonshiner’s whiskey became the official state drink – and stayed that way

Published

on

How an Alabama moonshiner’s whiskey became the official state drink – and stayed that way


Named after a famous 1940s Bullock County moonshiner who eventually served an 18-month federal prison sentence at Maxwell Air Force Base for producing illegal liquor, the Clyde May’s whiskey company was founded in Union Springs in 2001 by the bootlegger’s son, Kenny May.

Though the whiskey it produced was actually distilled in Kentucky, it was supposedly made using Conecuh Ridge spring water that was trucked there from Alabama.

In 2004, the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved a resolution naming the company’s “Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey” as the “Official State Spirit” of Alabama.

Gov. Bob Riley, a teetotaler who did not think the state should have an “official whiskey,” vetoed the resolution, but Democrat lawmakers quickly overrode his veto and allowed the resolution to take effect.

Advertisement

Shortly thereafter, in December of 2004, state liquor agents arrested Kenny May for selling liquor without a license, possessing excessive quantities of liquor in a dry county, and selling alcohol to a minor. He pled guilty to the charges.

Alabama’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board immediately moved to revoke Conecuh Ridge’s distribution license, meaning that once stores sold out of their existing stock, the state’s official spirit could no longer be sold in Alabama.

May’s stock was held in trust pending the outcome of his trial. Attorney Alva Lambert assumed interim leadership of the company.

After May entered his guilty plea, the Alabama House of Representatives moved to repeal the declaration of Conecuh Ridge as Alabama’s “Official State Spirit,” but the reversal legislation never passed the Alabama Senate. It remains the “Official State Spirit” today.
Kenny May passed away in 2016.

Owned and operated by a company based in New York today, Clyde May’s whiskey and bourbon is sold nationwide.
It’s flagship bottle is marketed as “Alabama-style” whiskey, and dried apples are added to the liquor as it ages in barrels, which imparts an apple/cinnamon flavor to the finished product.

Advertisement

Some like it, and some hate it, but all can agree the whiskey carries a fascinating political pedigree.

This story originally appeared in The Art of Alabama Politics, an outlet dedicated to the the wild, weird, and wonderful history of Alabama politics.



Source link

Alabama

Mapping new football regions after Alabama split public, private high school championships

Published

on

Mapping new football regions after Alabama split public, private high school championships


Following a landmark decision that separates public and private schools in championship play, football regions have officially been set for next season.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s decision to separate public and private schools comes with six public school divisions and two private school divisions.

AL.com’s interactive reclassification map allows you to find your school and see which region it’s now in.

Choose the classification you’d like to see in the drop-down menu above the map. You can find your school by clicking the dot representing it on the map, which also shows counties by hovering over them.

Advertisement

You can also reveal or hide different regions on the map by clicking the color it represents on the key below the drop-down menu.



Source link

Continue Reading

Alabama

Alabama football expected to move on from offensive line coach

Published

on

Alabama football expected to move on from offensive line coach


Alabama football will have a new offensive line coach next season. The Crimson Tide is expected to move on from Chris Kapilovic, AL.com confirmed on Friday.

The news was first reported by 247Sports.

Kapilovic spent two seasons with UA, after jumping over from Baylor to join Kalen DeBoer’s first staff in Tuscaloosa. He joined the Tide after Scott Huff jumped ship for the NFL after initially following DeBoer from Washington.

Under Kapilovic this season, the offensive line had more than its share of struggles. The unit used a huge rotation of players early in the season, and even after finding a regular five up front, it never became one of the top lines in the SEC.

Advertisement

In the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, the issues became readily apparent. Ty Simpson was under duress before he was injured in the first half, and the run game struggled mightily, just as it did for much of the year.

Kapilovic will become the first Alabama assistant to leave the staff this offseason without another job offer in hand. Wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard took the head coach job at Oregon State, while wide receivers coach Nick Sheridan headed to Michigan State, where he got an offensive coordinator gig.

Before his brief stint at Baylor, Kapilovic worked at Michigan State from 2020 through 2023 under. He was both offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Spartans, and also held an assistant head coach title.

Kapilovic spent the 2019 season at Colorado, after working in various roles at North Carolina from 2012 through 2018.

Alabama will be looking for a new offensive line coach to take over a unit that will turn over most of its starters from last year. Michael Carroll is the lone remaining stalwart up front, after Kam Dewberry, Jaeden Roberts and Geno VanDeMark ran out of eligibility, Parker Brailsford and Kadyn Proctor went to the NFL Draft early and Wilkin Formby transferred to Texas A&M.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Alabama

Ranking Alabama’s Top Transfer Portal Acquisitions So Far

Published

on

Ranking Alabama’s Top Transfer Portal Acquisitions So Far


The Alabama Crimson Tide lost 21 players to the transfer portal upon the conclusion of the regular season, leaving depth questions at numerous positions ahead of the new season.

Advertisement

Alabama Football Transfer Portal Tracker: Players Coming and Going This Winter

The Crimson Tide signed a top-five recruiting class in December, but turned to the transfer portal to replace its departing talent, adding 19 players to the roster ahead of the new season. Alabama overhauled the trenches by adding six offensive linemen and five defensive linemen, brought in a wide receiver, and heated the special teams room by bringing in a kicker. Here are the top five incoming transfers for the Crimson Tide.

Advertisement

Terrance Green is a 6-foot-5, 330-pound defensive lineman from Oregon. Green was a rotational defensive lineman for the Ducks this season and was considered the No. 30 defensive lineman in the Class of 2023. He totaled 23 tackles, including three for loss, one sack, and three pass breakups in 25 games for the Ducks.

Green’s size makes him an ideal candidate for Alabama’s starting nose guard spot after Tim Keenan exhausted his eligibility. Green was considered a top 10 defensive lineman in the transfer portal and brings experience playing high-level football. As a redshirt junior, he’ll stabilize a position group riddled with youth.

Racin Delgatty is a 6-foot-4, 300-pound center from Cal Poly. He was All-Big Sky Second Team in 2025 after starting all 12 games for the FCS Mustangs. The former 3-star recruit allowed just 11 pressures on 460 pass-blocking snaps last season and plays with a mean streak that stands out on tape.

Delgatty steps into the Crimson Tide center position after two-year starter Parker Brailsford declared for the NFL Draft. He offers the offense an experienced player, as he’s played in 21 games for Cal Poly over the last two seasons. Delgatty becomes the centerpiece in a revamped offensive line and will be snapping to a new starting quarterback.

Advertisement

Jayvin James is a 6-foot-5, 320-pound left tackle from Mississippi State. He was considered a 3-star tackle in the Class of 2023. James went to Akron before transferring to Mississippi State. He has 21 starts throughout his time in college football and he gave up three sacks in 2025 for the Bulldogs.

Advertisement

James likely steps into the Crimson Tide’s left tackle spot ahead of the new year. Alabama will be sporting a brand new left tackle for the first time in three seasons as Kadyn Proctor declared for the NFL Draft. He will be challenged for the position by Michigan transfer Ty Haywood and redshirt freshman Jackson Lloyd.

Ethan Fields is a 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman from Ole Miss. He was considered a 3-star prospect in the Class of 2023. He redshirted in 2023, played in four games in 2024, and appeared in five games in 2025.

Fields likely steps into one of Alabama’s vacated guard positions in 2026. The Crimson Tide saw Jaeden Roberts, Kam Dewberry and Geno VanDeMark all exhaust their eligibility, leaving both the right and left guard positions open. Fields brings SEC experience to the room and will challenge Will Sanders and Michigan transfer Kaden Strayhorn for a starting role.

Noah Rodgers is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver from N.C. State. He appeared in 26 games, catching 68 passes for 919 yards and three touchdowns over the last two seasons and was considered the No. 8 wide receiver in the Class of 2023.

Advertisement

Rogers adds depth and experience to Alabama’s wide receiver room as he enters his redshirt junior season. His size and length make him an asset to a position group that lost Germie Bernard to graduation and Isaiah Horton to the transfer portal. The athletic pass catcher should thrive in opportunities opposite Ryan Williams and Lotzeir Brooks, as the coverage struggles to keep up with Alabama’s numerous options.

Advertisement

Honorable Mentions: Defensive lineman Devan Thompkins and edge rusher Desmond Umeozulu stand out as the two biggest names not to crack the top-five. Thompkins, out of Southern California is an experienced defender with 4.5 sacks in 27 games played. He will have an opportunity to start for the Crimson Tide at the defensive tackle position in Kane Wommack’s defense and could become key playmaker in the 2026 Alabama defense. Umeozulu played his last three seasons at South Carolina and looks to contribute as a pass-rusher along the defensive front. The senior was third on the Gamecocks in quarterback pressures last season, making him an exciting addition to Wommack’s side.




Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending