ASW Distillery is a manufacturer of
liquor
Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or ha ...
located in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
, United States. It is the second legally licensed
distillery
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...
in Atlanta since the end of American
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
and distilled the first single malt whiskey in Atlanta history. In 2018, the distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey becam
Georgia's first-ever Double Gold Medal Whiskey as judged by the
San Francisco World Spirits Competition
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was founded in 2001 by Anthony Dias Blue as an off-shoot of the San Francisco International Wine Competition. It assesses hundreds of entrants annually (1,407 in 2013 from 63 countries) with tastings inv ...
.
Distillery and tasting room
The
distillery
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...
operates, along with a tasting room, in 6,500 square feet of a retrofitted industrial space in Atlanta's
Armour Yard
Armour Yard is a railyard on the northwest side of Interstate 85 between the Piedmont Road (Georgia State Route 237) and Monroe Drive exits in northeast Atlanta, Georgia, south of the Lindbergh neighborhood of Buckhead. For southbound travelers, i ...
district, near
SweetWater Brewery
The Sweetwater Brewery, also known as the Green River Brewery, was built in 1900 in Green River, Wyoming. The present structure is the surviving remnant of a three-building complex comprising an office/saloon, engine house, and the present bre ...
.
Distillation
ASW Distillery makes its spirits in small batches, predominantly in
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...
pot still
A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or still used to distill liquors such as whisky or brandy. In modern (post-1850s) practice, they are not used to produce rectified spirit, because they do not separate congeners from ethanol a ...
s, including a 500-gallon wash still and a 300-gallon spirit still manufactured by the
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...
-based Vendome Copper & Brass Works. In addition to the spirits ASW Distillery distills at its Atlanta facility, it has a line of whiskies sourced from across the country that the distillery then finishes in-house, known as Fiddler. For the spirits that ASW Distillery distills on-site, the distillery works with smoked malts, uses corn from Riverview Farms in
Ranger, Georgia
Ranger is a town in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 census, up from 85 in 2000.
History
A post office called Ranger has been in operation since 1891. It is uncertain whether the town was named after Ra ...
, apples from north Georgia, and
staves from
oak trees
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...
that the company hand-harvested in
Jackson County, Georgia
Jackson County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,485. The county seat is Jefferson.
Jackson County comprises the Jefferson, GA Micropolitan Statistical Ar ...
.
Products
''American Spirit Whiskey'' was the first commercial offering from ASW Distillery, introduced to the Atlanta market in late 2011. American Spirit Whiskey is not distilled in Atlanta, but is an 80 proof
spirit whiskey
A blended whiskey (or blended whisky) is the product of blending different types of whiskeys and sometimes also neutral grain spirits, colorings, and flavorings. It is generally the product of mixing one or more higher-quality straight or single ...
distilled in Charleston, South Carolina using a recipe created by the founders of ASW Distillery in 2010. It is described as having "a soft minerality to it and, like the nose, a slight fruitiness."
''Fiddler Bourbon'' was the first
bourbon Bourbon may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash
* Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels
* Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit
* A beer produced by ...
offering from ASW Distillery, introduced to the Atlanta market in late 2016. Fiddler Unison Bourbon is a marriage of a high-malt bourbon distilled in Atlanta and a "foraged" high-wheat bourbon. Fiddler Georgia Heartwood Bourbon finishes the "foraged" high-wheat bourbon on Georgia oak harvested and hand-charred by ASW Distillery's Head Distiller. Fiddler Unison Bourbon won a silver medal and Fiddler Georgia Heartwood Bourbon won a gold medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
''Resurgens Rye'' was the first whiskey distilled at ASW Distillery's Atlanta facility and is Atlanta's first rye since Prohibition, unique for being a
single malt whiskey
Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery.
Single malts are typically associated with single malt Scotch, though they are also produced in various other countries. Under the United Kingdom's Scotch Whisky Regulations, a "Si ...
made from 100% malted
rye
Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe ( Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is ...
grain, in contrast to the cereal
rye
Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe ( Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is ...
comprising the base of most whiskey made from rye. It was introduced to the Atlanta market in late 2016. It won a silver medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
''Armour & Oak Apple Brandy'' is an apple brandy made using apples from
Blue Ridge, Georgia
Blue Ridge is a city in Fannin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 1,253. The city is the county seat of Fannin County.
History
Prior to European colonization, the area that is now Blue Ridge was in ...
's Mercier Orchards.
''Monday Night'' is a Scottish-style single malt whiskey made in collaboration with Atlanta's
Monday Night Brewing
Monday Night Brewing is a craft brewery founded in 2006 by Jonathan Baker, Jeff Heck, and Joel Iverson in Atlanta, Georgia.
History
In 2006, founders Jonathan Baker, Jeff Heck, and Joel Iverson met in a Bible study group through Atlanta Westsid ...
. The whiskey was "distilled in a single distillery (ASW) using a pot stilled distillation process made from a mash of malted grain", which reviewers describe as the "like a marriage of bourbon and Scotch — a good entry point for Scotch newbies."
''Duality Double Malt'' is a whiskey distilled from 50% malted rye and 50% cherry-smoked malted barley. The distillery claims it is th
world's first whiskey of its kind It won a Double Gold Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
''Ameireaganach Single Malt'' is a series of single malt whiskies, with yeast strains, mash bills, and finishing method
differing by release ''Ameireaganach'' means "American" in Scottish-Gaelic. It won a silver medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
See also
*
List of Georgia Distilleries
References
External links
*
{{coord, 33.809830, -84.382015, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-GA, display=title
Buildings and structures in Fulton County, Georgia
Food and drink companies based in Atlanta
Manufacturing companies based in Atlanta
Bourbon whiskey
Rye whiskey
2016 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Distilleries in Georgia (U.S. state)