John Emerald Distilling

Name

John Emerald Distilling

Legal name

John Emerald Distilling Company, LLC

Website

https://johnemeralddistilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Distilleries (31214), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Liquor Stores (Off-Premise Spirits Retail) (CRANABAA), Alcoholic Beverage Blending, Bottling & Private Label (Non-Distilling) (AFAFAAAH)

Keywords

• Craft distillery
• Small batch whiskey
• Artisan spirits
• Distillery tours
• Barrel club

Headquarters

HQ city

Opelika

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Spirits Bottle Sales: Direct sales of distilled spirits including whiskey, bourbon, rye, rum, vodka, gin, brandy, agave spirits, and liqueurs through tasting room, online via Tipxy, and retail distribution.
2. Barrel Club Membership: Whiskey membership program allowing members to reserve barrels and receive annual samples, with bottles delivered upon aging completion (minimum 4 years). Five membership tiers from Member to Emerald level.
3. Distillery Tours: Guided tours of distilling operations with optional spirit tastings. Tours available at $15 with tastings or $10 without tastings.
4. Cocktail Sales: Craft cocktails served at tasting room with seasonal rotating menu.
5. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including glassware (Glencairn Glass $25, Rocks Glass $20), drinkware (JED Coffee Cup $15, JED Shot Glass $14), flasks ($30), whiskey barrels ($155), and apparel.
6. Event Space Rental: Event space available for rent accommodating 30-40 guests with private bartender. Free rentals with minimum purchase through August.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

John Emerald Distilling is a small-batch craft distillery located in Opelika, Alabama, that produces whiskey, bourbon, rye, rum, vodka, gin, brandy, agave spirits, and liqueurs. The distillery operates an on-site tasting room, offers distillery tours, runs a Barrel Club membership program, and distributes its spirits across nine US states, with additional merchandise and cocktail mixers sold online through Tipxy. The company was the first to legally produce whiskey in Alabama in 100 years and is named after family ancestor John Emerald Sharp.

Product overview

John Emerald Distilling Company is a small batch craft distillery offering a portfolio of spirits products centered around whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, brandy, agave spirits, and liqueurs. The core product lineup includes John's Alabama Single Malt Whiskey (the first legal whiskey in Alabama in 100 years), multiple bourbon and rye expressions under the Purveyor's Series, several rum varieties (Gene's Spiced Rum, Spurgeon's Barrel Aged Rum, Sarah's Silver Rum), Elizabeth Vodka (first in Alabama), Hugh Wesley's Gin variants, Leslie's Muscadine Brandy, Casa Esmeralda agave spirits, and Elizabeth liqueur collection (Fig, Pecan, Satsuma). The company also operates a Barrel Club membership program, offers distillery tours, event space rental, and cocktail mixers. Merchandise includes branded glassware (Glencairn, Rocks Glass, Shot Glass, Coffee Cup), flasks, whiskey barrels, and branded apparel. Distribution spans Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, New York, California, Colorado, and Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• John's Alabama Single Malt Whiskey: Signature single malt whiskey made from 100% malted barley, smoked with peach and pecan wood. The first whiskey legally made in Alabama in 100 years.
• John Emerald's Purveyor's Series Double Oak Bourbon
• John Emerald's Purveyor's Series Double Wood Rye
• Gene's Spiced Rum
• Spurgeon's Barrel Aged Rum
• Sarah's Silver Rum
• Elizabeth Vodka
• Hugh Wesley's Gin
• Hugh Wesley's Barrel Rested Gin
• Leslie's Muscadine Brandy
• Casa Esmeralda
• Elizabeth Fig Liqueur
• Elizabeth Pecan Liqueur
• Elizabeth Satsuma Liqueur

Products and services

• Whiskey and Bourbon
• Rye Whiskey
• Rum
• Vodka
• Gin
• Brandy
• Agave Spirits
• Liqueurs
• Barrel Club Membership
• Distillery Tours
• Tasting Room
• Merchandise
• Cocktail Mixers

Quantifiable outcome

• First legal whiskey distilled in Alabama since prohibition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TipxycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline marketplace specializing in craft spirits. Distributes John Emerald spirits to consumers across the U.S. Ships to all states except Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Utah. Free shipping on orders over $149.
• Alabama ABC StorescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState-controlled Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board retail stores. Distributes John Emerald spirits through statewide government-controlled liquor retail network.
• Windmill BeveragesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail package store chain in Alabama. Multiple locations including Huntsville. Carries John Emerald spirits for in-store purchase.
• Highland PackageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail package store in Birmingham, AL. Carries John Emerald spirits for in-store purchase.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Old Fourth Distillery: Atlanta, Georgia-based small-batch craft distillery producing vodka, gin, and bourbon with a Southern heritage narrative and on-site tasting room. Highly comparable to JED as a Southeast craft distiller of similar scale with a multi-category portfolio.
• Corsair Distillery: Nashville-based craft distiller producing whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, and experimental spirits. Comparable to JED for its broad multi-SKU portfolio, Southern location, and tasting-room operations.
• Smooth Ambler: West Virginia craft distillery famous for its single malt and bourbon with strong regional distribution and tasting-room experience. Comparable to JED as a small-scale craft whiskey producer using local inputs and aged-spirit offerings.
• Chattanooga Whiskey: Tennessee craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and gin with a strong tasting-room and tour business in the Southeast. Comparable to JED in product mix, Southern craft positioning, and DTC-driven growth model.
• Catoctin Creek Distilling: Virginia-based small-batch rye whiskey and gin producer with tasting-room and DTC channels. Comparable to JED as a regional craft distiller with strong award pedigree and limited-distribution model.
• Copper Fox Distillery: Virginia craft distillery producing whisky, gin, and vodka with proprietary wood-smoking processes — directly paralleling JED's peach/pecan wood-smoked single malt approach. Similar small-batch craft model with proprietary processing as a differentiator.
• Wilderness Trail Distillery: Kentucky craft bourbon and rye producer with strong awards profile and regional distribution. Comparable to JED in portfolio focus on aged whiskey, award validation, and craft positioning.
• Treaty Oak Distilling: Texas craft distillery producing bourbon, gin, vodka, and rum with strong tasting-room and event programming. Similar scale and DTC + wholesale model to JED, with comparable diversification across spirit categories.
• ASW Distillery (American Spirit Works): Atlanta-based craft distiller producing whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum with an emphasis on local Georgia sourcing and a tasting room. Directly comparable to JED in product mix, Southern positioning, and DTC + retail distribution model.

Regional players

• Filibuster Distillery: Virginia-based craft distiller producing bourbon, rye, gin, and other spirits. Similar product portfolio and small-batch positioning to JED; operates primarily in Mid-Atlantic rather than the Southeast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Jedspirits
• Facebookfacebook.com/Johnemeralddistilling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-emerald-distilling-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about John Emerald Distilling