Doug Taylor with his still in Ripley. Photo provided
Moonshine is coming to Ripley, but in a legal way. A craft distillery will be opening in Ripley called Northern Yankee Moonshine. The distillery will be a dream come true for owner, Doug Taylor. Distilling is a hobby of his. He was able to use the knowledge that he had gained to earn a chance to compete on The Discovery Channel’s Moonshiner’s Master Distiller Show.
Taylor competed on “The Spirit of The South” (Season 2, episode 6). Per the history given on the show, Peach Brandy is considered the spirit best known as coming from the south. Through a series of challenges, Taylor made it the finals. He won the title of “Master Distiller” for his signature Honey Peach Brandy. His prize for winning is that Sugarland’s Distillery in Gatlinburg, TN will make and distribute a limited run of his Honey Peach Brandy.
Taylor grew up in the Eastgate area of Cincinnati and was a mechanic for 32 years. His hobby of riding motorcycles led him to writing for a motorcycle magazine, which led him to the Hillbilly Jam in North Carolina where met some of the guys from the show, Moonshiners. He auditioned and was asked to compete on the show. It took a week to film the episode he was in, and they shot ten shows in four weeks.
When asked why Ripley? He said, “My motorcycle club would ride to Ripley regularly, it is a nice town with some super nice people. We plan to open in May, we have Federal approval, now just waiting on the state. We will have five different types of moonshine with the Peach Brandy being the most popular.”
“We began looking for a building to start our distillery business. Our search led us to Ripley. We purchased a building that had been used to process wine which we felt would be a perfect fit for our Craft Distillery,” said Taylor’s fiancé and business partner, Cheryl Albert.
The building is located at 904 Hamburg Street in Ripley. It is the old Kinkeade Ridge Winery building. Albert said, “We have all our needed licenses in process. Painting and remodeling will be complete soon. Our plans for the business include a distilling and bottling Plant, A tasting Room, and retail Store. Patrons will be able to taste our products to make an informed choice on a bottle purchase. In our Retail Store, we will sell Northern Yankee Moonshine and Master Distiller labeled merchandise, such as, Koozies, T-shirts and shot glasses.”
“We hope to be legal and ready to open by late spring. We are planning for an official grand opening celebration. To follow our progress, like and follow our Facebook Page, Northern Yankee Moonshine,” said Albert.