NEW ORLEANS — On Aug. 2 and 3, Old Alker Distillery will celebrate its grand opening at 8304 Oak Street. Located in the same block as Jacques-Imo’s and the Maple Leaf Bar, the new venture houses a bar, a tasting room and a “pot still” capable of turning out whiskey, vodka, rum, gin and other specialty liqueurs.
The project is the brainchild of Kevin Alker, a printing industry veteran who in 2018 began pursuing his dream of creating a boutique distillery in his hometown.
“The journey to bring Old Alker Distillery to the New Orleans market has been an absolute labor of love,” Alker said. “We have been honing our product the past six years, allowing us to open with a first-class whiskey that is sure to become a local favorite.”
Alker’s great great grandfather Paul Brady Alker helped launch the family’s barrel making business – Bobet Barrel and Stave – way back in 1848 off of Tchoupitoulas Street near the Mississippi River. Many of those oak barrels were used for aging and storing alcohol during production in the United States and Europe.
Now Alker has launched a venture that harkens back to his family’s roots in the spirits industry. He has been working with consultants, other craft distilleries, and author/consultant Ian Smiley to bring his distillery to life in the Carrollton neighborhood.
Maple Ridge Architects and Lakeview Construction led a two-and-half-year redesign of the former warehouse that now houses the business. The site now holds four stainless steel fermentation tanks, a 225-gallon blending and tempering tank, and an 80-gallon copper pot still that was handmade in Portugal. In all, the equipment is capable of making between 35,000 and 50,000 bottles per year.
“Pot distillation means you are doing one batch at a time,” Alker said. “The pot is then washed and cleaned between each distillation. It is the traditional way most whiskeys were and are still done in Scotland and Ireland. They produce a relatively low alcohol by volume which means they retain more flavor than spirits done from other distillation methods.”
Alker has four silent partners in the project. Ryan Guillory is Old Alker’s head bartender and mixologist; Morgan Alker helps with marketing, social media and sales.
“We think we’ve found the perfect location on Oak Street to provide locals a newly renovated, unique experience to see a working distillery and enjoy a craft cocktail using our brands and only the freshest local ingredients,” Alker said.
Old Alker’s grand opening is scheduled for 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3. Plans include a ribbon cutting, gift basket raffles, cocktail tasting giveaways, live music and more. The distillery will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday for bar service and retail sales. Tours and tastings will be available 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
