Old Fourth Distillery begins production of craft vodka, gin

First look at bottle design
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Photography by Caroline Fontenot

Photograph by Caroline Fontenot

Old Fourth Distillery, a first for Atlanta since R.M. Rose Distiller closed in 1906, began production Monday on its craft vodka and gin. Three tons of sugar were delivered to 487 Edgewood Ave SE. last week to begin the final stage of a years-long labor of love from brothers Jeff and Craig Moore.

“We’re at this moment where we’ve done everything except what we set out to do, which is actually make booze,” Craig says.

The finalized bottle design, produced in collaboration with Buckhead’s The Partnership agency, contains a number of subtle homages to its home city and the industry’s history in Atlanta.

“The font we used for ‘Atlanta’ on the neck label is our nod to the Braves,” Jeff says. “The image on the back of the bottle is being used with permission from Georgia Tech, who owns it—it’s of the Cotton Mill Lofts as it sat over one hundred years ago. We pulled inspiration from elements of the tasting room architecture as well.”

The brothers hope to help revive the distilling industry in Atlanta with a product that meets the standard set before the temperance movement in Georgia.

“We are hoping to do a clean, simple, effective spirit that pays respect to the old ways of doing things, with the newest technology,” Jeff says. “The spirit industry is a rising tide in Atlanta. We know we represent something that’s been lost, so we want to be as much a part of the growing community as we possibly can.”

Represented by United Distributors, Old Fourth Distillery is aiming to have product on shelves by mid-December. Tours and tastings will begin next month

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