Old Alker Distillery sits on Oak Street in New Orleans’ Carrollton neighborhood, bringing small-batch spirits to a city better known for its cocktail culture than its distilleries. Founded in the mid-2010s by local entrepreneurs looking to capture New Orleans’ spirit-making heritage, the distillery operates out of a renovated warehouse space that reflects the city’s industrial character. They focus on rum production, which makes sense given Louisiana’s sugarcane history and the Caribbean influences that run deep through New Orleans culture. The operation stays deliberately small, with copper pot stills that allow them to experiment with different sugar sources and aging techniques. You’ll find their bottles in local bars and restaurants around the city, where bartenders appreciate having a hometown distillery to work with. The space doubles as both production facility and tasting room, giving visitors a chance to see the stills in action while sampling their latest batches. It’s part of a growing movement of craft distilleries that are putting New Orleans back on the map for spirits production, not just consumption.