Alchemy awakens in the heart of Birmingham, where an orthopedic surgeon envisions — and brings to life — a spirit of celebration.
Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Meg McKinney
Birmingham has long carried quiet mentions of an old underground river—part local lore, part geological footnote—known in scattered accounts as the Dread River. It’s an unexpected but fitting inspiration for the distillery founded by Dr. Jeff Dugas, founder and managing partner in Andrews Sports Medicine, who remains foremost an orthopedic surgeon. His work in medicine continues at full pace. At the same time, the distillery reflects a parallel passion — an interest informed by science, curiosity, and years spent exploring the craft in the spaces between surgical schedules. What began as a whisper of curiosity, a garage hobby, a hint of chemical alchemy, grew into a venture that would eventually become Dread River Distilling Co. But long before the stills hummed and the barrels breathed, Jeff’s journey wound through classrooms, hospital corridors, and long stretches of discovery. It is the story not just of spirits, but of spirit — of following the unexpected current that waits quietly under the surface of a life.
