by RACHEL HAHN
video by MIKA ALTSKAN AND MATVEY FIKS
How a century-old vision of the good life led to a singular community of homes on Alabama’s Lake Martin
At The Heritage at Russell Lands, the Lake Life Is a Family Legacy
A century ago, the Alabama Power Company began construction of a reservoir northeast of Montgomery that, at the time, was the largest manmade body of water in the world. Its purpose was to provide electricity for the region’s residents, but Lake Martin and its 880 miles of bucolic shoreline naturally drew families seeking dawn dips, sunset cruises, crackling campfires, and that unique combination of leisure and recreation a lake vacation affords.
At the time, a forward-thinking businessman from nearby Alexander City, Benjamin (“Mr. Ben”) Russell, saw the appeal of such pursuits as a permanent lifestyle. Among his many accomplishments—like founding the Fortune 500 Russell Corporation and opening a hospital and school in Alexander City following a townwide fire in 1902—Mr. Ben had the foresight and passion to preserve a 25,000-acre peninsula of lakeside woodland, which remained in the Russell family after his passing in 1941.
Today that property, dubbed Russell Lands and helmed by Mr. Ben’s grandson (also named Ben Russell), offers luxury homesites on the shores of the only Alabama lake designated with “Treasured Lake” status. The latest residential development to take shape on the land is The Heritage, a 1,500-acre enclave boasting twelve miles of pristine coastline, roughly 250 spacious waterfront homesites, and 130 wooded interior lots, many of which overlook the newly opened Wicker Point Golf Club, Alabama’s only course designed by world-renowned architects Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.
Russell Lands offers luxury homesites on the shores
of the only Alabama
lake designated with “Treasured Lake” status.
To learn more about lake living at its finest, visit
russelllands.com
Pecan shelling and playing sold-out venues across the country are great ways to make a living, but for Jeff Worn and Thomas Rhett, the real payoff comes after hours, when the cousins get to catch up by a campfire over glasses of Dos Primos Tequila.
The president and CEO of South Georgia Pecan Company and the country-music chart-topper, respectively, discovered their shared love of tequila three years ago at a tasting in Telluride, Colorado. Inspired by the complexity of the blue agave spirit they were sampling, the duo decided to dive head first into the distillation process and launched Dos Primos—Spanish for “two cousins”—with outdoor lifestyles in mind.
“We believe there’s no spirit more closely tied to the land than tequila,” says Thomas Rhett, an avid hunter and fisherman. “The outdoors have always been a huge part of our lives, and we carried that into the Dos Primos brand.”
They started by tapping master distiller Rodolfo González, a third-generation tequila producer in Jalisco, Mexico, to develop their bold, earthy premium blanco. As the owner of a family-run tequila company, González was an ideal fit for the cousins’ family operation. But the brand’s connection to Mexico wouldn’t end there.
Since launching last year, first with a blanco and more recently with a reposado, Dos Primos has extended its mission to giving back by partnering with the Nature Conservancy. “A lot of our favorite memories were made outdoors,” Jeff says. “Once we started talking to the Nature Conservancy, it was clear that we had an opportunity to do some real good.” Dos Primos pledged $50,000 to support the organization’s land restoration and water conservation work in Mexico’s Tehuacán Valley.
Keeping Dos Primos’ philanthropic efforts in mind makes the brand’s latest offering taste all the smoother with subtle notes of oak and baking spice. “I love the Dos and Soda, and honestly it works just as well with the reposado,” Thomas Rhett says. “A little soda water and lime juice go a long way in bringing out that agave flavor, but you still get that great barrel character.” Jeff prefers to enjoy Dos Primos Reposado on the rocks with an orange slice “as I would a bourbon or scotch,” he says.
The cousins hope tequila fans—and those on the fence about this particular liquor—will give their spirits a try. “I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘You know, I don’t normally like tequila, but I really love Dos Primos.’ That’s really awesome, because we put so much time and effort into building our flavor profile,” Jeff says.
Even better: When Dos Primos fans share that they’ve enjoyed the brand while gathered outside with friends. “I love hearing stories of people bringing it to their bonfires, tailgates, or wherever. I’m just glad it’s bringing people together,” Thomas Rhett says. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Coore & Crenshaw are known for being highly selective when choosing new project sites, and The Heritage’s gentle topography, pastoral pine forests, and meandering shoreline proved a winning environment for a nature-laden eighteen-hole course. After a round, Wicker Point members can sip a spirit on the Craftsman-style clubhouse’s wraparound porch. The private club also boasts a standalone golf shop, locker rooms replete with a lounge and bar,
and the Foothills, a large, undulating practice putting course.
In addition to Wicker Point, The Heritage is home to a vibrant community center with deluxe amenities. At The Benjamin, the forthcoming resident-owned lake club, families can splash in saline pools overlooking Lake Martin, storytell around firepits, play tennis and pickleball, or simply roam the property’s verdant lawn, sandy beach, and community docks. A host of dining options, including a farm-to-table fine-dining spot, a full-service coffee shop, a classic American diner, and a boat-up restaurant, are situated in the Russell Lands community, and more than a hundred miles of nature trails invite endorphin-fueled serenity.
Following an overwhelming response to the initial two property releases, Russell Lands has announced the development of the next collection of roughly thirty waterfront homesites as well as a small enclave of five waterfront and four interior homesites in The Heritage. To bring their dream lake home to life, property owners can choose from Russell Lands’ preferred list of best-in-class architects and builders or enlist an approved outside team. For a few dozen fortunate families, the year-round enjoyment of lake life—and the lifelong memories that come with it—await.