Copper Dome Whiskey is a 100% Missouri-grown, 7-year aged blend bottle of whiskey curated by and for SEMO alumni and the Cape Girardeau community. Nobletons Distilling House is an independent Missouri distillery where Copper Dome Whiskey is produced from barrel to bottle.

SEMO agriculture business alumnus and salesman of Nobletons Distilling House Brett Wengert was approached by owner of Mary Jane Bourbon + Smokehouse Carisa Stark and said the SEMO v athletic department is looking for a new licensed product to elevate the brand.

Southeast Missouri State University, a dry campus, receives a portion of proceeds for every bottle sold but does not promote the product. Wengert said they do not take photos of the whiskey on campus because they do not encourage drinking on campus.

“We fully support SEMO as a dry campus,” he said. “We have chosen some retailers that are also a little bit more high end and that are also aware of their clientele and their customer base.”

When creating Copper Dome Whiskey, Wengert said the business wanted a well-aged whiskey with a cool label to sell as a novelty item.

“Everyone knows what the copper dome is,” he said. “We want a product that has some sexy branding, but also tastes good as well.”

Wengert said Copper Dome Whiskey was a massive success. In March 2023, the original goal was to sell 25 cases in the first two months. Within three days, there were 40 cases sold.

The focus of Copper Dome Whiskey was representing the success of SEMO Alumni.

“We’re proud of what our alumni do outside of the university. We are proud that they are business owners. We are proud they are coming back to support the university.” Wengert said.

According to the Copper Dome Whiskey Instagram accounts, the alumni-focused spirit will be releasing a Copper Dome Single Barrel program. The barrels will be released two to three weeks before the arrival of SEMO’s homecoming on Oct. 12.