Beer is for sale in Jemison.

The only thing that might match the excitement of customers at the Exxon near Interstate 65 Exit 219 is the rush of other business owners to get their share of the pie.

Jemison Exxon sold its first alcoholic beverages about 4 p.m. Monday, store owner Chander Arora said. The customer said she was not a beer drinker, Arora said, but wanted to be the first in the city to buy beer.

Arora said Tuesday morning that more than 10 customers had already been by to buy beer, and he pointed out that no advertising had been done.

The number should increase quickly over the coming days and weeks.

American Stop and Shop was given a license at the same time as the Exxon, store owners are working to be able to sell beer at their store.

The Jemison City Council at its Monday meeting granted another business, Sue’s Mart on Highway 191, a license to sell alcohol.

The city license is one of many hoops a business must jump through before it can sell alcohol in Jemison.

“It costs about $1,000 just to get this process completed,” Arora said.

But Arora said he thinks the process will be worth his trouble, estimating alcohol sales could bring in an extra $15,000-$20,000 a month in revenue.

Of course, the state, county and city all get their share of the tax on alcoholic beverages.

As for Jemison, the city’s ordinance is written so that all money generated from the tax on alcohol will go into a fund separate from the city’s general fund.

The alcohol money will be used at the council’s discretion.