Stranahan’s: Colorado’s First-Born Whiskey Distillery

I’m a big fan of whiskey.  Maker’s Mark is my go-to when I’m out at a bar.  But luckily I live in Denver, and many of my favorite watering holes carry Stranahan’s.  For those unfamiliar, Stranahan’s is the first Colorado whiskey distillery.  They produce in very small batches, and it’s damn good.

A little history (quote from Stranahan’s): “Full-bodied as the fire that bore it, this whiskey glowed amber from the start. When volunteer firefighter Jess Graber responded to a neighbor’s barn fire down the road, he never imagined any good could come of it. But the barn he made effort to save belonged to George Stranahan, long-time liquor connoisseur. When the fire settled, the two discovered a shared passion for the Colorado outdoors and a good pour of fine whiskey. And so Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey was born. They developed a recipe for the smoothest, most flavorful whiskey in the world using the purity of their mountain surroundings to their advantage. Well, to your advantage. They say from each thing bad comes something good. For Jess, George, and fine whiskey drinkers alike, it’s amazing just how good it can be.”

The batches vary slightly, I believe from the variations in the barrels.  My interest in the uniqueness lies in the combination of smokey sweetness up-front (reminiscent of Bourbon), and a slight herbal, almost peaty finish (reminiscent of Scotch).  So this is for people who like Bourbon, Scotch, and everyone in between.  It’s not the cheapest whiskey on the shelf, but it is worth every penny.

Upon closer inspection, one might notice the hand written inscriptions.  Not only does it tell you exactly which batch the bottle came from, but there’s also a little note about what they were doing when they bottled it.  Some may say “listening to Miles Davis” or “ready to ski Steam Boat.”  This only confirms the coolness of Stranahan’s.  They clearly love skiing, music, and creating the coolest whiskey to come out of Denver.  I immediately feel more connected to this distillery when I know the bottler was going to ski the same slope I had just skied only one week before.

I got mad love for local Colorado producers, so keep your eyes peeled for more info on the best from Colorado!