As tequila is produced, there are byproducts much like any other distilled spirit.  Here in the states, the EPA has pretty strict rules regarding how the byproducts are handled and disposed of.  Looks like things are a little different south of the border. For every liter of tequila produced, distilleries throw away 10 liters of hot liquid waste (called vinaza), as well as 5 to 6 kilos of fibrous agave plant (called bagasse).  Government...

Many have preconceived notions of Absinthe, and just as many of us have had personal experiences with the green fairy.  Can we really go insane from imbibing?  Possibly, but it’s not from the liquor.  I recently had a chance to sit down with Erich Harbowy, a distiller at the local Leopold Bros. Distillery.  While we tasted, we discussed the lore behind this almost mythological spirit. Traditional absinthe is distilled with the...

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...