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Craft the world game keeps minimizing1/11/2024 ![]() Miller: Colorado producers are making a name for themselves, and Colorado is becoming quite a destination for spirits tourism. It's still not quite as known/accepted as craft brewing, obviously, but the following and appreciation keeps improving, and it's great to see. Now I think the scene has worked up to being fun and vibrant. When we started up in 2010, a lot of people would come in asking things like, "Is this even legal? Can it make you blind?" People hadn't heard of craft distilleries, and they certainly didn't quite trust them. The state is also home to a thriving cocktail culture, with many bars and restaurants showcasing and embracing the best of Colorado’s distilled spirits in creative and unique ways.īean: I think it's getting better all the time. We’re producing a wide range of spirits with locally grown crops and unique distilling techniques to create spirits that truly reflect Colorado. Colorado is home to a growing number of craft distilleries. Matthews: It can be described as vibrant and thriving, with a rich tradition of producing high-quality, innovative spirits using locally sourced ingredients. Walters: The Colorado spirits scene is such an amazing community! Everyone is so hospitable! It is a small world we are a part of, and we are all very supportive of each other, which is super refreshing. Joni Schrantz How would you describe the Colorado spirits scene? I realized I could bring that tradition back with me, and started distilling rum here in Colorado. Before I opened my own distillery, I visited Guatemala and learned about the tradition of distilling rum in the mountains. Karen Hoskin, founder, Montanya Distillers in Crested Butte: I have a lifelong passion for premium rum. Being in barley country here in Colorado, we set out to make American single pot still whiskey using Colorado barley and Irish distilling traditions. Every year, we went back to Ireland and were bringing back suitcases full of whiskeys we couldn’t get in America. Meagan Miller, co-founder, Talnua Distillery in Arvada: My husband, Patrick, and I honeymooned in Ireland in 2011 and got our first sips of single pot still whiskey - Red Breast Cask Strength, to be exact - and we were hooked. But really, running a small, grain-to-glass distillery appeals to me a lot because I get to wear a lot of different hats and live the curious jack(ass)-of-all-trades life that I was made for. Like most good jokes, there's more than a grain of truth in it. Heather Bean, owner and distiller, Syntax Distillery in Greeley: I always joke that living the corporate engineering life drove me to drink, so being a good engineer, I decided to start a distillery to support my new habit. It was an opportunity for me to bring new and innovative flavors to the market. The art and science of distilling is fascinating. There is a natural process progression from brewing into distilling, so I started dabbling in home distilling and immediately fell in love with the process. ![]() Loren Matthews, founder, Elevation 5003 Distillery in Fort Collins: I had been working in the brewing industry for fifteen years and knew it was time to try something new. Kallyn Romero, co-founder, Ironton Distillery: My love of the food and beverage scene. ![]() I switched over to the distilled spirits game when I moved to Colorado, and couldn't be happier with the decision! Shortly after that, I switched my degree to fermentation science. Laura Walters, head distiller, Ironton Distillery : I fell in love with the history of wine after taking an intro to wine course at Oregon State. What inspired you to get into the distilling industry? We asked some of the influential women in the state's distilling industry about how they got started, the state of Colorado spirits and more. With a great deal of innovation, passion and high-quality craftsmanship, Colorado distillers have put the state on the map when it comes to a thriving spirits scene.
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