Family Jones makes commitment to Colorado

Distiller dedicated to local farmers and great products 

Story and photos by Jay McKinney

The phrases “farm-to-table” or “grain-to-glass” seem to have taken over in recent years as marketing ploys to help people feel better about their consumption habits. But in the case of Family Jones Distillery, it has embodied these values from the beginning and will continue to do so. 

Family Jones Distillery was started by Paul Tamburello and Rob Masters. Tamburello is a Denver native who has his hands in multiple entrepreneurial endeavors. He notably started and owns Little Man Ice Cream Company, which continues to outgrow its humble beginnings as a local ice cream hub in the Highlands. 

Masters is the head distiller and an industry veteran. He co-founded the Colorado Distillers Guild and has been distilling and consulting since 2007. Masters’ favorite spirit is gin, but his fine-tuned palate and incredible attention to detail is the secret to the entire lineup at Family Jones. He’s the creative mastermind leading the way and the Family Jones is really “his baby” to explore what is possible as a distiller. 

While Tamburello and Masters may be at the head of the business, it really is a family effort. That includes the Colorado farmers with whom the distillery has built strong relationships.

“We put on our bottle that we shake the hands of every farmer, which is true, but I think we take it to another level,” says Derek Guilin, general manager at Family Jones Spirit House in Denver’s Lower Highlands neighborhood. “We party with them, we hang out with them,” he says. “They come to all our events, we go to all their events. It is a really cool thing to say that we know them on that level.”

The distillery started producing spirits in Loveland at its primary production facility in December 2016, and quickly rose to prominence in the Colorado craft distilling scene. Shortly after, Family Jones opened its elegant spirit house in the Lower Highlands neighborhood in October 2017. The LoHi location also produces smaller batches of whiskey with the centrally located and visually prominent copper still that steals the spotlight when patrons walk in the door. Overall, the location is a sleek showroom and magnet for couples seeking an attractive date-night spot. 

While the spirit house may be the fancy face of the business, the Family Jones commitment to partner with local farmers is a primary reason the distillery stands out. It currently has partnerships with the Whiskey Sisters, Root Shoot Malting, Colorado Stock and Grain and Jones Farms Organics (which coincidentally shares the Jones name). The four farms all focus on organic and sustainable farming, and all contribute to the success of the Family Jones Distillery in their own way. The distillery realizes that without the proper support, family farms like the ones they’ve partnered with could fall by the wayside.  

“We can talk about it all day, but unless we help these people sell stuff, then it’s going to collapse,” Guilin says. “We’re focused on buying the whole crop, so they know that if they grow a crop it’s going to be bought. It gives them comfort knowing that these guys actually care about us.” 

Jones Farms Organics located in the San Luis Valley began growing a Ryman Rye as a cover crop to protect the soil through the winter. Despite having no intention of selling the crop, Masters discovered it and was amazed by the quality. The distillery utilized the cover crop, and it will be a key ingredient in some of the distillery’s upcoming rye whiskeys. 

Among Family Jones’ most popular spirits are Ella Jones (bourbon), Atticus Jones (rye), Juniper Jones (gin), Annika Jones (vodka) and Mo Jones (rum). The distillery also has three house spirits and recently ventured into the premium, ready-to-drink market with its Automatic Jones lineup. While it’s certainly not the first distillery to put a premade cocktail in a bottle, anyone can be the best bartender at the party with one of these bottles handy. 

“I call them COVID babies,” Guilin says. “During COVID, we asked ourselves, what do people need? They can’t go to their local bar and watch their fancy bartender shake up a sour or make them an Old Fashioned. So we thought, why don’t we put some really high quality cocktails in a bottle that people can drink at home or look really cool at their next party where they disappear into the kitchen and ‘make’ 10 Rock & Ryes.”    

Another reason each one of these bottles stands out on the shelf at the bar is the captivating photography of Jack Ludlam. Each spirit’s label features a different photograph showing hands holding different objects. Every photograph tells a different story and is unique to the spirit it represents, with the hands as a metaphor for the distillery’s commitment to keep everything handcrafted without cutting corners or sacrificing quality. Aging spirits in white charred American oak and never adding any artificial flavoring is key to keeping the spirits consistent and being transparent with the consumers.  

Outside of the distillery’s staples, Masters is always open to exploring possibilities with creative one-offs and collaborations. For instance, the distillery produced a Pechuga-style rum a couple of years ago. Instead of hanging a raw chicken over a tequila while distilling to add flavor, Masters used a hog’s head instead to create a flavorfully unique rum. 

While the one-offs and experimental distillations will continue, last year the Family Jones Distillery attended numerous farmers’ markets and events to promote the consistent products that truly are grain-to-glass. With Masters as captain of the ship, and the Colorado farms providing quality ingredients, it’s safe to say that the Family Jones will continue to be a leader in the Colorado craft distilling industry.

“We asked ourselves if the world needed another spirit brand,” says co-founder Tamburello. “Ultimately that answer was yes, and we’re proud of the spirits we produce. But maybe more importantly, we believe we can use the business of craft distilling to engage in conversations about the necessity of local agriculture in our communities, and to support our neighboring farms and farmers.”

Jay McKinney is a Colorado native who recently graduated from Metro State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He loves spending time outdoors, playing golf and hiking.