Colorado distillers and wineries branch out into creative and tasty sippers

By Jay McKinney

Whether it’s whiskey, vodka, gin, tequila or rum, every distillery offers its own take on the classic spirits that have been around for centuries. A basic bourbon may be the flagship spirit that a distillery will hone in on and define its identity around. However, Colorado distillers are also innovative, and experimental (or at least outside-the-box) spirits can often become best sellers in a distillery’s lineup. The inspiration behind unusual spirits can be varied but they all have a sense of originality that a flagship bourbon lacks.

When Boulder Spirits first made its popular Ginskey, it was done mostly out of spite, according to the distillery’s head blender and marketing guru, Ryan Negley. “The original founder and distiller was only into making gin and he had no desire to make whiskey,” Negley says. “Back in the day, everybody was just making vodka and gin while they were waiting for whiskey to age, but in this case, we were just making gin. Kind of out of spite of that, the distiller put all this gin into a freshly charred oak cask and decided to age it the exact way you’d make a whiskey.”

The spirit turned out favorable and to this day remains a staple of Boulder Spirits’ collection even after the distillery started producing whiskey with the retirement of its original distiller. When Boulder Spirits purchased the trademark name Ginskey, it was officially here to stay.

Negley says it has clear whiskey characteristics in regard to its palate and mouthfeel but once it opens up, the botanical characteristics of gin become more prominent. Since the spirit is aged in freshly charred oak barrels as opposed to used barrels, there is a dominant oak flavor that lends caramel and butterscotch notes.

“It’s as if all of the botanicals, each one is kind of candied,” Negley says. “It’s almost like an Eastern European candy kind of thing and then a long whiskey-style finish.”

In Colorado Springs, Axe and the Oak Distillery took the opposite approach to making its Citra Gin. The owners and distillers had an affinity for brown spirits like bourbon and rye, and steered clear of producing gin with its intense botanical flavors that people seem to either love or hate. Co-owner and CEO Casey Ross likens the juniper-heavy flavors of traditional gin to chewing on a pine tree and says he’s had some that are over-the-top with botanicals. However, the bartenders at the distillery’s whiskey house were eager for more spirits to play around with, and that prompted the creation of Citra Gin.

“It is just smooth, it’s clean and just a super bright gin that’s not going to overwhelm the palate with that juniper,” Ross says. “It goes great in cocktails whether it’s a regular gin and tonic, a negroni, or a gin old fashioned, they’re fantastic.”

Axe and the Oak also makes a spirit called Dream Stream in which the Citra Gin is barrel aged in new American white oak. The result is an orange creamsicle-esque flavor that is incredible and led the spirit to multiple awards. Ross likes to sip both the Citra Gin and Dream Stream neat, but he says it’s especially amazing in a negroni or the gin old fashioned.

While Boulder Spirits’ Ginskey and Axe and the Oak’s Citra Gin are creations that the distilleries came up with alone, other unusual spirits are often born out of collaboration. For example, Talbott’s Cider Co. (Talbott Farms) and Breckenridge Distillery teamed up to create a Pommeau, which is a fortified cider that is barrel aged and originated in France. In addition to the apple flavors, the collaboration Pommeau has bourbon characteristics with the subtle flavors of caramel and vanilla that come from the American oak. It’s an incredible spirit that challenges the notion of what a hard cider can be.

“Pommeau is a traditional cider product that for us captivates what more hard cider can expand into and really offers something that I think expands the category,” says co-owner of Talbott Farms, Charles Talbott. With its higher alcohol content and additional flavors of oak aging, Talbott believes Pommeau is a product that spirit-focused drinkers can fall in love with.

Another notable collaboration occurred in August when Montanya Distillers partnered with Buckel Family Wine to produce a Grappa. The spirit is of Italian origin and utilizes the grape pomace, which is the leftover matter in winemaking after grapes have been pressed for their juice.

“Montanya is always looking for ways to collaborate with other businesses in the alcohol industry,” says head distiller and co-owner, Megan Campbell. “We were stoked when Buckel Family Wine approached us about doing something fun together. Buckel fermented the grape pomace, and Montanya distilled the juice into what’s known as Grappa. We distilled this in our custom copper pot still and let it rest in a stainless-steel tank for a month, before proofing it down with pure mountain spring water to 47 percent ABV before bottling.”

The first batch was an extremely limited spirit with only 100 bottles produced and available only at the distillery’s Crested Butte tasting room. However, the distillery is hopeful that they can continue this partnership with Buckel Family Wine in future years. Producing a spirit using the leftover grape pomace aligns with the distillery’s sustainability values.

These collaboration spirits have introduced consumers to lesser-known spirits from abroad and showcase the creative freedom that Colorado’s craft distillers wield. From staples to collaboration one-offs, there are unusual spirits being made by Colorado distillers that are worth stocking a home bar with.

STOCKING UP

A few other interesting spirits for the holiday wish list:
Leopold Bros - Cherry Liqueur
Dry Land Distillers - Honey Spirit
Talnua Distillery - Eggnog
Marble Distilling - Gingercello
Deviation Distilling - Americano Whiskey
Peach Street Distillers - Pear Brandy
Spirit Hound - Peppermint Cafe Colorado
Wood’s High Mountain Distillery - Fleur de Sureau Elderflower Liqueur
Stoneyard Distillery - Hazelnut Coffee Cream Liqueur

Jay McKinney grew up in Sedalia and graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. During his free time, he enjoys playing golf, shooting pool and hiking throughout Colorado and neighboring Utah.