Celebrating Colorado's Craft Distillers, Part II

Micro-distilleries are a popular new component of Colorado's wine and spirits scene. Whiskey, bourbon, grappa and gin are a few of the quality liquors being produced in limited batches across the state.

(One a side note: the Wine Country Inn proudly serves Palisade's Peach Street Distillers as top shelf liquors during its receptions and events).

One reporter recently took a stab at describing several of Colorado's craft distillers.

Under the subhead, "Peachy Place: Colorado’s First Legal Bourbon," Colorado Springs Independent Reporter Matthew Schniper writes:

"Location, location, location."

"It can make or break a business. It can do lovely things to a drink."

"Consider how the wine world embraces terroir (how a product's unique locale plays into its flavor), and it's a no-brainer why Peach Street Distillers set up shop in fruit-abundant Palisade."

"I go pick what I want," says head distiller Davy Lindig. "[A product] is always better when you can get it from the source."

"Not only does Peach Street use post-mashed sticks, skins and stems from nearby Debeque Canyon Winery to make Grappa, but it uses fresh fruit for a line of Eaux-de-Vie (fruit brandies); local juniper berries, herbs and spices for its gin; and not-too-distant Olathe sweet corn for its vodka and bourbon."

"Yes, Peach Street holds the honor of marketing the first legal bourbon ever made in Colorado. And no, bourbon doesn't have to be from Kentucky."

"To clear up the myth, Lindig says a bourbon must be made in the U.S. out of at least 51 percent corn and age for no less than two years in a brand-new charred-oak barrel. That's basically it."

"People haven't done it before, speculates Lindig, because distillers must endure the expensive start-up and barrel-aging interlude; Peach Street's initial release this past fall yielded a fairly small 200 bottles (available only in the tasting room, at present)."

"To get Peach Street off the ground in November 2005, co-founder Rory Donovan — who partnered with Bill Graham and David Thibodeau of Durango's Ska Brewing Co. — self-distributed statewide."

"I put some miles on the truck," he says. "I was handling 300 accounts from Fort Collins to Telluride."

"But he finally caught the attention of Republic National, a major distributor. Soon, he expects to release 150 six-pack cases of bourbon every four to six months for distribution."

"Peach Street bourbon recently won a gold medal and 90-point rating from the Beverage Tasting Institute, a respected, 28-year-old review organization."

"We're only 3½ with a 2½-year-old whiskey that's getting rated the same scores as 100-year-old distilleries and their 7- and 8-year-old whiskeys," says Donovan. "It tells me, just like with craft brew, when you put some time and effort and slow things down and do it yourself, you can make a hell of a product."

"Everything but Peach Street's bourbon ($58, 750 ml) is available in local liquor stores. Other prices for 750 ml bottles range from $28 to $32."

This is part two of a two part series on Colorado's craft distiller scene. You can read the rest of the article aboutColorado's other craft distillers here.

So, would you drink some of Colorado's distilled spirits?

Celebrating Colorado's Craft Distillers, Part I

Boy, Coloradans sure know how to get plastered in style! In a pure celebration of all things related to the fermentation of grape and grain, Colorado boasts over 70 wineries and over a hundred brewpubs. Denver is home to Modern Drunkard Magazine and is sometimes labeled the "Napa Valley of Microbreweries."

But what about Colorado's dozen or so craft distillers? This cottage industry is producing limited batches of the hard stuff, and people are flocking to buy it. The Colorado Springs Independent recently highlighted this niche market, including Palisade's very own Peach Street Distillers.

Under the headline, "High Spirits: Colorado's Breweries Aside, Our Dozen Craft Distillers Shall Not Be Ignored," Independent Reporter Matthew Schniper writes:

"Bottle for bottle in Colorado last year, Denver-distilled Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey outsold every other top-shelf whiskey "by a wide margin," according to co-founder Jess Graber."

"I don't have actual sales receipts," he says, "but the liquor stores tell us, 'You sell way more than anyone else.'"

"The small distillery laid its first barrel to mature just five years ago, and still puts out just three barrels per week — which represents about five minutes of production for the mass-producing distilleries. So if Graber's decidedly unscientific analysis is true, Stranahan's sales success could be considered amazing."

"And totally appropriate."

"Anything that's hand-crafted will taste better, period," says Bill Owens, of the Hayward, Calif.-based American Distilling Institute."

"Owens, a former brewer who's been tracking spirit trends for six years now, says the number of current operations, currently around 150, is growing by roughly 20 per year. Colorado distilleries account for a dozen, falling behind only California, Michigan and Oregon nationally, and accounting for about as many craft operations, Owens says, as can be found in all of Europe."

"[The Europeans] scratch their heads and can't figure out why anyone would even bother," says Owens. "They don't understand the American Dream."

"Talk to any small distiller, one producing a few thousand cases versus millions, and you'll find that relentless pursuit of the dream is indeed what it takes to carve a niche alongside the distributors of mass-quantity, mainstream spirits. Because the "barrier to entry" is so high — paying for bottling, licensing and distributorship on top of significant investment capital, with an expected two- to three-year negative cash flow — Owens estimates that distilleries will never surge quite like microbreweries have."

"The ones that are here, though, like Stranahan's, are doing just fine."

This is part one of a two part series. You can check out some of Colorado's other craft distillers here.

So what are some of your favorite top shelf liquors? Have you ever tried any from Colorado?

Peach Brandy and Jackalope Gin From Peach Street

Palisade is more than the epicenter of Colorado's Wine Country. There's a variety of fruit wines, meads, handcrafted beers and hard spirits produced by our intrepid local artisans. Taking advantage of the area's abundant agriculture, these distillers add many local flavors beyond our excellent vino.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention two reviews of Peach Street Distillers. The first was written by Blogger CookManFood of their Peach Brandy.

"I am proud to have in my possession bottle # 25 of the first ever batch of peach brandy from Peach Street Distillers and I must say I feel privileged. I had enjoyed their immature peach brandy a little over a year ago and was excited to find out that they were bringing it out of the oak barrels as a mature brandy. You may be thinking about all the times that I have said that I am a purest and do not like fruit in my beer or liquor, but this is different. This is not simply some cheap peach flavor that was added to a cheap brandy or liquor. This brandy began its life from handpicked, hand pitted peaches from the world famous peach orchards in Palisade, Colorado. They fermented the peaches into brandy, and then placed it into barrels to age and gain character."

"This brandy has a rich amber color. The thick body of the brandy is evident when you swirl it around the snifter with droplets of brandy gathering on the side of the snifter then falling back into the glass. The initial aroma of the brandy is a light vanilla and peach scent. When you put your nose further into the glass you can smell the distinct peach aroma with the oak finish provided by the aging barrel. There is a very smooth feel when the peach brandy enters the mouth. The peach flavor comes on slowly at first, and then remains in the back of your mouth after you swallow. Peaches are a rich, flavorful fruit and this peach brandy captures this flavor perfectly. It is obvious they took great care selecting the fruit that was used to create this superb product."

You can read the rest of the article here.

The second review focused on Peach Street Distiller's Jackalope Gin. Blogger CocktailHacker writes:

"Jackelope Gin was the next gin on our tasting list. This is a small batch gin produced by Peach Street Distillers in Palisade, CO. Being a sucker for small batch, artisinal spirits I knew this bottle had to come home with me the minute I saw it. The gents at Peach Street give a superb telling of exactly why gin is the best bait for the Jackelope and sadly I can’t say we had any luck in catching any. I think this stems more from my location in a small city though than our choice of bait. As any amateur cryptozoologist knows Jackelopes prefer the sparsely populated high mountain deserts and sand stone mesas. What we did find is a great gin that is well worth seeking out."

"Jackelope has a nice fruity nose and the taste of sweet fruits comes through in the flavor as well. We all concurred that this gin is much smoother than our control (Bombay Sapphire) and has little burn which is also nice. Peach Street uses a blend of local junipers which I think adds to the uniqueness and great taste of this gin. Beyond that the “secret” ingredients are the standard gin fare: Coriander, Angelica, Oris root, Licorice, Lemon peel/zest, Lime peel/zest, Cassia bark. In this gin they are very nicely balanced and make for a complex but tasty gin. None of the botanicals are screaming at you but they are all there. I think this gin would be excellent in a Martini, but maybe go a little light on the vermouth, say 5:1, so as not to overwhelm the subtle flavors."

You can read the rest of the story here.

Liquor Sales Steady in Spite of Economy

We didn't want this holiday article to slip by unnoticed. Back in December, the Denver Post reported that Colorado liquor sales remain steady, although consumers are steering towards box wine and well drinks over high-end vintage vino and top shelf liquors. Oh yeah, there are mentions of Western slope establishments like Peach Street Distillers and Crossroads Wine & Liquors in Grand Junction.

Under the headline, "Alcohol Sales Have Survived Despite a Slow Economy, But Tastes Are Shifting: Quantity Over Quality," Post Reporter Nancy Lofholm writes:

"Customer numbers at Colorado liquor stores aren't down and liquor excise taxes are up 7 percent this year, lending credence to the old saw that people continue to imbibe in tough times. But liquor store owners and liquor industry officials say drinkers are avoiding high- end spirits in favor of more moderately priced goods."

"Or if they can't stand to give up their ultra anejo tequila and single-malt scotch, they may buy it in smaller quantities."

"I've never seen an environment like this," said Jim Smith, president of Republic National Distributing Co., who predicts that by the time the tinsel comes down, liquor retailers will have had a decent overall season."

"But their revenues just might come more from $20 premium boxed wines. Sales of the penny-wise cartons have jumped 40 percent in the past month, according to a survey by A.E. Nielsen. Or from economy vodka, which the survey showed has jumped 7 percent while sales of luxury vodkas have declined."

"There are people out there that this downturn hasn't even bothered, but then there is the guy who would buy the $25 bottle of wine and is now buying the $10 bottle," said Daveco Liquors manager Ted Sutton."

"No one has plunked down $13,000 for the store's priciest bottle of 55-year-old scotch. The last five-figure bottle of booze to sell there went out the door this summer before the economy really tanked."

Check out the rest of this article here.

A Look at Colorado's Fledgling Spirits Industry

Rocky Mountain News Reporter Roger Fillion writes about the growing number of handcrafted artisan spirits cropping up around the state. Palisade's very own Peach Street Distillers is mentioned in the article. Under the headline, "Spirited Times for Craft Industry: State's Small Distilleries Flourishing as Demand Increases for Handcrafted Products," Fillion writes:

"Economic times may be tough. But Colorado's infant craft spirits industry is undergoing one of the biggest growth spurts in the nation.

"Tiny distilleries making handcrafted whiskey, vodka, gin, fruit brandy and other spirits are sprouting in the Front Range, the Western Slope and Four Corners.

"The state has at least eight licensed craft distillers in operation. A ninth is poised to begin operation.

"Three fired up their stills this year. A fourth, the new Mancos Valley Distillery, plans to begin producing white rum in Mancos in November.

"The spirited growth here and nationwide comes as consumers seek out local, handcrafted products and foodies take a new interest in fruit brandy known as eau-de-vie, liqueurs and other spirits.

Craft beer makers also are jumping in. A craft brewer, for example, is the driving force behind Mancos Valley Distillery. Ian James, the owner, wants to be an early entrant to an industry that's expected to keep growing."

You can read the rest of the article here.

The Buzz About Palisade Bourbon

More Front Range attention for Western Slope libations. The Denver Daily News is taking a crack at Palisade's Peach Street Distillers' latest creation --Colorado bourbon. Under the headline, "Colorado Bourbon? Indeed, Peach Street Distillers Offers New Product," DDN Staff Writer Gene Davis writes:

"Be warned, Kentucky: Colorado has produced its first bottles of legal bourbon.

"Peach Street Distillers, producers of Goat Vodka and Jackelope Gin, released the Colorado caramel-colored liquor last month to heavy fanfare.

“'I’ve been dropping by every week for what seems like an eternity, but they say the finest things are worth waiting for,' said a statement from Grand Junction resident, Josh Williams, who purchased one of the first bottles.

"The 750-milliliter bourbon bottle is 46-percent alcohol by volume. Each bottle features a black wax-dipped top and is hand-numbered by head distiller Davy Lindig.

"Rory Donovan, co-founder of Peach Street, described the bourbon’s taste as having a heavy cereal note with distinct tannic caramel and vanilla qualities that come from the oak.

“'All in all, it’s a pretty nice whiskey for what it is,' he said.

"Unfortunately for Denverites, the 2-year-old batch is only available in the Peach Street Distillers tasting room in Palisade.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Is Colorado Straight Bourbon Really Bourbon?

Whiskey lovers everywhere are eagerly awaiting Peach Street Distillers' spring 2009 release of Colorado's first bourbon.

But isn't all bourbon supposed to come from Kentucky? Not necessarily, says the staff at the Durango Herald. Unlike, say, champagne, bordeaux or port, bourbon is not a government- protected trade term defining the drink by region.

"Whiskey does not need to be made in Kentucky to qualify as "bourbon." The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau certifies whiskey as bourbon if it does not exceed 160 proof, is made from a fermented mash of at least 51 percent corn grain and aged for at least two years in charred new oak containers, " writes Herald Staff Writer Chuck Slowthower.

Slowthower also connects the dots between Palisade's Peach Street and a Durango brewpub called Ska.

You can read the full article here.

Distiller Introduces Colorado's First Bourbon

Orchard Mesa in Palisade is rapidly evolving into more than just a wine region. With its proximity to quality fresh produce, a variety of other spirits are being distilled in the area -- meads, fruit wines, vodkas and now, bourbon.

In case you missed it last week, the Rocky Mountain News ran this blurb Aug 18:

"Peach Street Distillers, based in Palisade, has released what it calls Colorado's first legal bourbon, following more than two years of barrel aging.

"'Waiting for this bourbon has proved to be quite an exercise in restraint, but the rewards are well worth it," Rory Donovan, co-founder of Peach Street, said in a news release.

Straight Bourbon Whiskey's initial release is limited to 200 bottles, available only at the distillery. The company didn't provide a price tag. A company spokesman wasn't available."

Bourbon is a distilled grain spirit typically made from corn, in this case Olathe sweet corn. For those of you more in love with things fermented from grapes, Peach Street also produces peach, pear and plum brandy. (Brandy is produced by further distilling wine).

Grand Junction ABC Affiliate KJCT8 elaborated on the release, "Dave Lindig of Peach Street explains bourbon is typically made with 51% corn; Peach Street uses 60% corn, making for a higher quality spirit, Lindig said."

For the full KJCT8 transcript, click here.