Reader: Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey might as well move to New Jersey

Since Stranahan's was sold to Proximo late last year, fans have been watching for signs that the corporate culture -- not to mention Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey itself -- has been changing. And they got a big clue yesterday when Jonathan Shikes reported that Stranahan's is no longer allowing craft brewers...

By Patricia Calhoun

October 7, 2011

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Since Stranahan's was sold to Proximo late last year, fans have been watching for signs that the corporate culture -- not to mention Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey itself -- has been changing. And they got a big clue yesterday when Jonathan Shikes reported that Stranahan's is no longer allowing craft brewers to use its name on labels.

The blowback was fast and furious:

From J$

They might as well pull out of Colorado too then. Move that shit to New Jersey and see how well it sells. Terrible move on their part to push out craft brewers. I hope a new whiskey start up takes their place here in Colorado soon

And from Big Sigh:

More lame, backward corporate thinking.

"We were concerned that people from outside of Denver were using them to capitalize on *our* provenance and terroir."

Hmm, like you are, Proximo?

Last month Sean Kenyon compared the early days of Stranahan's to the best days of punk rock; read his Stranahan's riff here.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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