Leopold Bros. Distillery gears up to release a Fernet

We're always excited to see what Scott and Todd Leopold, the brothers behind Denver's Leopold Bros. Distillery have dreamed up for their next project. Between special barrels of whiskey for restaurants like Vesta Dipping Grill, fruit liqueurs and fruit whiskeys, absinthe and gin, we've never had a Leopold Bros. spirit...

By Laura Shunk

September 20, 2011

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We're always excited to see what Scott and Todd Leopold, the brothers behind Denver's Leopold Bros. Distillery have dreamed up for their next project. Between special barrels of whiskey for restaurants like Vesta Dipping Grill, fruit liqueurs and fruit whiskeys, absinthe and gin, we've never had a Leopold Bros. spirit that we don't like, and we admire the obsessive care the distiller takes with each bottle.

But we're especially stoked about one upcoming release: Fernet.

The minty, tar-colored bitter digestif is made with a complex blend of herbs like chamomile, cardamom, aloe, cinnamon, peppermint and saffron, and it's aged in barrels for several months. Sipping it is our very favorite way to end a night -- and pouring a shot into Coke is our favorite way to channel our inner Argentine -- and we're stoked that we're about to get a local version to taste against the much more common imported Fernet Branca.

The distillery isn't saying much about its own version yet. But the brothers to promise it's coming: "It's been in barrels since the summer," says Todd. "We're bottling it in November."

It should hit shelves soon after, albeit in limited quantities.

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Laura Shunk was Westword's restaurant critic from 2010 to 2012; she's also been food editor at the Village Voice and a dining columnist in Beijing. Her toughest assignment had her drinking ten martinis and eating ten Caesar salads over the course of 48 hours. She still drinks martinis, but remains lukewarm on Caesar salads.

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