Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey will vastly expand production later this year

When Jess Graber and George Stranahan founded Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey back in 2004, it was a micro-distillery crafting a very small run of the spirit culled entirely from Rocky Mountain barley and local water. But Stranahan's has grown, and grown fast. Two years ago, it relocated from the Ballpark neighborhood...

By Laura Shunk

June 29, 2011

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When Jess Graber and George Stranahan founded Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey back in 2004, it was a micro-distillery crafting a very small run of the spirit culled entirely from Rocky Mountain barley and local water. But Stranahan's has grown, and grown fast. Two years ago, it relocated from the Ballpark neighborhood to the old Heavenly Daze brewery and devoted the back of the space to upped production, and added the Rackhouse Pub in the front. Then late last year, Stranahan's was purchased by New York-based Proximo Spirits.

And now the company is getting ready for a major expansion, tripling its production capacity so that Stranahan's can reach a broader market.

The company just picked up three copper pot stills, and once they're installed, Stranahan's will move from selling 99 percent of what it produces in-state to distributing across the country.

But increased production doesn't mean the company will change up what it makes, adding lines or small batches of other liquors. "At this point," says general manager Pete Macca, "we're just planning to make more of the original Colorado Whiskey," and from the same original recipe. It'll also continue to make its one-barrel, one-off Snowflake series, only available at the distillery.

Macca predicts the new equipment will be installed and running in November.

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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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