Arvada Is Home to America's First Single Pot Still Whiskey Distillery

It was during Meagan and Patrick Miller’s honeymoon in Ireland that an idea to turn their passion for whiskey into a life-changing endeavor was born. “My husband and I always bonded over tasting whiskey,” Meagan says.

In 2011, the two were in a pub in Galway watching rugby when they learned about the rich history of Irish single pot still whiskey — and they loved every sip. Inspired by that experience, Patrick, who previously worked at Stranahan’s, and Meagan launched Talnua Distillery, America’s first single pot still whiskey distillery, at 5405 West 56th Avenue in Arvada in 2018.

The process follows the Irish standard by utilizing a mix of 50 percent malted barley and 50 percent un-malted barley and triple distilling in copper pot stills. Every step of the whiskey process — mashing, fermenting, distilling and aging — is done on site.

While Talnua's spirits are inspired by the Millers' Irish ancestry and honors Gaelic tradition, the couple isn’t trying to make “Irish” whiskey, Meagan explains. In fact, they're happy to be able to demonstrate the terroir of Colorado utilizing locally grown barley and mountain spring water and aging at a high altitude. The distillery's flagship spirit is Virgin White Oak Cask Whiskey, which won gold in the 2023 World Whiskey Awards. Aged a minimum of three years, it combines the old traditional process with the use of new charred white-oak barrels. Other spirit mainstays include Bourbon Cask and Stave Series Whiskey, aged in three years in former bourbon barrels; Continuum Cask Whiskey, aged for eighteen months in white oak, then harvested and batted into a solera-inspired continuum cask; Heritage Selection Whiskey, which is blended with aged grain whiskey distilled in Ireland; and Peated Cask Whiskey, which has a bold and smoky finish.

An American single pot still gin is also produced using the same malted and un-malted mash bill as the whiskeys. During the third distillation, various botanicals are introduced, including orris root, juniper, coriander, cardamom and citrus peel.

In the tasting room, the classic Old Fashioned cocktail is reimagined with twists that are anything but ordinary. The Elvis Old Fashioned uses whiskey infused with plantains and peanut butter that is fat-washed with bacon. The Wasabi Tsunami is made with wasabi popcorn-infused gin, while the Queen of Hearts Old Fashioned is infused with cocoa nibs and strawberries.

Meagan’s personal favorite, the Lemon Espress Old Fashioned, is made with Hunter Bay Moose Drool coffee and Lemon Oleo. She’s proud of the creative team behind the eclectic and inventive cocktail menu, which embraces experimentation and the use of seasonal ingredients. “We have an amazing beverage director and bar program,” Meagan notes.

Food trucks are occasionally on site, but guests are welcome to bring their own food to the tasting room, too.

Each year, the distillery creates a special anniversary whiskey that becomes available on St. Patrick’s Day. This year, during a two-day event on March 17 and 18, the limited release will be a 100-proof, estate-produced American single pot still whiskey that is finished in former Madeira and Cognac barrels.

Talnua's Triskelion Society Membership includes VIP access to special events, cocktail lounge specials, first access to bottle releases, and quarterly classes such as whiskey and cheese pairing.

During its one-hour guided tasting and tour, guests learn how Talnua's whiskey is made and get more background on the history of single pot still whiskey and why the distillery is dedicated to this style ($35; reservations are available online).

The Talnua tasting room is located at 5405 West 56th Avenue in Arvada and is open from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 303-431-4949 or visit talnua.com.