proof
Proof most often refers to:
* Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition
* Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength
Proof may also refer to:
Mathematics and formal logic
* Formal proof, a co ...
,
small batch
Small batch whiskey is whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels. Small batch whiskeys are commercially positioned for the upper-premium market. The term is most commonly used for American whiskey bu ...
whiskey
Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
distilled in
Denver, Colorado
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
. Stranahan's was the first modern
microdistillery
A microdistillery is a small, often boutique-style distillery established to produce beverage grade spirit alcohol in relatively small quantities, usually done in single batches (as opposed to larger distillers' continuous distilling process). W ...
to legally make whiskey in
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, and an early craft whiskey distiller in the United States.
History
Stranahan's was founded by Jess Graber and
George Stranahan
George Secor Stranahan (November 5, 1931, in Toledo – May 20, 2021, in Denver) was an American physicist and entrepreneur, best remembered for founding the Flying Dog Brewery, Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, and the Aspen Center for Physics. Hi ...
Westword
''Westword'' is a free digital and print media publication based in Denver, Colorado. ''Westword'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...
5280
''5280'' is an American monthly magazine focused on Denver, Colorado and published by 5280 Publishing, Inc. One of the first craft whiskey distillers in the US,Geoff Kleinman “Stranahan’s New American Whiskey,” Drink Spirits, January 25, 2011. Stranahan's is said to have "kicked off the Colorado distilling craze" with its whiskey and the designation it invented, Rocky Mountain Whiskey. It was Colorado's first microdistillery,Jennings Brown “The Colorado Spirit,” '' Cowboys & Indians'', March 2010. and the state's first legal distillery since
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
.
The first batch of Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey was distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2006. Stranahan's was sold to New Jersey–based
Proximo Spirits
Proximo Spirits, Inc., is an American multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is a major distributor of tequila and other spirits, it is best known for Jose Cuervo, the world's largest-selli ...
in 2010, with operations remaining in Colorado. By 2012, Proximo had increased whiskey production from around 12 barrels per week to 30, with plans to grow into the high forties. Stranahan's was sold in 38 states and 7 countries until 2010, when Proximo decided to scale down sales to mostly the Colorado area, maintaining the whiskey's availability in its home state.Stephen Wayne Kasica “Stranahan’s Snowflake Whiskey,” ''
Outside
Outside or Outsides may refer to:
* Wilderness
Books and magazines
* ''Outside'', a book by Marguerite Duras
* ''Outside'' (magazine), an outdoors magazine
Film, theatre and TV
* Outside TV (formerly RSN Television), a television network
* '' ...
'', December 18, 2013.
Until 2019, Rob Dietrich had served as Stranahan's head distiller, after taking over from the founding head distiller Jake Norris. Dietrich was followed by Owen Martin, who in late 2022 took a position with Angel's Envy.
Product description
Distillation and aging
Stranahan's is a straight whiskey, aged in new charred
oak barrels
Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a vess ...
, like bourbon, with the final whiskey a blend of two, three and five year-old whiskeys.“Malt Advocate Whisky Awards ‘Artisan Whiskey of the Year’: Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey,” ''Whisky Advocate'', February 2, 2010. It is distilled from a 100% malt barley base grain, with four barleys sourced from the Colorado area, and water sourced from the Eldorado spring outside
Boulder
In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...
. Stranahan's initially used wash from Flying Dog Brewery, before moving to a larger facility and making their own wash beginning in 2009.
Packaging
Each barrel is bottled by hand, with each label hand-signed by the distiller, often including a note about, for instance, the music listened to during the whiskey's production. The bottling process is done by volunteers, who receive a free tour and a bottle of Stranahan's for their efforts. Volunteers can sign up online on the Stranahan's website – a random lottery picks volunteers from this list for each bottling crew. Current estimates show the waiting list to be over 20,000 people. The bottle features a metal cap, inspired by the old barroom practice of covering bottles with tin cups when the corks dry out.
Products
* Stranahan's Blue Peak Whiskey – released in 2020, this uses a Solera finish, a maturation process typically used in wine. This is bottled at 43% ABV.
* Stranahan's Mountain Angel 10-Year-Old Whiskey – the first batch was released in 2020, aged 10 years in new charred American oak casks with less than 500 bottles available at 47.3% ABV. Other batches have also been released.
* Stranahan's Osopher 11-Year-Old Whiskey – Released in 2022, an age-statement 11-Year-Old whiskey at 47.3% ABV finished in Imperial Porter barrels. This release was done in collaboration with Flying Dog Brewery.
* Snowflake Series – Released yearly and only available for purchase at the Denver distillery. Finished in oak casks previously filled with wine from local wineries or other spirits, sitting in the casks for roughly 18 months. When new bottles of Snowflake are set to be released, Stranahan's makes an announcement on their
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
and
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
accounts, and people typically camp outside by the distillery the night before the release to secure a bottle.
In 2012, Stranahan's began collaborating with Colorado's Breckenridge Brewery to create Stranahan's Well Built E.S.B., an English style bitter style ale 7.8%
abv
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest of the solution, ...
beer brewed by Breckenridge and aged in Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey barrels for three months.
Television and film
Stranahan's was featured in "Whiskey", an episode of the
History Channel
History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
's ''
Modern Marvels
''Modern Marvels'', formally known under A&E as ''Time Machine'', is a television series first aired by the History Channel in 1995, but previously under A&E starting December 10, 1993. It is the History Channel's first and longest-running prog ...
'' that originally aired on March 17, 2008.
Honors and awards
* Multiple batches received "Liquid Gold" status from Jim Murray's ''Whisky Bible'' 2014
* ''
Whisky Advocate
''Whisky Advocate'' is a quarterly print magazine that focuses on whisky. It is a publication of M. Shanken Communications.
History and background
In 2010, ''Malt Advocate'' was acquired by M. Shanken Communications, which then renamed the publi ...
'' Artisan Whiskey of the Year, 2009
* '' Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible 2009'', small batch distillery of the year, 2009Amiee White Beazley "Jess Graber's Whiskey Business," ''
Aspen Peak
''Aspen Peak'' is a regional magazine that was founded by Niche Media's Jason Binn. Niche Media was later renamed GreenGale Publishing. The publication primarily targets Aspen's most affluent residents and visitors. Niche Media was founded by Ja ...
''. Accessed October 7, 2014.
* '' Malt Advocate'' Best Artisanal Whiskey, 2010