This is Whiskey Wanderlust.
And we're on an expedition to discover how Colorado is elevating craft spirits from
grain to glass.
We bring whiskey explorers like you an inside look at the distilled stories, colorful characters,
and rich flavors that make Colorado a true whiskey frontier.
So pour yourself a drink and join us on an unforgettable journey.
On this episode, Bear Creek Distillery.
Welcome to Whiskey Wanderlust.
We are your hosts, Ryan, Corey.
Welcome.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Hope you all had a great holiday season.
You might be joining us in dry January or like rye January.
Yeah.
So we're sorry, we are not particularly partaking in that.
But yeah, we're here.
We've got a podcast to keep pushing with, right?
So we got to keep on trying new stuff and keep it keep it flowing.
So but we hope you guys had a wonderful holiday season.
Brian and I certainly did.
We in fact, we had an opportunity to attend a couple of really cool events in the early
part of December, which are really cool.
Bear Creek was one right there.
10 year anniversary.
And they had a special release, which you've gotten your hands on here.
Yes.
Debo and the team, Jade team down there.
Let us know that they're releasing that.
So we got in on that, which is quite a good expression.
So if you had if you got lucky enough to get your hands on one of these, we'd like to hear
your feedback and how much you're enjoying that as well.
But I know I know the bottles went quickly.
So yeah, and it was a cool event.
We covered it on our social media.
Go check it out on Instagram and Facebook.
And yeah, super cool vibe.
They had the we went up on their competition.
Yeah, cocktail competition.
Yeah.
And they were they were slinging drinks left and right.
It was busy.
And man, that place for and we'll get into in the episode of their steampunk ski lodge.
It's a super cool vibe in there.
That place was packed and they were certainly having a lot of fun.
Again, was busy as ever behind behind the bar there.
And yeah, super fun to watch.
Yeah.
The other event we attended was the opening of Law's the Whiskey Sanctuary, the tasting
room, which I wouldn't call a tasting room.
It's more of a what's all it's it's a lounge.
Their tours kick off from there.
I mean, they do have the taste that kind of speakeasy tasting bar there, too.
Yeah.
And a sanctuary they got.
You see all this was covered on social media as well.
So go and check out that video.
Yeah.
And we'll be bringing you some special coverage on that at a later date, too.
So yeah, we're able to get a we got a full on full on interview with our laws with.
Yeah.
So we'll we'll be dropping that at some point.
He obliged us with some extra time that night, which was which was fantastic.
Yeah.
And he was busy shaking hands.
So he gave us some extra time.
So it was really cool.
And quick shout out to Casey and Sam, the team there.
They did an awesome job putting that event on.
And I know that was a an ordeal getting there, getting to the occupancy.
But they got there and it's it's a very exciting space.
Yeah, it was a beautiful space.
And so if you want to see that, there's a little bit of it.
We put a video together on our social media.
If you're not subscribed, please subscribe and rate us.
It really helps us out.
And then you won't miss out on any of this stuff that we're we're putting out there.
And who knows, we might be running a competition for these new swag shirts.
If you didn't notice or if you're listening, go check out the video.
But we've got brand new shirts designed by Corey doing everything in house here.
And you'll start seeing these on a few of the episodes.
Drop us a rating and we we might send some gifts in the mail here in the next in the
next month or so.
Yeah.
And if you're interested in the shirts, let us know.
Send us a line on social or email or whatever.
Yeah, message.
Maybe we'll start putting some of these out there.
So we dropped our first episode two months ago.
This is now our third episode.
And before we move on any further, I do want to thank our early supporters that we've already
gotten.
You guys have been great.
I mean, you guys have been helping us get our name out there on socials, like and share
and stuff.
It's been great.
We really appreciate that.
And we're just we're just blessed that you guys are helping us out with this project.
So yeah, it's been a real labor of love.
It's pretty much a second job almost.
Well, all the effort we're putting behind it.
And for those of you who might not know, Ryan does media production for a living and he
does all the video recording for us.
And so and if you're listening, go check us out on YouTube and you'll be able to see a
lot of his handiwork throughout the episodes.
But he does this for a living and the editing is no is no small feat.
So he does now.
And all the web presence and social media and stuff, which is my forte.
Yeah, that's my side of the house.
And it's that's been no small feat either.
So it's but it's been a ton of fun.
We're certainly not complaining.
We're enjoying it.
It's but it's been a lot of a lot of a labor of love, like he expressed.
So yeah.
But that brings us to today, which is episode three, which is Bear Creek up in Denver, where
we interviewed J. Johnson and Ryan Stoltzfuss up there.
They're brand ambassador sales manager, right?
Also cocktail extraordinaire, too, because he slings drinks behind the bar.
In-house doctor and tour guide and astronaut cowboy.
Even all even has an alter ego that you'll get just to hear.
So and if you're listening to this, you'll you'll hear it in the episode.
But you got to go check it out on the on the video side of things, because it's hilarious.
Well, that I mean, even even following the Bear Creek socials, right?
He pops up in there, too.
So we're not going to divulge too much, but just want to tease that in there, because
that's a really fun part of the interview.
So right. What what stuck out to you with this interview?
I think one of the things that really stuck out with me was Ryan Stoltzfuss.
His just he's a wealth of knowledge, both like on the granular level where he's talking
about grain.
You know, he's talking about just I mean, he's a certified bourbon steward, professional
Scotch.
Or is it he's a certified Scotch professional?
Yeah, there you go.
And just like he's, you know, just, you know, really getting into the nerdy side of things.
And he's got he's got a background in in baking, which we cover, too.
And he dropped some cool science on us to let us know why whiskey is technically gluten
free.
Yeah.
And so it's really cool.
Like, it's a lot of stuff that I had no knowledge of.
And yeah, it was just really neat.
Well, in his background, too, in the coffee world, right?
Yeah.
And baking, he really leans well and leans heavy into the tasting and the flavors of the
products, which is, yeah, I mean, a huge asset for Bear Creek.
Right.
And then the other guy on the other hand is obviously one of the founders, you know, came
from a pest control background.
And we joke that it was it was poison of both both worlds, just different types.
Right.
But, you know, his background and founding the distillery with some friends, they sought
they, you know, old skater friends, you know, skate rats, I think, as they call themselves.
Right.
They wanted to go into business together and they just started looking for ideas.
And one of them had recently done a distilling class.
And so they ended up settling in on on doing distillery together, which I think of all
the folks we've interviewed so far, I don't think anybody's been like, oh, we didn't really
care what we were getting into.
Just as long as we were doing it together.
As long as we were doing it.
Yeah.
That was kind of what they, you know, that was kind of their approach.
And yeah, which is kind of cool.
So most of them have set out specifically to and maybe they had like a different journey
to get there, but they set out to start a distillery in the beginning.
So this one did not.
So and then their aspect community, I thought was really cool with their collaboration.
The Colorado Whiskey Club that they did with the Tender Stories, right.
Them and Laws went in to help donate to a urban peak homelessness or anti homelessness
program there.
And it's right in their neighborhood.
There's a really cool building helping on-house teens.
And just that's super cool.
So dive in and find out about that too.
So yeah, this is a really fun episode.
I think it comes through in the episode.
We just had a ton of fun and I think the energy of Bear Creek is just always great.
I mean, Jay and Ryan and even, you know, meeting Debo later, you know, they're just a bunch
of fun guys.
Yeah.
They just enjoy having fun.
So it was, this was a real treat for us.
Yeah.
So enjoy this episode.
The art interview with Jay Johnson and Ryan Stoltzfuss with Bear Creek Distillery.
Welcome to Whiskey Wanderlust.
We're here at Bear Creek Distillery with Jay and Ryan.
Thanks for having us down here.
Excited to have a conversation.
Check out your beautiful place here.
But yeah, we were just joking offline about a few things.
So we're already got some smiles on our faces.
But Jay, tell me, how do you go from being a pest control into distilling whiskey?
A lot of it's dumb luck.
Dumb luck?
Yeah.
I've managed to stumble upwards in life, which is a pretty good skill to have.
This whole project's born out of lifelong relationships that I've had with my business
partners.
Ran into one of my business partners.
He has a boatload of kids.
I have a boatload of kids.
Sort of rekindled our friendship.
And that turned into sort of a what if scenario between that business partner and Jeff, who
is our head distiller.
Started out as, hey, man, we should really get together and do something.
We weren't sure what space we were going to do said something in.
But it wasn't going to be pest control.
Wasn't going to be pest control.
We knew it was going to be poison of some sort, but not deadly poison.
Well, I guess that's true.
Too far.
Yeah.
Jeff was fresh off a trip to Peach Street.
He was in Palisade.
And that's the distillery out in Palisade.
And they're OGs.
They're one of the first two.
Yeah, they're great folks.
Yeah.
We're actually really good with type of those guys.
But yeah, he went down there and his sort of offering was like, hey, let's look at
old distillery thing that's going on.
This is back in 2012.
At that time, you had Stray Hands.
You had Peach Street, of course.
Leopold?
Leopold Brothers.
Dancing Pines, which has morphed into Family Jones.
OK.
So Family Jones bought their facility up there as well as the one they have up here.
But it was Dancing Pines at that time.
So it was a pretty small sample.
291 was just barely starting up.
Yeah, we had no idea who 291 was at that point.
But I know that we all kind of there was a group of us that all kind of started right
around the same time.
291 and us as well and even Vapor.
Although they're a little bit older than we are because they were roundhouse at one point.
So at that time was very new.
We were sort of at the forefront of what was going on in Denver.
Even at that time, though, Denver and Colorado was being recognized as putting out some pretty
good product, right?
Right.
So we sort of decided that that's something that we wanted to pursue.
We had weekly meetings.
Excuse me.
We had quarterly meetings that turned into monthly meetings, that turned into weekly
meetings, that turned into buying this building.
And I had always maintained, you know, we don't have to fall into trappings of what
people think of Colorado whiskey, miners, cowboys.
We looked at this building and obviously can't see it from here, but we bought a saloon.
So that was fucking the trends.
Yeah.
So we were really, really.
So yeah, we.
Billy Bob walks in here every now and again.
So it started from there.
You know, we didn't really have.
I mean, I worked in the hospitality industry for years as well as Devo, my business partner,
other business partner.
So we had limited knowledge, so it was on us to basically teach ourselves the industry.
And in that first couple of years, it took us to build this out because we bought this
in 2012.
We didn't open it public to 2014.
OK, so we had some time during the build out.
So we really focused on visiting the existing distilleries in Colorado.
And then we traveled out of state as well.
Right.
Jeff went to journeymen and he did some training at Kovol.
And that's how we have this beautiful still.
Kovol is Cota's stateside representation.
Jeff trained there on this still and decided this is the one we needed.
So they actually have a training facility or something.
No, I mean, just, you know, you can go and shadow and things like that.
So there are programs like even down slope here in town.
They have a distiller's class.
OK, it's pretty basic stuff.
But I mean, for someone that doesn't have any baseline knowledge, it was helpful.
Yes, we got the big old still call hot Donna.
Instructions came in German.
None of us speak German.
No.
So Google translate.
Yeah.
A lot of Google.
This looks like this goes together.
So basically, we built this place around.
I mean, you're a typical guy.
You didn't follow the instructions, right?
Oh, no, we just started putting it together.
Why?
Why even send them in German?
Because yeah, right.
It's like duct tape, whatever doesn't fit together.
Right.
Yeah.
So we.
It's a beautiful piece of equipment.
Thank you.
Yeah, I mean, it's great.
You know, the Germans, if they've done anything, well, it's engineering things.
So but we can do anything.
We can make any spirit on the still here.
One of the things we don't make is gin.
A lot of times if distilleries make gin on the same still, they make all the other products
and tastes like gin.
Yeah.
So never say never.
But right now we're not producing gin.
But that sort of walkabout, if you will, allowed us to sort of poach or pick and choose, I
guess, pick and choose the better choice of words of what we thought were components of
successful stories that we like.
Sure.
Quickly became obvious to us that sometimes tasting rooms and depending on what the regulations
are in your state, right?
Right.
Sometimes you're not really allowed to have cocktail bars or whatever.
But luckily we are here.
We chose to...
You can only use your products, right?
Right.
Yeah.
So we chose to really go after that front to back motto of having our tasting room be
something impressive.
I feel like we were kind of at the forefront of that in Colorado of really elevating that
tasting room experience.
So that's where we started.
And then from there, you know, we made vodka and rum and we waited two years before we
released any of our whiskey.
And now it's 10 years.
That's awesome.
And for our audience, we're sitting just inside their distillery and just behind the cameras
is their beautiful tasting room that they have.
And hopefully you guys will get a shot of that during our tasting, our tour.
But I mean, in terms of tasting rooms that I've been to in the state, I've been to a
lot of them.
This is one of the coolest, in my opinion.
It's got a really cool vibe and it looks really good.
So tell us a little bit about your tasting room.
Like what were the...
What was the thought that went?
So we had a pretty forward thinking general contractor who also did a lot of the design
for us, but there was a lot of lumber involved.
And then we were like, all right, this is getting too ski lodgy.
So we threw some metal finishes in there.
I like to call it like a theme punk ski lodge.
Yeah, I like that.
And there's like, a lot of the things are high-end finishes, like the tile that we use,
a backsplash behind the bar, Spanish scale tile.
We didn't want just a regular old beer.
So we did that.
So well, in your diversity and spirits lets you guys kind of cater to the audience a lot.
So it's not just a whiskey tasting bar, right?
Which those have a very different vibe here.
I mean, I'm pretty sure you served my wife and I when we came out and I'm thinking about
it.
You know, we came in here, there was lively bunch.
There was, you know, very large mix of crowd stuff there.
It was a really cool vibe.
You guys regularly have a DJ in here, like a standing?
Yep.
It's Saturday nights are big DJ.
Every Sunday we have DJs.
Okay.
Certain Fridays we have DJs.
And you've had some big names come through too, right?
We do.
There's some traveling guys that have come through and we have a couple of our own standalone
events during the year, the adult lemonade stand.
We also do wax and whiskey, but the adult lemonade stand is focused on like famous touring
DJs we've had coming up.
We have cut chemists coming.
We've had scratch basted.
We've had DJ new Mark.
So it's a lot of fun.
Yeah.
Well, and the biggest, biggest touring name that comes through here is your business partner,
right?
Yeah.
He, he, he absolutely.
Yeah.
Yep.
He's the best one out of all of them.
So he, he and his buddy have a DJ crew, I guess would be the proper term and it's party
shark music.
Okay.
So it's just Debo.
Okay.
Yeah.
So he, he puts on a good show.
Well, so the Ryan's, I mean, your, your journey here, as I understand you came from a different
beverage.
I did.
Yeah.
Brewed.
Still brewed.
Coffee.
Yeah, absolutely.
So, okay.
Tell us how you connect coffee into, into whiskey.
I can do that.
Thank you for asking.
Wonderful question.
I might take it back a little bit further if I may.
As far back as you want.
Well 1987, great year.
Oh man.
Yeah.
Popped out in this one.
No, he's a product of 80s.
It's already a great start.
Yeah.
I don't know what that means anymore.
So I'm from Kentucky and growing up there, they actually produce a little whiskey.
I don't know if anyone familiar with that or not, but I've heard of it.
Yeah.
But I, to be honest, it meant nothing to me growing up there.
I didn't drink.
It was just something your parents did when you were an infant?
No, my parents didn't drink.
I actually come from a dry home.
Oh, okay.
In a great way.
Like I, I love that.
Like it was such a good upbringing and so, but it was around.
Like I, I knew that it was, you know, a big part of tourism and it was just around, right?
But I started working at bakeries after college because I got a degree in recreation because
the outdoors are cool.
So you go into baking.
So then I went to baking.
Obviously recreational.
Yeah, obviously.
But I've always enjoyed baking when I was a kid, it was either going to be astronaut,
cowboy or baker.
Those were my options.
So two of three, two of three, you know, actually recently been able to check that, that cowboy
box for sure.
Oh, I thought you were going to say astronaut.
I was like, wow, this is a good company.
People do say I'm out of this world.
That's true.
Oh my goodness.
That joke was too.
I digress.
So baking is something that I've always enjoyed.
I did it with my grandmother, with my mom.
And so I just, I, I started dabbling a little bit into the bread world and then got a job
working at bakeries.
So I say that to say grain was something I got really into just all the different varieties
and how they acted and tasted and how to use them and manipulate them.
It was great.
Interesting.
And so when I moved out here in 2014, got a job at a bakery and then kind of that's
when I transitioned into the coffee world from that.
So I kind of had that grain background and that was always something that I enjoyed moving
into coffee.
Another kind of, it's another crop, another agricultural product, which I love from a
farming town.
And it's a dad was an ag teacher for 30 years.
Like that's a, that's a big part of who I am as well.
And so coffee was great because you get to celebrate, you know, variety and flavors and
it was Corvus coffee roasters.
So we were roasting and sourcing like all these interesting coffees from all over the
world.
And it was kind of my time to really develop a palette more than anything else because
it was very sensory driven because we were doing QC all the time and we were trying to
sell this great product in the best way we could to our consumers, our customers.
And so being able to talk about it and recommend things was really important.
So I was over there for about seven years, but while I was doing that Bear Creek opened
up Corvus is just across the street.
And so I would walk here after work and drink some whiskey.
And when I was closing, you know, usually not after opening, but not first thing in
the morning, putting the coffee on.
Yeah.
But it was great.
He's a fan of Irish coffee.
I don't know.
I really got to know people and I really liked being here.
I think we all need places where we feel comfortable to go out to.
You want to walk in somewhere and be like, this is kind of my spot.
You know, I know a person or two, like they know my face.
They might know my name.
I love that.
And I still need that.
I think we all do.
I go to the Inglewood Grand a lot.
Shout out for that very reason of that is my spot.
That is where I just go to relax.
And so Fair Creek was absolutely that for me at that time.
And so kind of just weaseled my way in and started just bar backing a day or two a week
and did that for a little while.
That's kind of how I got my foot in the door.
Well, then you've hired you on.
And then I understand you weren't originally a part of the sales team like you are now.
You were doing other things.
Correct.
So what did you how did you how did you tell us a bit more about the journey here?
Yeah, I mean, journey.
It is that I think again, starting as a bar back.
And just part time and doing that up until Covid.
And then I guess it during that time, I was still working at Corvus.
We opened a bakery actually, which is really great because I kind of get back into that
world.
And then in 2021, I came on full time here and I got to do a little bit of everything.
I was right time to help him make hand sanitizer.
Yeah, we never did.
No, good on.
We made those.
There's plenty of that needed, too.
Absolutely.
Yeah, I understand that you've held many titles here, including Doctor.
And I told them we call you Doctor.
Yeah, I, you know, I am a doctor of whiskey, you might say.
No, my so my first name is Daniel and my middle name is Ryan.
I go by Ryan.
So DR, my initials.
It's just like me.
Great name, by the way.
Yeah.
They mean a lot of great Ryan's make a right.
Yeah.
So just say on that.
Yeah.
And that's what I love about small business.
You do get to wear a lot of different hats.
And so working in production with Jeff bartending.
And that's that's just what I got to do.
Megan is our bar manager and has been doing it for a very long time.
And she's such a wonderful person to work with.
She's the best.
Yeah, she truly is.
And so being able to bartend for a few years was great.
And then kind of a sales position opened up and just kind of your skate right over tour
guy.
Well, yeah, and tour guide.
Yeah, do that as well.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
No, that was actually really fun to step into while I was bartending because I think that's
important, right?
You have to be able to offer experiences and because there's a lot of excitement around
this industry and people want to hear about what you're doing and fully aware that a lot
of folks have been on many tours and so try to keep it a little interesting at the end
of the day.
Like we're all doing the same thing.
And so you're going to hear things that are the same.
But I mean, we're our own selves, like we're our own business and we are a little bit different.
And I love being able to tell that story, give some history and get people excited about
what we're doing.
So I understand your newest title is certified bourbon steward.
Correct?
Yeah.
That's about that process.
What it took to get that.
No, not going to lie, it's just you pay money, take a test and get a certification.
Pay to play.
Yeah, no, that's a certification through the Stave and Thief Society.
They're definitely kind of the go to for a lot of folks in the industry.
They just have two levels and it's a really good way to just make sure you have your base
knowledge dialed in.
You can kind of prove that.
And so it just involves like studying a lot and tasting a lot.
And I have a I mean, it's not a brag, it's just a fact.
I am a certified Scotch professional as well.
Just saying.
But but that was and I got that just because I wanted to have more of a holistic approach
to this.
Sure.
Because I enjoy the category as a whole.
And it's just I love learning.
And that gave me an outlet for that.
Getting those certifications and they don't necessarily mean anything at the end of the
day.
I mean, they do and they don't.
Right.
I mean, I'm not going to execute.
I still have to be able to do my job.
But those certifications have helped me a lot because again, it's all about learning
and education for myself.
And I love being able to educate others through tours and working in the tasting industry.
I want to circle back to something you said earlier.
I mean, and you being the proud new owner of a plant that makes a small family, guys.
Right.
But you talked about community and stuff.
And that, Jay, that was one thing we talked about a lot before, too, is the importance
of family and community and stuff to you.
But tell us a little bit, kind of circle back to pre-Bear Creek, right?
And talk a little bit more about your family history, too.
Because as I understand your business partners, you guys went to junior high together?
Junior high and high school.
Yeah, we went to Bear Creek High School, Lake Colorado.
And your wife was suspect of you getting a business with them.
Correct?
She knows all these guys.
She grew up with the same guys I did.
So yeah.
And these are your gutter trash skate for you friends.
Is that what you called yourselves earlier?
We were all skate rats, for sure.
And then hockey has played a major common arc in my life.
And one of my business partners, we grew up playing hockey together.
We still play hockey together.
You know, that's sort of how the whole ball got rolling, if you will.
But yeah, she's like, you're going into business with those guys.
You have kids that are almost old enough to go to college.
Yeah, she's like, not a great idea.
But you know, we did it.
I'll start a second chapter on a down note, right?
So yeah, I mean, grew up in Lakewood.
I've lived in Colorado since 77, originally from New Orleans.
We actually, as a team, took a trip to New Orleans for the American Craft Spirits Association
last summer.
Won a gold medal for our six year.
Awesome.
Six years straight.
And that that award, I don't want to digress too far, but that award is significant to you
guys, right?
Yeah.
I mean, it's nice to be recognized.
I think even more the thing, the satisfaction I get every day, not every day, because it
doesn't happen every day, but I wish you did.
When someone sees my hat, they're like, oh, you've got great whiskey.
That means more to me than a medal.
But I mean, as far as your contemporaries, you know, that's sort of them giving you a
little more validation, if you will.
Right.
But I get personally, I get more satisfaction out of the everyday compliment as opposed
to a trophy, if you will.
Right.
So you were starting to come back to New Orleans and I think you were connected.
Oh, yeah.
I was just saying that we were all we all went and it was a long four days, but we won
our medal.
Yeah.
So how did you receive that medal?
Shirtless.
Interesting.
Is there a video of that?
There's some pictures.
We have some good friends who have a distillery in St. Louis.
And I was like, I'm going to Bert Kreischer this thing.
I don't know if you're familiar with Bert Kreischer, but he always, he's built a little
bit like me, you know, athletic, but probably can put in a few more hours.
In the Jack Black way?
Yeah.
And Bert's always taking a shirt off.
I'm going to Bert Kreischer this.
He's like, I bet you won't.
And that was a magic word.
Yes.
So I didn't technically receive your honor is on the line now.
I'm a gentleman, right?
I'm like landed gentry.
So this is beyond awards.
Yeah.
This is real life stuff.
So I didn't technically receive the award with as the Canadians say, tarps off.
But after I went and got the award, I went tarps off in like a five star, like ceremony
where people, you know, yeah.
Welcome to Bert Kreischer.
Fred Minick was there.
Was Fred Minick in attendance?
He was there.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
It was.
So you've been shirtless in front of Fred Minick.
That's.
I've been shirtless in front of a lot of people.
Maybe we'll be treated here shortly.
Yeah.
Well, now is this the award you received while also cartwheeling?
Cause I had your world-class cartwheeler.
Yeah.
I'm working on that.
The last couple of attempts didn't go well.
So shirtless.
Plus if you cartwheel with a metal on, I think that's going to be like really sort of dangerous
as you go topsy turvy.
But not for a pro like you.
Yeah.
I mean, I think I regained my amateur status, but you know, I guess if we practice makes
perfect.
Yes.
Absolutely.
Well, so while we're on the topic of receiving awards, I understand that you received an
award from Fred Minick as well.
Yeah.
We're going to ask how to work.
I think he came through recently.
So the very first gold medal we ever received was for our Kask Strength Rum.
Super cool product.
We actually just sold out for the year this last week, but before we got our burdens,
we would take our silver rum and put it into used bourbon barrels.
And it was always kind of a guest barrel program.
Like back there now we have a Blanton's barrel laid down.
It's been Austin Nichols, wild turkey barrels.
We've had old buster barrels.
Breckenridge, Laws, you know, they're right down the street.
They just rolled down big juicy barrels for us to use.
Peach Street.
Yeah.
We had what, like an eight year old peach tree barrel?
Seven or eight.
Yeah.
It's getting up there.
But first gold medal we ever received was for that particular product.
It was one that was in a wild turkey barrel.
And got our medal and I was like, who is that man sitting at our table with that ascot?
And turns out I met Fred Minnick that day.
Yeah.
Great.
I didn't know that.
Cool.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Lots of fun stuff.
Yeah.
So Fred Minnick, Ascot, we still haven't actually gotten back.
We're going to go try to distill this a third time, right?
But you mentioned this on the, on like, family is really important.
So tell us more about like how those, how those influences really helped you like with
your value stuff for Bear Creek.
And obviously the doctor here is a recipient to that community and like, he feels it, right?
So talk to us more about like the meaning of that and your distillery.
I've always maintained that you're only strong as not, and I always yell, you know, talk
to my head, my inner dialogues, like don't sound like a football coach.
You're only strong as, as your weakest link, right?
So it's important to hire smarter and better people than people that have skill sets that
you may not have.
You know, and coming from a strong family background, I mean, you know, I had a two
parent home all the way growing up.
My mom just died a few years ago, but I'm sorry.
Yeah, no, it sucked, but you know, it's all good.
So we had, I had a good base, you know, we, we weren't rich.
We weren't, you know, we had each other.
So that's just sort of the way we've, we've raised our business, you know, we're raising
ourselves too.
I mean, we started this, I was in my early forties, late thirties, now I'm 52.
So we've grown up, I mean, almost as like men, I don't feel like you grow up as a man
until you're in your forties, at least for me.
So it was like, you know, you have guys that you carry about, care about, that you start
the business with.
And then, you know, we've developed these amazing relationships with our employees.
You know, it's anybody in our organization is allowed to come up, is allowed to bring
an idea to it.
And we've, I think that's important for people to feel like they can bring things to the
table in a creative way and make an impact because if they can't, why have them part
of the team?
So I don't know if that relates directly to my upbringing, but I have three daughters
and I had three sisters growing up.
So I had to learn quickly to adapt just for survival.
I'm with you.
Three sisters.
I get that.
So I think that's sort of correlated into being able to roll with the punches.
And anytime you start a new business, I don't care what industry you're in, you know, it's
you have to be adaptable.
And especially these last three years has been crazy.
You know, turned the liquor world on its head.
Our outside sales went like that.
And then because everybody was just sitting at home, you know, but then the tasting room
closed.
And now with the uncertain times in the world and people kind of clutching their purse strings,
if you will, people aren't buying a lot of expensive products in the marketplace, but
the tasting room is doing great.
So thank God we've had the counterbalance for both.
But it's been a challenge.
And, you know, without the right teammates, it would have been difficult.
But we've weathered the storm.
Perseverance.
So what are some moments and some stories along the way that are like notable for you
that, you know, really kind of have helped you get to where you're at today?
So Jeff's assistant, Matt, figured upon himself that he wanted to start art shows.
So we do a first Friday art show every month.
And it's that is that the one with the food trucks?
Yep.
Okay.
Yep.
We have the food truck out of Blue Pan Pizza.
I don't know.
It's a Detroit style pizza.
But they're kind of the darlings of the pizza world up here.
We'll get them every Friday night.
They sell more pizza around the neighborhoods than people that are actually at the distillery.
People know they're here and they'll place their orders.
That's pretty cool.
You know, and we've turned sort of that art show dynamic into a new release that we're
releasing Father's Day.
It's a total departure from our normal branding.
And we allowed an artist to create an image.
And it's it's those are going to be finished whiskeys.
This particular rye whiskey was aged in a breakfast breakfast stout from off Berkeley
Brewing.
Berkeley Alley.
Really screwed that up.
I got you.
Thank you.
So the doctor shared help.
The doc is in.
Yeah, we've done some cool stuff.
We were able to we had a whiskey called Yeti Whiskey for a little while.
We partnered with Great Divide and they gave us Imperial Stout Barrels.
Oh, cool.
And we put rye whiskey in it and we called it Yeti Whiskey.
And it was a hit.
So Great Divide has a cask meets program, Jamison.
So Jamison has lots of money.
So they told them that they can do that with us.
So they chatted with them.
And they're like, look, it's just like a local, local release.
It's only a certain amount of bottles.
Not a big deal.
So we co-branded a label.
It's super cool.
It's got Yeti.
And just it was real clean.
It was a great looking bottle.
That came out and caught fire.
And like it got written up in some magazines, whiskey publication.
So they squashed that.
Yeah, but that was cool.
I mean, just we try to do some specialty finishes, that stuff, the parties we throw, the music.
Like you said, you enjoy the vibe, that sort of thing I'm super proud of.
We do a lot of events.
That's kind of where I spend my summertime is out on the streets, getting liquor to lips,
as we like to say.
Whiskey Church, where I met you guys, stuff like that.
Whiskey Church.
Yep.
And Ryan was there.
So we sort of engage on all fronts, right?
We've got this, we've got our professional sales team.
We'll loosely use that.
Yeah, I don't know if we want to slap that word on.
And then Festival.
So, you know, kind of we're always like to be out in the public.
I don't think I answered any part of the question you asked me, but.
No, you did.
No, you're well.
Yeah.
All right.
For sure.
And then Ryan, so being a part of this family, close knit business, what does it mean for
you to be a part of this?
I mean, it's everything.
You know, I think family is a it's a word we throw around a lot when it comes to like
a small business and in a good way, I think.
But sometimes it gets a little overused, perhaps.
But this truly has been a weird, mostly functional home for me, a little dysfunctional.
But it has.
I've spent a lot of time here, as we all do over the years as a customer and now as an
employee.
And I feel valued.
Like we feel taken care of here.
And one of the things that I love most about this place is the tenure that people have.
Folks tend to stick around a little bit.
And that goes a long way for me.
What is the average tenure here?
I don't know.
I mean, I think the median median is probably at what, five years?
That's good.
Maybe a little less.
Probably about four and three quarters.
Yeah.
Four and seventy.
Yeah, who's counting?
Right under.
But it's a hundred and forty one days, right?
For being in the service industry, I think it's phenomenal.
Yeah.
And it allows us to grow closer together.
Like, I trust everyone I work with.
I know that we have each other's back.
I love spending time with them outside of work genuinely.
And that means a lot to me.
So and again, it gives me an outlet for kind of the things that I was talking about.
Like, I do spend a lot of time reading.
I do spend a lot of time tasting and working on certifications for myself.
And this helps me justify it, to be honest.
Yeah.
And that's why I love tours.
I'm just like, I want to talk about this stuff.
Well, Jay needs to do that, right?
It's part of building the brand, right?
So he's like, yeah.
So it really is like a weird family.
Tell them about Fight Club.
Do we talk about Fight Club?
We can talk.
In that first rule?
Well, we're already breaking it up.
I'm just trying to demonstrate how dynamic that Brian is.
I mean, he's not only tour guide, internet celebrity, salesman.
And he works on Sundays.
He actually works a bar shift.
So I mean, I don't want to.
I don't know how you do it all on top of being a doctor and astronaut.
I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, it starts off the line.
I'm going to keep using these things.
No, Whiskey Fight Club is something I started doing a couple of years ago,
I guess.
And I changed it as I do have my rule because you got to have rules of Fight Club, right?
It's important.
But my first two rules are you don't talk to your distributor about Fight Club.
You don't talk to Westward about Fight Club.
Sorry.
But I guess here we are.
Let's not talk about Fight Club.
Sorry.
At the end of the day, it's just my effort to build community within our industry.
Since we're not going to talk about it, what exactly is Fight Club?
It really is.
So it's I've been trying to do it twice a year.
I skipped this past winter, but essentially it's a tasting competition, blind tasting competition.
Emphasis is more on party, less on the competition, but it's just, you know, distilleries show up and compete, you know, as a team.
And it's been really cool to see getting, you know, 10 to 15 different distilleries in the same room just hanging out and we get to know each other.
I've had three or four now and people come back.
And so it's nice to see that because sometimes that's the only opportunity you get to see some of these folks.
Yeah, everybody you've done podcasts with, they're there.
Yeah.
It's the who's who, if you will.
I just appreciate people giving it a shot, honestly.
And now, like, I have to give credit where credit is due.
Barstown Bourbon Company put on a tasting competition, and that was kind of my inspiration for that.
Because I got to be a part of that and kind of see what it was all about.
And that there just aren't any and because no one's really asking for it, to be honest.
We need more whiskey tasting competitions, but maybe we do because it's really fun.
So that's that's kind of my I've not been to one, but it's on my list.
I'll tell you that. I'll let you know when the next one's happening. So it's open to the public. Absolutely.
And that's why. So I want it to be.
I just say that I ask that you work at a distillery if you're going to compete.
But anyone can come and I want the community to be involved as much as possible.
I get a beer sponsor from a brewery that's a different distillery host each time.
And so we find a brewery that's close by that they have a relationship with.
We get beer sponsors, get food sponsors and so try to like get other businesses to be a part of it as well.
And so we can all kind of be a part of it.
We'll just edit all this out. If there were such a thing as like a whiskey fight club.
That's kind of what it was. It sounds great.
Allegedly. Yes. Yeah, it's a it's a lot of fun.
It's a really good industry and community out here.
And it really has given me a place.
And I feel like I can do this for a long time.
Tell us the origin story of Billy Bob Bourbon. Right.
And for those of you who don't know, Billy Bob Bourbon is a little bit of a caricature that they've developed.
And we're checking out on their Instagram. Well, insert a clip here.
Billy. Big hat bourbon here.
Well, friends, why don't you come on down?
Even if you got your kids. We got some little board games.
We can even break out that little iPad so they can play a little angry sparrow, angry bird, crows.
If you angry crows, that's what they're playing these days.
If you're on a second date, you're trying to figure out who are they the one or are they just going to sit there and talk about their crypto,
and how you need to invest in their oddly shaped scheme.
You can figure that out, too. You want an invitation? Here it is.
Why don't you get your own behind down here, sit down in one of my stools and see what happens.
Perfect. That was hilarious. Oh, my God.
Yeah. You know, honestly, that was just my friend Logan that works here as well as a bartender.
We just got engaged. He's got a lot of congratulations.
Logan said, yeah, he's done a lot of filming and film editing and he's done a lot of stand up.
And so he's just he's he's a whole he's a whole thing as well.
Oh, OK. Yeah. Oh, absolutely.
It's too cold or else I would have had a white shirt on. Yeah.
You got to get the Hawaiian flannel out there.
I'm going to have to find one.
So he was just like, hey, we should do like a used car salesman thing with whiskey.
Just set up a kind of a fuzzy green screen and do this thing.
I guess I'm kind of here for it.
So, yeah, we just he obviously had like a cowboy hat that I could wear.
I don't know where it came from, but yeah, and we just we were upstairs in our prep area and we just filmed for a while.
And I just. Talked about nothing and it was a good time.
So and it's become a little bit bigger than it probably needed to be.
So what were some of the inspirations behind the character?
Probably drawing on my upbringing a little bit, OK, kind of getting into a little bit more of the south bit.
So this is a neighbor. Well, maybe a little bit, maybe a little bit.
And I know your neighbors are not close in Kentucky.
So yeah, Robbie, you're great. You were not like that.
No, yeah, I think it was mostly that and there was a period of time where I talked about horses for a while for no reason at all.
But there's a lot of horses in Kentucky as well, turns out.
And they have a small race there, right? Yeah, it's pretty small.
So, yeah, I mean, Billy Bob Bourbon just kind of became its own thing.
And I don't know if all of the clips came from that one filming session.
So I don't really know. You got a season's worth of about seven or so.
So Logan's keeping these things under wraps and unveiling them.
Yeah, blackmailing you.
I mean, I mean, as a marketing guy myself, I have to applaud your social media presence.
It's among the better ones, especially in the spirits world.
I mean, and it's some of the stuff you guys have put out there is really funny, but it's clever.
And it's, you know, it's it's not over the top like a really dry, boring guy.
So I'm sure you've been able to. Yes.
Yeah, Jake does a really good job.
Shout out to Jake working that social media and it just keeps it going.
Yeah, that's great. I agree.
Like, I think it's important to have a little bit of a presence and they've done a really good job.
I mean, you know, just on the whole, I think traditional advertising and marketing aren't really what's driving things.
You have to be current and contemporary.
That's where a lot of people go for their contents.
You have to if you're if you're going to have a good product, you got to have good promotion.
Right. Yeah. And you guys mean you guys highly regulated industry.
There's a little bit of a you know, you guys can't sell directly through Instagram.
So there's like, you know, there's a little bit of a it's more brand building and stuff.
But the cool thing is people are attaching those things to you guys and they're finding you guys humorous.
I'm sure if they're from out of town, you know, you're going to be high on their list to come check out.
They come down and get Billy Bob Bourbon's autograph.
So it's it's fun. You guys are doing a good job on that. So thank you.
Yeah. He's here every Sunday. Well, Ryan's here every Sunday.
A couple of weeks ago, I put the hat on. Did you? Yeah.
The crowd went wild. A little bit. The mustache, too.
No, it was half on like the whole time.
It was hilarious. One day I'll be able to grow facial hair.
Probably not. So it's fine. It's a lot to deal with.
I only have my insecure about it. So well, when you have like a triple chin like I have,
you have to put something else. Yeah, I guess I get it.
Put something on the porch. I wear these big horn room glasses to hide the bags that are always under my eyes.
It's all it's all kind of fat. It's a natural filter.
Well, you have those bags because you spend so much time developing your cool new products. Right.
Yes. So tell us a little bit more about like what goes into your product.
I mean, you guys have some really good stuff.
I'm a big fan of your five and six year bourbons you guys produced.
I also really like your rise, but you have some interesting products.
You've got some right base vodka's. So tell us the ideation process.
What goes into developing your products and how do you guys go about bracing that and talk to them about the right.
Our goal from the very beginning was to make approachable spirits.
So with that being said, we didn't want anything too spicy or anything too pronounced in any of our spirits.
And a lot of people do distill their spirits that way. And that's what they're going for.
And I happen to enjoy some of those, too. But for us, we wanted to make approachable spirits.
Our goal is to become Colorado's go to craft brand across all spirit types.
So the right vodka in particular, which we'll be tasting here in a minute.
Vodka, by definition, is supposed to be odorless. It's supposed to be neutral. That rye imparts a bit of spice that even carries through the distillation on vodka.
A lot of people, if they're vodka purists, if you will, are a little bit not turned off.
But at first they're like, oh, what's going on there? Because most mass produced vodkas are odorless and tasteless.
So we have a rye vodka. We have a corn vodka. We have a wheat vodka.
And sort of to mirror that, we've got our three styles. Actually, yes, three styles of our whiskey.
We have a rye whiskey, a wheat whiskey, and then bourbon. Bourbon is majority corn.
So those three kind of mirror each other on either side.
And we actually distill individual grains as well in those vodkas. So that's a little bit interesting.
I mean, you can even taste the flavor variations.
We did develop the corn vodka within the last couple of years to really offer that sort of most neutral flavor profile.
All things distilled, unless something's done post production, are gluten free.
But I found that that argument is almost not worth having because unless it's got that gluten free distinction on it, people will argue with you.
But that was our product. OK, we understand there's a need.
So we're going to go ahead and create Colorado's version of corn vodka that is gluten free, even though the other ones are.
So we kind of we kind of just put that out there.
Go ahead. I just as a baker, it is important for me to like kind of define that a little bit of why it is gluten free,
because that's a it is a good conversation to have. It does feel like it doesn't matter what you say, but I'm going to say, essentially, gluten is a protein.
Right. And protein is essentially not volatile, so it can't break down into steam.
And so the only thing that will get through your still to the end is going to be steam that is condensed back into a liquid.
And so you physically cannot get gluten through your system into that finished product.
There's just no way that's going to happen because it has to be steam that will then again condense back into a liquid and protein will not break down.
Right. So that's kind of why. Yeah. OK. I didn't know that. That's one to grow on.
Yeah, we had a conversation with Eric on a two ninety one. He he he can't drink or he can't do gluten. Right.
And to be sitting there sipping whiskey, you tell me I'm like, wait, wait, what does this work?
And he got to do it. So I mean, that's got it. You know, had to still have to do one.
And he's you know, he's a testament to it because he actually lives that daily.
So yeah, that's that's really fascinating. That's cool.
A little bit of a, you know, your perspective and then you as a doctor. Yeah, that was more than astronauts.
He's an explanation. Really. He's a whiskey nerd. He knows all that stuff.
So so go back, cycle back in. So, you know, we weren't beholden to a style, right?
We weren't, hey, we're only going to do American signal malts or we're only going to do bourbon.
We're only going to as sort of circle back to part of our conversation earlier in our tasting room.
We can make whatever cocktail we want, but we only can use the spirits that we produce.
So that was sort of the driving force behind some of the decisions we made.
You know, we want people to be able to come in and. Yes, try our cocktails, our own creations,
but then have stuff that's on the menu that they might be familiar with as well. Right.
To really create that cocktail experience. Yeah. And as a green to glass distillery, we didn't source any whiskey.
We didn't source anything. So the very beginning, all we had was vodka and rum. Right.
You know, so it was it made sense to go vodka and rum at the beginning.
You know, we've had we've always set out to make whiskey. Right.
We've always set out to make this product product right there for straight bourbon.
But we've had conversations like, you know. If that corn vodka becomes.
The one thing that makes us. Then we're a corn.
I say that tongue in cheek, but you know, so that that sort of gave us the freedom to do some different things.
We were one of the first distilleries in Colorado that released 100 percent wheat.
And even the people that do, it's not.
That's an inline constant product for us. Like people have wheat whiskey releases. Right.
For instance, a little bit of a segue here.
We had a Colorado distillers collaboration that we released last summer.
And seven distilleries that all made a wheat whiskey. We let it rest down at Bosch Whiskey House.
It was two ninety one us old elk woods, high mountain distillery, state 38 laws.
That's seven yet. I forget anybody. I'm really sorry. You guys.
If you have any concerns, email Jay.
So it was two fifty three gallon barrels.
And we all were able to take our portion after it aged down at laws.
And sell it for charity. So.
Urban Peak is constructing a new dorm and high school for unhoused teams.
And it sits directly halfway between laws and us.
So we both decided as entities to make that rather than just the eight thousand dollars.
It became seventy five fifteen hundred dollars. Fifteen thousand dollars.
Boy, my math is really off this morning.
We felt like we could make a greater impact that way.
So we've also got a.
We have a right whiskey that's up at Woody Creek that's going on six years.
But we just haven't gotten coordinated enough to get that one released.
But what I'm doing here is circling back around talking about community.
As much as we are competitors, we're all you know, we all want great whiskey in Colorado.
Right. You don't want someone to come here or spend seventy five dollars on a boutique bottle of a bourbon from someone from Colorado and not like it.
Right. Because you know what? They're not going to drink.
So it behooves all of us to to look out for each other.
For sure. And you know, off camera, we've talked about all the people that we know in common, you know, and it really is a close community.
And I would even, you know, the word family is probably overused, but I'm going to say it.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of like family. Yeah. Yeah.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is your Angel Share segment. Yeah. You know, and just to highlight real quick, because we always talk about every episode is but Ryan and I met foster parents.
And so and we're large. We're largely involved in our faith based communities in Colorado Springs.
And so that community element is important to us.
And so that's one thing we always like to highlight for you guys is the things that you're doing for the community.
And obviously, you talk about a lot of whiskey, but the opportunity had to do with the school here.
That sounds fantastic. And give that back. I mean, that's that's a huge thing.
And as I understand that that construction project isn't even done yet. No, they're getting close. They're getting close. I really feel like, too.
It sort of was a twofold. It's not why we did it, but I feel like we've always been supportive of those kids.
And tell us a little more about the school. Like, what do they what do they do?
So before it was just a day school and they had a few beds. But, you know, as the trajectory of our society in general, a lot more people are on house.
So they had more need, if you will. So they increase their living quarters by exponential numbers. I think they have something.
I don't want to say it's somewhere between, let's say, one and one hundred beds. I'm not sure. But it's a it's a it's really a jump up from what they had available.
Sure. So it's giving those those teams a place to feel comfortable and learn.
Sure. You know, I mean, have the opportunity to better themselves. Right. But, you know, I sort of circling back a little bit, you know, knock on wood.
We've never been tagged. You know, I kind of feel like they watch out for us as much as we watch out for them.
And so it's a positive for both of us. And so I understand that when you bought this building 12 years ago, we bought it in 2012 2012.
OK. Yeah. But you've seen this community change and you guys have kind of been a staple in it throughout that change.
And so, you know, how how have you seen that evolve? So it was we were definitely off the beaten path when we first opened.
People are like, you're where? And like, you know, you take this nondescript turn off Broadway and it was all mixed use industrial at the time.
And it was a little off putting. I mean, you know, people are like, wow, this is great. Once you get inside, you know, as all miners and cowboys.
Hey, it's a ski lodge on skid row. It's got steampunk vibe.
But it's you know, I joke, we used to take trash out at night using the buddy system.
There was always filming back. And now it's yoga pants, baby strollers.
And, you know, there's a I kind of miss the grungier element of the neighborhood, to be honest, because it was cool and edgy.
But they've definitely I mean, we're surrounded by condos now.
And yeah, this big project. Yeah. And that was not here last time.
I was like, wow, that's just throw them up. Yeah. It's been super convenient with all the construction stuff.
You know, in and out. It's been great. Ryan's Ryan's looking for a new home for his burgeoning family with his plants.
So it's a time we need some space. Yeah. Yeah.
So I kind of feel like as whiskey matures, our neighborhood is sort of matured.
But it's nice. Yeah. Yeah. Very nice.
So it's been fun to be a part of that. You know, we've got ratio has a tap house and a beer garden right around the corner.
Trash Hawk Tavern. That's usually our after work dive bar. It's probably the best new dive bar in town.
We've got the brutal poodle, which is a death metal bar right over here.
That's hilarious. Like a five star kitchen. It's hilarious.
Like everybody sitting at the bar, you know, a bunch of ruffians like, you know, but in the dining room, it's all like families.
You're in Platt Park, skinny puppies play in or it's great.
So it's an eclectic mix, you know, and a lot of times you'll see folks that took the tour at Laws and laws is building out their cocktail bar as well.
But they'll walk in and be like, oh, yeah, the tour guide down at Laws said to come get a cocktail from you guys.
And we send people down there. So it's been a fun experience watching this kind of go up around us.
Love to cycle back to the Colorado State because as a podcast, we're focused on Colorado, right.
And we love state and we love a lot of the craft. Just what you guys are doing here.
But we've kind of bounced around from the history of you. You guys kind of came up at that little bit of a boom.
Right. And you kind of cycle back a little bit later. But you guys have seen COVID, right.
You've seen the shift distilleries shifting to to hand sanitizer to put everybody's by whiskey at home.
Now they're come back to the car. A lot of things going on.
You're winning awards and national competitions.
Tell us what do you see as the future of Colorado distilling specifically and like your guys role in that?
I certainly think that Colorado in general is at the forefront.
I mean, you have your pockets of like real hotbed activity, Pennsylvania being one.
There's some great stories coming out of Pennsylvania, Colorado, of course, California.
Aren't you a big fan of Redwood Empire? Yeah, California.
So I definitely see, you know, with some miles on the tires, if you will, all of our products are just getting better.
And I'm not the collective all, you know, everybody in Colorado.
And I think as sort of the polish wears off on craft distilling, you know, a lot of people like, I've got this neighbor.
You're really going to have to hang your hat on product, craft or your macro distilled.
You know, you got to have a good product.
And I think at Bear Creek, we're there, you know, and I think there's some super sustainable brands in Colorado.
And we have the luxury of following Leopold Brothers, Stranahan, true trailblazer, right?
So we got the easy part of the sledding and those guys did a lot of the heavy lifting.
So I sort of see Colorado as almost like the Sonoma of distilled spirits.
You know, you don't tell Kentucky. Yeah, they're going for Napa.
But what what other state can you have urban experiences?
You have some great stories in the mountains. You've got distilleries in small towns.
You know, you've got super mega corporate distilleries. I mean, it's just.
As a state, I think we're sitting pretty. Yeah, we're doing what we're going to be OK.
But you got to have that. You got to get that good, good juice. Yeah.
And I think we have it. So. So you traveling around to these different competitions and understand you want a tasting competition recently or?
Not necessarily. Yeah. So we have to talk about it.
That was a world stop whiskey tasters put on by Barstown Bourbon Company.
They did it two years in 2020 and 2021. And they got to be a part of the one in 2021.
It was really cool. And that really helped me like develop a little bit more of a whiskey palate because I.
It's pretty hard to be honest. And training means trying a lot of different whiskey and trying to figure out
how to guess these things. And essentially when you're doing blind tasting, all you can really ask is like measurable things.
Right. Like that's what you're getting tests on, like proof age, Nashville producer.
So I did not win. My excuse there is I didn't know at the time, but I had covid.
Oh, that'll mess with your palate. It smells like covid.
It was outside. It was competition was outside. I let as many people know as I could once I found out.
But I turned into a super spreader.
I'm sure I'm sure the alcohol kill. Absolutely.
But yeah, I I did not have my full senses by far.
And it was really frustrating, to be honest. And I don't know if I ever get over that because I was ready.
But my name is Mike.
Sorry, your last name, Alcott, Alcott. He has a podcast, All Things Whiskey.
He won. Oh, wow. So which is kind of cool.
Actually, the two winners from both years, both lit out here. Yeah, I was going to say that I was based out here in Denver.
Mike is yeah. Yeah. Mass out on the Western. OK.
So yeah, that's kind of again, that's where my inspiration for Whiskey Fight Club came from, was based off of that.
That's cool. So I have a question as the expert. I'm terrible at pulling notes and nosing whiskey.
I just know what I like and taste. Yeah. Tastes like alcohol.
So if someone like me or someone who's who's listening or watching to this wants to help develop their palette, what would you recommend?
Sure. I mean, at the end of the day, it's just repetition, to be honest.
And there's no there's not really many tricks.
It's just you kind of have to do it a lot. It's always really helpful to taste with people because that can it's hard to say what you're thinking, right?
Or what you're tasting. Like it reminds you of something, but you can't quite put them together.
Right. It helps if you're doing it as a group because someone will throw something out and it'll insect you a little bit.
Be like, that's right. Yeah, that's kind of what that is.
Flavor wheels are really helpful tools, especially like this. It's a wheel and it has a bunch of flavors on it.
And that it's again, just kind of like jogging your memory a little bit.
Be like, what? It's something like that. It is actually strawberry. It is actually banana, whatever it is.
So again, I mentioned it like coffee was a big thing for me.
Like we really, really pushed for palate development there. And so and that's just my point to say, like it takes time.
I did that for seven years and then started doing it with whiskey and just keep drinking.
At the end of the day. Responsibly. Yeah, responsibly. 21 over, obviously.
But I mean, it's it's like if you really want to like get the most out of your whiskey, you have to lean into it.
It's easy for me to just kind of make fun of myself for it sometimes because I I definitely am not always just like grabbing a bunch of Glendcairons and like technically trying to taste everything.
I love just a glass of whiskey, like poured over a bunch of ice and drink it and enjoy it.
You can enjoy in so many different ways. It's just another aspect of that. Right.
Right. And it's and do it for fun. Like, don't do it because you are feeling peer pressure from other people.
It doesn't matter. It's all made up. Right. Like none of these things are actually added into whiskey.
If we're doing that subjective style of tasting, if you are trying to do more of a blind thing and be like, all right, how do you figure out proof?
How do you figure out age? Again, it's just going to be repetition, but focusing on different. Right.
Well, as Ryan Negley puts it right, the only thing he likes to tell people, they should be tasting his whiskey.
You're fantastic and awesome. So yeah. Yeah. I was like, that's good.
Like, you know, because I mean, there are people, you know, some Instagram folks out there that, you know, put out a lot of content stuff, you know, they seem to always taste like dessert notes, like creme brulee and all these other things, you know.
And it's just like, but then someone else is like, no, it's tastes like, you know, oatmeal or whatever. I don't know if I've ever tried creme brulee.
So I wouldn't have a reference point. There's this great, first of all, get on that. Yes.
That's almost off putting.
I'll whip some up. Okay. I mean, we'll set it up here.
So a few minutes, we'll try creme brulee and some of the offerings.
Creme brulee, bourbon, bourbon brothers and Colorado Springs. Hit it up.
Boom. Yeah. There you go.
I personally don't tell people when they ask, like, what am I going to be tasting here? Right.
I'm like, I don't know what your taste was, how they work. So I don't want to influence your palate. Right.
My favorite thing is that events and people are like, what should I try? Like any of those be good.
I like them all.
Then we'll move on.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Tasting it. It's, it is a weird thing.
And at the end of the day, like we are just trying to put our best foot forward with product and we just want people to enjoy it however they want.
And I think that's so important to be approachable.
And, and yeah, it's fun to dip your toe a little bit further in sometimes with tasting, but it's I mean, yeah, Ryan says, I mean, Ryan's just kind of tend to know everything.
Whoa. Yeah.
Ryan's are on the floor. I know a lot about a little bit.
No, no, I like that.
I'm changing my name to Ryan. I'm a Ryan.
Ryan Johnson.
Perfect.
We just, we just want you to like it.
And then if somebody wants to pick up a bottle, what does your distribution look like here in Colorado?
We're statewide.
Okay.
Yeah. We pretty much have coverage throughout the state.
Most major retailers, boutique bottle shops, bars, restaurants, golf courses.
And of course stepping in here and buying a bottle here.
Yeah, look, we'll be developing a direct consumer here soon-ish.
So you can even go online and liquor stores, depending, will can ship.
Like if you're in an area of Colorado, you know, some of the bigger ones will actually ship.
Oh, cool.
So we like to pretend we have an audience beyond the state of Colorado, you know, maybe four people.
Yeah.
Absolutely. If for the out of state folks, what's your recommendation for them?
So as an entity, we are not allowed to ship.
So we're looking for some parity with the wine industry because the wine industry, that's where they make a good chunk of the changes.
Sure.
Shipping wine. We're not allowed to do that.
But just like the other larger liquor stores can ship as well.
But there's I think out of the 50 states, 30 something you can ship to.
We're not allowed to ship to Texas, I know.
A couple spots in New England, just because their laws don't allow it.
Unfortunately, we're a little bit limited right now.
We've sent some booths up to Wyoming and Montana, primarily for now.
So if you're hearing this, grab a plane ticket, come out and visit the beautiful city of Denver, beautiful Colorado.
If you want to visit in the spring, expect both 70 degrees and snow.
So yeah, it's great for the out.
But come down and check out Meet Jay and Ryan, Billy Bob Bourbon maybe if he's out and about.
But thank you guys so much for coming on.
Really appreciate you guys hosting us.
This has been a lot of fun to get to know you guys.
And yeah, cheers. Cheers. Thank you very much.
We're going to be doing a tasting here at Bear Creek Distillery in Denver.
Ryan Stolfus is our guide today. He's got us a tour and he's going to be guiding us through.
What are we drinking today? So we got a couple of rye products.
Rye is it's got a lot to offer. There's a lot of flavor there.
It can be kind of a polarizing thing, especially when it comes to our whiskey, which I kind of love.
I think it's important to have preferences. We got to have our favorites when it comes to things.
But I do like that rye is just is what it really stands up in the glass.
But for us, we like to celebrate that in a couple of different ways with vodka.
Well, so we're going to try both of these and see if we can find a little bit of continuity.
Obviously, there's going to be some big differences there. I would hope so. Sure.
But it's kind of like we talked about when we were doing a tour.
It comes down to like the amount of distillation that is separating these categories
because these two products are starting out the exact same way.
They're only becoming different when we throw it in our still.
Obviously, the whiskey is going into a barrel and the vodka is not.
But they start as pretty much the same thing. So they're both 100 percent rye and grain.
How many distillations is the vodka gone?
So we kind of say that we do five times distilled vodka.
And that is, again, just to get that proof point up to 190 proof.
And that's why we celebrate that with vodka or put that on our labels is we are doing it a bunch of times,
got to get up to 190 proof so we can legally now call it vodka.
But we are still allowing the soul of that grain to come through because our rye vodka is going to have a little bit of that
sort of spicy, oily, almost briny character.
And we love that because we do a lot of cocktails here.
Right. And turns out that works very well in a heavier cocktail like a Bloody Mary, perhaps where you have those big, rich flavors.
The vodka actually comes through.
It kind of helps to balance things out a little bit. And we love it in that regard.
You know, it's it's kind of its own thing.
I mean, I never expect everyone to like everything we make.
That's insane. You should.
But we love it.
For sure. And I do as well. Not a biased opinion at all.
But I think, you know, as Jay mentioned a while ago in our interview,
if you're a vodka purist looking for something that is completely neutral, this is not really that.
And that's OK. We're just trying to craft something that's a little bit different.
Again, this is an organic dark northern rye that we're getting from Heartland Mills.
Rye is a fickle grain.
You know, it is a very starchy product.
I've talked about baking maybe too much, but I can't help it.
You know, rye bread is a tough, tough thing to handle.
But the flavor is incredible. Yes, absolutely.
And it is the same way when you're when you're mashing.
You know, it's a sticky grain. It is sticking to everything.
We have this big, looks like a metal paddle that sometimes left like chip away at things
or break up these basketball sized chunks of rye flour because it's just like that starch is bringing it together in like glue.
So it's not an easy thing to work with.
But man, the flavor is something.
Well, and, you know, I can never say I would like to nose a vodka.
But this actually, there's no there's not that rubbing alcohol medicinal note on it at all.
It smells organic and earthy with, you know, it's got a heavier almost smells sweet.
It does. I was going to say it smells really sweet today.
I think you get something different out of it most times, but it's sweet, maybe even like a splash of vanilla.
You know, yeah. Yeah. Which, again, you said it well.
Like I don't this is weird for me to be like, oh, vodka.
Wow. I mean, it's usually it's really dark, you know, just stick your nose in it.
But here it's not. Yeah. As a I mean, I'm a big fan of the whiskey category,
but I love coming back to our vodkas and just remembering like they have so much to offer for sure.
Yeah. So well, yeah. Cheers. Let's give the whole face. Yeah.
That's interesting. And it's not it's not like tasting.
It doesn't have that heavy liquor taste you get with vodka. Right.
It's it's kind of got almost a sort of fruit like.
I'm going like if we're going through, I'd go like a dried fruit of some sort, almost like a little raisiny.
I mean, it's like a little bit of a
little raisiny or like a prune or a darker sort of Japanese white fruit.
I don't know. Oh, man. Yeah.
Hey, the kiwi once it was crazy.
It's like lychee. That's what that's I'm getting a lychee taste.
It's almost got a lychee call out. Yeah, I like that.
Little getting a little appley.
I'm sorry if I totally misregioned that fruit, but that's on you.
No, it's it's it's really good.
And you can you could sip that without.
Yeah, yeah. So I will say Laws Whiskey House, the owner, Al Laws, whenever he comes in here, this is his drink.
He gets just a straight vodka, a double rye vodka over rice.
Interesting. Straight to the dome. Yeah.
On the finish, on the finish, I almost got some like that herbal herbal taste, almost like a gin.
But without without the heavy gin. Yeah.
As soon as you said that, I feel like I did get more of that like sweeter, more herby sort of.
Yeah. Finish on it.
That's really good. Finish on a vodka. What a thought.
I can imagine what this tastes like in a Moscow mule or something.
It's pretty awesome. Yeah.
It's actually pretty awesome because again, like we're it's still a vodka cocktail,
but we're actually able to layer on some flavor just from that.
It's really fun. I would I'd rename it to Denver Mule for sure.
There you go. We what do we call ours?
The Denver Donkey. Denver Donkey. There you go.
Yeah, there you go. That's also the name of your football team, right?
Absolutely. Get them donkeys. Come on.
This is our year. So what do we got here?
All right. So moving on to a slightly different looking liquid, it's going to be our rye whiskey.
Both of these, again, are made out of 100 percent rye grain.
So really just changing our distillation techniques a little bit and then taking a few years longer to produce it because we're aging it that barrel.
So again, we're using those 30 gallon barrels for this product.
So a little bit of a smaller barrel. So we're always going to be aged two and two and a half years on this.
I really like our rye whiskey for its sweetness.
It's really fun to share with people and you tell them, like, this is 100 percent rye grain.
And that's a little intimidating if you're not necessarily a big rye fan.
Like, because I mean, I'm a big fan of, like, a big, rich, spicy rye.
Old overholder, something like that, where it's just like, oh, yeah, it was definitely.
That's really cool. But this shows kind of the opposite side of that, where you do get some sweetness.
You do get a little bit more fruit. Obviously, we're going to have some spice.
I want some spice. I'm telling you, it's a rye whiskey.
But I do believe that it's a bit more approachable in that regard.
Yeah. It smells off the nose like bourbon drinkers with rye because it's.
Yeah. You can smell the sweetness.
Yeah. Which, again, I love that it's 100 percent rye.
And like being from Kentucky and I always laugh when I say it.
I feel like my coworkers are so tired of me saying that.
It's like it's like my point of credibility.
Yeah. So it's like when you're vegan and you just gotta let everybody know, right?
So that's the bottom end now.
Cool. But a lot of ryes coming out of there have a pretty substantial amount of corn
because we like sweet things there.
Like, it's just that's what it is because bourbon is sweet.
So rye to compete is usually that.
But it is just rye. And still, like, I love what Jeff is doing with it.
I appreciate the fact that it's an organic grain.
We don't list that anywhere on our bottle.
I just appreciate the owners wanting to support that sustainability.
Doesn't make it good, right?
You can still mess it up.
I appreciate that choice.
I mean, off the nose, you know, this is not messed up.
This is for sure. Yeah.
Still get a little bit of that fruit.
I think it's got some good darker, richer fruits to it.
I'm getting obviously the strong caramel vanilla notes.
I mean, kind of common, right?
Little spice. It's still one of their like, absolutely.
It is like I hope those.
That's one of my favorite things about ryes.
It's got that like I love vanilla.
So like the heavier vanilla notes and stuff that comes through with a little bit like
baking Christmas spices, my favorite thing to do.
Right. So like that's where absolutely.
Yeah. Well, here's yours.
And I almost forget that.
I didn't know.
I'm a cheerleading guy.
Or guess if I want the edits on that one.
That's really good. It's really smooth.
Yeah. You get.
I think another taste. Yeah.
It's just I don't know.
It's great. It gets very Christmasy.
I like that.
You said that we like to talk about how rye is spicy.
And I think when we say that, we're referencing a lot of like the sensation.
Yeah. Like that sort of tingly sort of feel.
And you do get a little bit of that.
Yeah. It's not overpowering.
Yeah. It's it's just nice.
And those like clean baking spices come through.
Yeah. Kind of backed up by a little bit of that sort of darker.
Yeah. I think that that's like the allspice pepper.
Yeah, I'm getting that little bit of dark like stone fruit.
You get that like baked bread flavor coming off the finish there, too.
Absolutely. Well, I think.
Yeah, that's good.
Hmm. Yeah, that's nice.
I mean, you can it's it's very dynamic.
I feel like a lot of our spirits.
I mean, that's how drinking is, right?
Like things can change depending on like what you've had to eat today.
Your food, whether like your health, like.
And that's kind of fun, kind of annoying.
If you taste something, it's just like, this is the best thing I've ever had.
And then you just can't replicate it.
That's a little annoying.
But like, I like how it's dynamic and today is just tasting so good.
The spices are so clean and clear.
Well, it's we've got a cool kind of a a wintry spring day.
That's that helps. Yeah.
Well, it's really interesting, too, because comparing it
just immediately after the rye vodka, you can just really taste the
the the rye notes that are still existent.
It's pretty cool, right?
I love that.
I appreciate the call on vanilla like when you're looking for rye whiskeys.
I do think that comes out a little bit in the vodka as well.
Yeah, which is kind of fun.
And then.
You know, the the thing that some especially young rye
and two year old rye often they have like a have a kind of musty oak flavor
that can come with it.
This doesn't like I don't taste any oak in here at all.
Yeah, it's it's got everything else you want.
I feel like you get a little bit of it on the nose, but on the palate doesn't really.
Yeah, yeah.
And even even the finish, right, where you are that
that heavy oak flavor can kind of linger is kind of that nasty kind of cardboard taste.
You know, sure. But yeah, it's
yeah, it's like we're talking about on the tour.
It's pros and cons to barrel sizes, right?
Like, yeah, just this will never taste like something that's aged in a 53 gallon barrel
and vice versa.
And there's I think that there's.
Good enough pros and cons to both.
Right. I think that you put your best foot forward,
follow best practices on your distillation process comes to aging in a barrel.
Absolutely. Yeah.
Well, Ryan, thank you so much.
This has been fantastic.
Yeah, and you guys are awesome.
And if you guys are in the area in Denver, please stop by their tasting room.
Ask for a Denver donkey with that.
Ask for a Denver donkey.
And I'm not talking about the football team either.
I'm talking about their their right down here.
No one gets what you're saying.
All the Niner fans.
Well, I promise it's going to be in there.
So, Ryan, thank you very much.
Appreciate it. And guys, come check it out.
Thanks.