I wish I had a camera

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Posted: 01/30/08

I am sitting here at my desk in the still house having just selected the 10 barrels that will become batch 17.  The stills are in front of me behind them a window.  The warm morning sun is softly spilling over the smooth copper contours of the wash still’s hand made body.  To the left of the wash still is the “new spirit” tank.  It is made of stainless steel and is glinting in brilliant contrast.  Sitting on top of the new spirit tank are 10 bottles filled with cask samples from the selected barrels, no label just the whiskey in the bottle.  They are filled with spirit directly out of the barrel, unfiltered and uncut, one sample per barrel.  Each bottle has its own distinct hue of amber.  The morning light is streaming through them and casting soft warm light around the room like stained glass.  The whole room has a caramel sweet glow- and in the time it took me to write this down the position of the sun has drifted the light has changed and the moment is gone.  Wish I had a camera.

What to drink, what to drink , what to drink? SCW Cocktail recipes.

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Posted: 03/05/08

Something I commonly hear from people is “I love Stranahan’s so much, what are some recipes for cocktails using Stranahan’s?”.  After thousands of hours of experimentation and trial and error I have a few tried and true recipes I would like to share with you.

The Denver Mint

1 1/2 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey

SImple Syrup

Fresh mint

Soda water

Crushed Ice

In a tall glass add a sprig of fresh mint, a small amount of ice, muddle till mint is lightly bruised.  Add simple syrup to taste (approx. 1-2 tbps) , add 1 1/2 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, fill glass with crushed ice, fill rest of glass with soda water.  Stir and garnish with fresh mint sprig.  This cocktail is sweet and refreshing bursting with bright spring flavors.

The Mile High Manhattan

3 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
Sweet Vermouth
Maraschino Cherry

In a tumbler of ice, pour 3 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, shake vigorously.  Swirl one drop sweet vermouth in a chilled martini glass.  Pour tumbler through strainer into martini glass and garnish with cherry.  A sophisticated cocktail, delicate and herbaceous.

Stranahan’s Press

Pour 1 1/2 oz. Stranahan’s in a highball glass of ice, top with 2/3 soda water, 1/3 Sprite or 7-up.  Garnish with lemon rind if desired.   A refreshing light cocktail for a warm spring afternoon or a night out on the town.

Aspen Ice Melter

1 1/2 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
1 wedge fresh lemon
Cloves
Honey
Hot water

In a coffee mug or appropriate glass, pour 1 1/2 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, add honey to taste (approx. 1 tbps), add bruised wedge of lemon with 3-4 clove in rind, fill rest of glass with hot water.  Sure to take the frost off you nose after a day on the slopes.

Rocky Mountain Old Fashioned

3 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
Rind of organic orange
Simple syrup
Aromatic Bitters
Maraschino cherry
Crushed ice

In a double old fashioned glass, place a small amount of simple syrup, one drop aromatic bitters and maraschino cherry, muddle.  Take orange rind from wedge and flame it, rim glass, and add flamed orange rind to muddled mixture in glass.  Top with 3 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, add ice and stir.  A classic cocktail worthy of the complex preparation.

Stranahan’s On The Rockies

3 oz Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey over ice cubes made from Eldorado Springs Bottled Water.  A Rocky Mountain double header- Colorado whiskey and Colorado spring water.  Can’t improve on perfection.

Cheers, hope you enjoy these recipes and please feel free to send me any you come up with.  Jake

First frost

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First frost

Posted: 11/07/07

With the first frost the growing seasons ends and fall is here. Leaves and a chill are in the air, and I am ready to curl up next to the fire and enjoy a Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey. With fall comes one of my favorite traditions- The Great American Beer festival. This year was a great GABF, we made lots of friends and drank some great beer. Some of the shining stars that stick out in my memory are the coffee porter from Dry Dock brewery in Aurora Co, the Oscar Blues’ “Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey barrel aged” Gordon, and a 14 year old smoked porter from the Alaskan brewing company. Talk about a haunting beer, we had the pleasure to sample that same smoked porter at 14 years, 11 years and 8 years, i felt like a beer archeologist. I had the pleasure of sampling the latter at the judges late night party after the very last session. We were invited to attend the party by PINK BOOTS AKA Terri Fahrendorf The traveling brewer and her Husband Jon Graber. We showed up with bottles in hand to insure our entry. It was a ton of fun, knee deep in industry nerd talk about fermentation and yeast subtleties. I joined my ‘long lost brother’ Brad and a handful of other judges, brewers, and nare-do-wells for a night that should last me……. about a year.

The GABF was not all fun and libation, we did have to work. We toured hundreds of people through the distillery in just a few short days. It is all a blur of faces, handshakes, and smiles, but I came away with renewed enthusiasm and vigor. I work in a vacuum of sorts, sitting here in the distillery all day alone. Watching gauges, testing spirit, lugging heavy barrels, I sometimes forget what it is that I am doing here. I am making whiskey. I forget that it is exciting, and some times it takes an outside influence to remind you.