First frost

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.