Breckenridge Distillery

Breckenridge Buddies Craft New Whiskey-Beer Bromance

There is nothing, nothing, like a day at the ski hill with friends. It’s simply the complete package, adrenaline-fueled outdoor adventure, ample time on the chair to bond, and, never forget, the après ski and snowboard session where well-earned whiskies and ales are consumed over nostalgia and nachos. Which brings us to what may be the ultimate combo of on and off-piste alchemy: the Breckenridge Buddy Pass. Ordering a “beer and a shot” will never be quite the same, thanks to the new partnership between Breckenridge Distillery and Breckenridge Brewery. The bond between the Breck buddies is more than branding however, the Buddy Pass celebrates the barrel exchange program between the two award-winning Colorado producers. And you don’t have to hit the Rockies’ Ten Mile Range to enjoy this duo. Both the Imperial Stout Cask Whiskey and Imperial Oatmeal Stout ale will be sold side-by-side at retailers across the U.S. At its core, the Buddy Pass illustrates the symbiosis and symmetry that often develops over years of friendship and collaboration, a little like sharing a day picking off Breck’s famous 5 Peaks with twin twigs and snowboard under feet. Breckenridge Brewery crafted an Imperial Oatmeal Stout in the original brewery as a tribute to the first beer they ever brewed there. The stout was then aged in Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon barrels to add texture and flavor.

Borrowing barrels is not unlike grabbing a snow shovel from a neighbor or strapping on a friend’s pair of skis when in the market for an upgrade. Located just about three miles apart from one another, the brewery returned the barrels to Breckenridge Distillery where they were promptly filled with whisky to age for upwards of 13 months. Essentially, these long-time business and beverage bedfellows shared the same comforter. Barrel sharing is hardly a no-brainer, according to Hans Stafsholt, Head Distiller at Breckenridge Distillery. “There’s a reason that it’s rare to find these types of beer/whisky collaborations,” he says. “There’s a limited window of time from when the beer is removed and the whiskey should be added. As time passes, undesirable flavors [would] start to develop in the barrels.” Like finding the best powder stash on a local hill, Breckenridge Brewery and Breckenridge Distillery were able to collaborate quickly to avoid other barrel mishaps like leaking and reduction in overall taste quality. While there were no reported barrel-rolling slalom races between the brewery and the distillery, the brewers were able to collect the barrels and fill them with Imperial stout the same day they'd been emptied of whiskey. The bourbon’s high alcohol content served a second purpose, it prevented harmful microbes from growing inside the barrel. The results remain a sipper’s delight, a practice long associated with premier bourbon but not always afforded to beer. The Breckenridge Brewery’s Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout carries this cache, however, a velvety robust beer with dark chocolate-covered cherry, espresso and toffee notes that definitely deserves to be tasted over time.

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