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Craft Distillery

than filtration, reduced in proof to exactly 100 Spirit Hound Distillers also produces rum, vodka,
proof and produced by one distiller at a single dis- liquors and three styles of gin. The distillery uses
tillery in one season. “Bottled in bond whiskeys or fresh Rocky Mountain water to cut the proof.
whiskies are kind of rare,” Engelhorn said, “so for a “The water makes a difference,” Engelhorn told
small distillery, this makes an important statement. Beverage Master Magazine. “We’re in the St. Vrain
Unless you know what to look for on the label, you Watershed, and the water is naturally delicious.
may not know the source of what you are drinking. We use it right as it comes in: We do not have to
With a bottled-in-bond label, you know exactly chemically adjust it or filter it. It’s low in minerals
where it comes from.” and gives our spirits a soft mouthfeel and some
sweetness.” The distillery also uses locally sourced
In addition to its Straight Malt Whisky and its Cask juniper for their gins, and has a deal with locals that
Strength Malt Whisky, Spirit Hound Distillers also if they bring in fresh berries, they will receive a free
creates a Colorado Honey Whisky. In partnership drinks or bottle depending on how much they bring
with a local apiary, Bee Squared, the distillery pro- in.
vides the apiary with spent malt whisky barrels, and
the apiary uses them to age raw honey, rotating After 10 years, the folks at Spirit Hound Distillers
the barrel once a day. When the apiary empties the have clearly succeeded in their mission to produce
honey, they give the barrels back to Spirit Hound high-quality hand-crafted spirits. Average produc-
Distillers, who then age their malt whisky in the tion is seven barrels, or 53 gallons a month, with
honey barrel for an additional 90 days. According an annual case production of 6,000-7000 bottles.
to Engelhorn, the whisky compliments the natural With 14 employees, the distillery has distribution
honey in the barrel, and adds a touch of sweetness. in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas. “We’re in the
The Colorado Honey Whisky is a limited production business of fun,” Engelhorn said. “If we’re not hav-
because honey is not always available. It is easily ing fun doing our jobs, we’re missing something.”
the distillery’s best seller, Engelhorn said.
While Engelhorn can take pride in his accomplish-
ments, he is not resting on his laurels, and, in true
hound dog fashion, is always ready to overcome
whatever challenge comes his way. In fact, such a
challenge hit in 2020 when the state shut down the
distillery (among other facilities) because of COVID.
But once again, Engelhorn and crew turned lemon
into lemonade: they converted vodka-like spirits
into disinfectant sanitizer and distributed it to first
responders, healthcare workers, public servants,
and local businesses. “Again, this was a silver lin-
ing for us,” Engelhorn said. “The tasting room was
closed, but if they came in here to pick up hand
sanitizer— one customer at a time — they would
often buy whiskey while they were here.”

In the meantime, Engelhorn hopes to expand
regional distribution, as he would like Spirit Hound
Distillers to be known as one of the most premium
products coming out of Colorado. Judging by the
past— and the relentless spirit of the hound dog—
odds are likely that he will achieve that goal.

For more information on
Spirit Hound Distillers, visit...
www.spirithounds.com

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