Colorado Springs, Colo. – Ten years ago, following the events of 9/11, Michael Myers made a life changing career decision – he left his role as a NYC-based fashion photographer to become the owner and founding distiller of 291 Colorado Whiskey in Colorado Springs. A decade later that decision has resulted in more than 150 awards for 291 whiskeys including “World’s Best Rye Whiskey” and “World’s Best Wheat Whiskey” from the World Whiskies Awards and multiple Liquid Gold designations from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
“What started as a need for a fresh start led to one of the fastest growing whiskey brands to come out of Colorado,” said Myers. “The first whiskey came off our still on 9/11 of 2011, an anniversary date that will always hold so many memories and emotions.”
The Distillery, which Myers first built in a 300-square-foot space in downtown Colorado Springs, recently expanded into a 24,000-square-foot location. 291 has also increased its production capacity to over 2,000 gallons a month and grown its distribution footprint outside of its home state into national and international markets including Canada, Europe and the UK.
To celebrate the anniversary milestone, 291 will host a series of events open to the public and sell a limited anniversary 291 X Whiskey release. Pre-orders for the anniversary whiskey, a seven-year-old whiskey, presented at 148.7 proof, will be taken on the 291 website – “Tasting Room to-go”, and the whiskey will be available for pick-up at the tasting room.
Here are 10 facts in honor of 291’s 10th anniversary that you may not have known:
- The original whiskey still and column are made from copper photogravure plates. Using what he already had, Myers handbuilt the still from copper photography plates that feature picturesque scenes from western landscapes to NYC’s Chrysler Building.
- An accidental recipe led to awards. After a double dose of malted rye was accidentally added to their bourbon recipe one day, the distillery thought they’d just let it ride. The result? 291 HR a high rye bourbon whiskey won Double-Gold at 2020’s San Francisco Spirits Competition.
- After the whiskey is finished aging, local Aspen staves are toasted over Aspen charcoal and placed in each barrel. This process contributes to the Colorado whiskey’s original taste and is a staple of the distillery.
- The El Paso County Process. Created and named by 291, “The El Paso Process” takes a finished beer, boils off the alcohol, and uses a percentage of that stillage, mixing into the grains and water of the next batch.
- Before 291, Myers never even homebrewed, let alone distill. With help from books and YouTube videos, he was able to learn a bit about both – and built the DSP-CO-15023 in a 300sqft basement and then grew to move into Bristol Brewery’s old location in Colorado Springs, before moving into their newest location.
- The distillery is named after Alfred Stieglitz’s famous early 1900’s art gallery called “291.” Myers, while a student at Savannah College of Art and Design, became fascinated by Stieglitz’s gallery, as Myers’ dorm room also happened to be Room #291.
- 291 has had cameos on multiple TV shows. Without any paid product placement, 291 has been spotted in The Ranch, Silicon Valley and Ozark, to name a few.
- The bottle’s cage-and-cork design is reminiscent of the Wild West and…nitroglycerin. As seen in an old western, nitroglycerin was transported across bumpy terrain while wired in a wagon.
- The distillery and brand were built on blood, sweat, tears…and Gucci. When he first started 291, Myers’ Gucci boots became the distillery work boots. Today, the worn-out boots are displayed in the distillery proudly as a reminder of hard work and an old life.
About 291 Colorado Whiskey
291 Colorado Whiskey is a uniquely American story – honoring the Western whiskey of a bygone era, 291 is the passion project of a former New York City fashion photographer and was first created in a small basement from a one-of-a-kind still constructed from old copper photographic plates. 291 is Hardmade the Colorado Way, grain to barrel to bottle, and the distillery’s whiskeys are finished with toasted staves of Colorado aspen trees. 291 has been earning awards and recognition since its first runs off the still in 2011. 291 was awarded the World’s Best Wheat Whiskey in 2021 and World’s Best Rye Whiskey in 2018, Best American Wheat in 2021and our white whiskeys awarded Best American New Make in 2021 and 2020 by the World Whiskies Awards. The distillery has also earned 9 Liquid Gold designations from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and similar high-altitude recognition from The San Francisco International Spirits Competition, The American Whiskey Masters, The SIP Awards, and numerous other competitions and publications. To learn more about 291 Colorado Whiskey, visit Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube or visit: 291ColoradoWhiskey.com. Rugged, Refined, Rebellious
For More Information:
https://distillery291.com