Leopold Bros.

Last updated
Leopold Bros.
Type Private
Industry Distilled beverages
Founded Ann Arbor, Michigan (1999)
Headquarters Denver, Colorado
Key people
Scott Leopold, Todd Leopold
Products Gin
Vodka
Absinthe
Fernet
Whiskey
Liqueur
Aperitivo
Website www.leopoldbros.com

Leopold Bros. is a family-owned and operated distillery located in Denver, Colorado. They are well known as an independent distillery that floor malts, mills, mashes, and ferments all the grains in their spirits, as well as distills, ages, and bottles their entire portfolio at their one and only distillery in northeast Denver. They currently have the largest traditional floor malting room of any distillery in the United States, where they malt Colorado barley onsite.

Contents

Leopold Bros distills over twenty hand-numbered, small-batch products, all made from scratch and natural ingredients, which are distributed in over twenty states, the District of Columbia, and parts of Europe. Among the distinctive methods used by Leopold Bros. is the separate distillation of each botanical used in flavoring its products prior to blending and final distillation. [1] Many have won awards in international competitions. [2] [3] [4] [5]

History

Brothers Scott and Todd Leopold, opened a brewpub on South Main Street at the site of a renovated brake factory in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1999. Later, operations expanded to include a micro-distillery. Todd Leopold, brew- and still-master for the brewery, after graduating from the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, interned in four German breweries, and went to distilling school in Lexington, Kentucky. Scott Leopold, an environmental engineer, was crucial in the design stages attempting to create as near a zero-pollution factory as possible. [6] The microbrewery operated as an "eco-brewery" using organic hops and barley, and used equipment and procedures designed to reduce wastewater and other waste by-products in the beer-making process. [7] [8]

Leopold Bros. closed its Ann Arbor location in the Spring of 2008, relocating to Denver, where it discontinued brewing and began operating as a micro-distillery alone. [9] [10] To keep up with exploding demand, Leopold Bros. opened a new facility with triple the production capacity of their previous facility, which also includes one of only a few malting floors at a distillery outside of Scotland. [11] [1] Many have won awards in international competitions [2] [3] [4] [5] They received Distillery of the Year award from the American Distilling Institute in 2015.

Spirits

Whiskies

Liqueurs

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whisky</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Glenlivet distillery</span> Distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky

The Glenlivet distillery is a distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet, and the production place of the Scottish whisky of the same name. It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since. The distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression and its only closure came during World War II. The Glenlivet distillery has grown in the post-war period to become one of the biggest single malt distilleries. The Glenlivet brand is the biggest selling single malt whisky in the United States and the second biggest selling single malt brand globally after Glenfiddich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle Rare</span>

Eagle Rare is a brand of bourbon whiskey distilled and distributed by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Eagle Rare is 90 proof bourbon, aged for either 10 or 17 years, depending on the variety. It was introduced in 1975 and is distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beefeater Gin</span>

Beefeater Gin is a brand of gin owned by Pernod Ricard and bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom. Beefeater remained in the control of its founding Burrough family until 1987. It is a 47% or 44% alcohol product in the US, and a 40% alcohol product elsewhere in the world. The Beefeater distillery is one of 24 in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dos Lunas Tequila</span>

Dos Lunas is a line of 100% blue agave tequilas produced in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, by Dos Lunas Spirits, LLC, headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The brand has the first triple-distilled silver tequila, a month aged Reposado, 18 month aged Añejo and 10 year old Extra Añejo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCormick Distilling Company</span> United States historic place

McCormick Distilling Company is a distillery and alcoholic beverage importing company in Weston, Missouri. Established by Ben Holladay in 1856, the distillery has been registered in the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest distillery west of the Mississippi River that is still operating at its original location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microdistillery</span>

A microdistillery is a small, often boutique-style distillery established to produce beverage grade spirit alcohol in relatively small quantities, usually done in single batches. While the term is most commonly used in the United States, micro-distilleries have been established in Europe for many years, either as small cognac distilleries supplying the larger cognac houses, or as distilleries of single malt whisky originally produced for the blended Scotch whisky market, but whose products are now sold as niche single malt brands. The more recent development of micro-distilleries can now also be seen in locations as diverse as London, Switzerland, and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulleit Bourbon</span> Brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey

Bulleit Bourbon is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced at the Bulleit Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky and the Bulleit Distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, for the Diageo beverage conglomerate. It is characterized by a high rye content for a bourbon and being aged at least six years. It is bottled at 45% abv for the US, Canadian, British, Dutch and Mexican markets. For Australian and Danish markets, it is bottled at 40% abv. It is also sold in Germany, Norway and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clontarf (whiskey)</span> Irish brand, produced in County Cork

Clontarf 1014 is a triple distilled Irish whiskey produced by the Clontarf Whiskey Company, a subsidiary of Castle Brands Inc. Originally called "Clontarf," the whiskey takes its name from the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 in which Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, defeated an army of Vikings.

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery is a popular whiskey distillery located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee that produces different varieties of Tennessee whiskey and bourbons. The distillery, located at 1414 Clinton St. Nashville, Tennessee 37203, offers daily tours and tastings as well as a large mercantile shop with bottles, barware and apparel available for purchase. As of summer 2023, Nelson's Green Brier Distillery will open a restaurant and bar as well as several private event and dining spaces available to rent for corporate functions, weddings and celebrations of varying sizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willett Distillery</span>

Willett Distillery, also known as Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), Ltd., is a private family-owned and -operated company that produces bourbon and rye whiskey. Over the years the company has bottled whiskeys that range from 2 years of aging maturity up to 28 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catoctin Creek Distilling Company</span>

The Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, which operates under the trade name of Catoctin Creek, is the first legal distillery in Loudoun County, Virginia since prohibition. The distillery is a certified organic and kosher microdistillery in Purcellville, Virginia that produces brandy, rye whiskey, and gin from local fruit, organic grain and Virginia wine.

Benjamin Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey is a brand of Tennessee whiskey produced in the small community of Kelso, Tennessee in the United States. Although it is produced by one of only two distilleries operating in Lincoln County – and its unaged variation is named Lincoln County Lightning – Prichard's is not produced using the Lincoln County Process. Due to a special grandfathering exemption under a Tennessee law enacted in 2013, the Prichard's distillery in Kelso is the only producer allowed to label its product as "Tennessee Whiskey" without using this process. Prichard's whiskey is produced entirely using pot stills rather than column stills.

Peach Street Distillers is a privately owned brewery and distillery in Palisade, Colorado. It was established in November 2005 by Rory Donovan with Bill Graham and David Thibodeau, the co-founders of Ska Brewing Company in Durango, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copper Fox Distillery</span>

Copper Fox Distillery is a distillery that produces American whiskey in Sperryville, Virginia and Williamsburg, VA. The owner and operator of Copper Fox Distillery is Rick Wasmund.

Fog's End Distillery is one of the first pioneers in California's craft distilling movement. The distillery is located in Gonzales, California. The distillery produces a range of moonshine spirits, under the direction of Head Distiller Craig Pakish. Fog's End is known for producing award-winning small batch runs of Moonshine, Rum, and Gin.

Stark Spirits Distillery is an artisan distillery in Pasadena, California, that produces a range of alcoholic beverages under the direction of Head Distiller Greg Stark. The microdistillery is owned by husband and wife, Greg Stark and Karen Robinson-Stark. It is Pasadena's first microdistillery. Stark Spirits is a Certified Craft Distillery, certified by the American Distilling Institute. The Pasadena micro-distillery is known for producing hand crafted small batches of whiskey, rum, gin, and brandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASW Distillery</span> American liquor manufacturer

ASW Distillery is a manufacturer of liquor located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the second legally licensed distillery in Atlanta since the end of American Prohibition and distilled the first single malt whiskey in Atlanta history. In 2018, the distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey became Georgia's first-ever Double Gold Medal Whiskey, as judged by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Distillery 291 is a whiskey distillery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrö Distillery Company</span> Finnish rye distillery company

Kyrö Distillery Company is a Finnish rye distillery founded in a sauna in 2012. Kyrö uses 100 percent Finnish rye to produce rye gin and rye whisky. In 2015, Kyrö Napue Gin, formerly known as Napue, won the Best Gin for Gin & Tonic category in the International Wine and Spirit competition. In August 2020 Kyrö launched its rye whisky, Kyrö Malt. To support health care workers during COVID-19, Kyrö started producing hand sanitizer. Through the sales of hand sanitizer, the company managed to avoid layoffs, and they have continued in production.

References

  1. 1 2 Felten, Eric, "American entrants in the gin game", Wall Street Journal (April 11, 2009)
  2. 1 2 "Schniper, Matthew. "High spirits", Colorado Springs Independent (March 5, 2009)". Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Douglas, "Absinthe emerges from the shadows", Denver Post (July 23, 2008)
  4. 1 2 Brown, Douglas, "Reviving the spirits", Denver Post (October 8, 2008)
  5. 1 2 Fillion, Roger, "Spirited times for craft industry", Rocky Mountain News (October 25, 2008)
  6. Hogg, A.J., “Leopold Brothers Brewery: Two brothers brew up an idea, and end up distilling the essence of sustainability”, Michigan Daily (February 7, 2006)
  7. Tsu, Bonnie, "Ann Arbor's other side", Boston Globe (March 23, 2005)
  8. Enders, David, "Leopold's expands its niche", Michigan Daily (October 16, 2002)
  9. Berman, Jillian “Popular A2 bar Leopold Bros. to close this summer”, Michigan Daily (February 7, 2008)
  10. Mathis, Jo and Gershman, Dave, "Ann Arbor brewpub to split for Denver", Ann Arbor News (February 6, 2008) Archived October 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Peterson, Eric, "A Week for the Ages: Distilleries Leopold Bros. and Laws Whiskey House Open Doors in Denver", Confluence Denver (November 12, 2014)
  12. IWSC 2008 Results Archived 2008-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "WSC 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  14. "2009 Best in Show Awards, San Francisco World Spirits Competition" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2009-04-09.

Further reading