Move Over Scotch: Bushmills and Stranahan's Lead the Charge in Single Malt Innovation

One is the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, with over 400 years of history. The other is a pioneering American distillery barely two decades old. Yet, both Bushmills Irish Whiskey and Stranahan’s American Single Malt are redefining the single malt landscape. And neither are from Scotland.

First distilling whiskey as far back as 1608, today Bushmills owns the largest reserves of aged Irish single malt whiskey in the entire world. That’s one reason they continue to be the only Irish whiskey producer able to continually release novel, aged whiskeys on an annual basis. But the distillery is not resting on its laurels.

Bushmills is the #1 most-awarded Irish single malt and continues to honor its steadfast commitment to making some of the world’s greatest single malt whiskey for over 400 years. Over the past few years, Bushmills has released the Rare Cask Series, the limited edition Private Reserve Collection, and multiple permanent additions to the portfolio, including the 25 and 30 year olds, earning countless prestigious awards for each.

Last year, Bushmills opened its new, state-of-the-art Causeway Distillery next to the old distillery, more than doubling single malt production and achieving one of the biggest developments in Irish whiskey in over 200 years. It was named after The Giant’s Causeway, once a bridge connecting Ireland to Scotland, and surely one of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural phenomenons, located just three miles away. The distillery features walls carved of basalt rock, the same material that forms the pillars of The Giant’s Causeway, and boasts cutting-edge distillation technologies. This allows Bushmills to be energy efficient while achieving the same signature flavor each and every time.

Bushmills has continued to find ways to reinvent itself and remain relevant to whiskey fans; and is unquestionably poised to lead the single malt world for the next four centuries.

While a much newer brand across the pond located in Denver, Colorado is reinventing the Single Malt Category in the US with its American Single Malts. Founded in 2004 as Colorado’s first legal distillery since Prohibition, Stranahan’s was one of the first single malts ever distilled in America and quickly became the best-selling and most-awarded American single malt. From its earliest days, Stranahan’s founders George Stranahan and Jess Graber would produce a 100% malted barley whiskey using Rocky Mountain water and age it in new charred oak barrels, something that immediately differentiated it from both Scotch and Japanese single malt.

These early decisions by Stranahan and Graber would help define and then usher in the American single malt whiskey category, as well as the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, of which Stranahan’s is a longtime, proud member. The distillery is committed to building recognition and admiration for the category as a whole in the US and across the globe.

They likewise continue to build recognition and admiration for the Stranahan’s brand with a series of exciting releases over the years including Blue Peak, Sherry Cask, Diamond Peak Batch #3: Caribbean Rum Cask, Mountain Angel 10-Year-Old, and Snowflake, a limited yearly release that elicits eager fans who wait in the snow every December to score a bottle. To celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary, Strahanan’s also recently opened Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge - its new home away from (its Denver Distillery) home. Innovative cocktails, pours from rare Lodge- and distillery-only bottles, Alpine-inspired bites, and majestic mountain views come together as Aspen’s hottest new après ski destination.

Bushmills and Stranahan’s stand as testaments to the enduring appeal and versatility of single malt whiskey, each shaping their respective categories in profound ways. From the centuries-old traditions of Bushmills to the trailblazing spirit of Stranahan’s, both distilleries showcase the artistry and innovation that define the world of whiskey today. As they continue to push boundaries and earn accolades, they not only honor their legacies but also inspire the future of single malt on a global stage.

Now is the time to expand your repertoire and taste the history of single malts, past and present.