Stranahan's New Aspen Lodge Has an Exclusive Calvados Cask Offering

More than two decades ago, Jess Graber was a volunteer firefighter in Woody Creek, Colorado, and was called to a barn fire at the home of George Stranahan, a longtime craft brewer and whiskey aficionado. After the flames were extinguished, a spark ignited between the two gentlemen over a passion for whiskey. That bond quickly burgeoned and, in 2004, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey was born, with Graber at the helm. Now the renowned American single malt maker is hitting the snowy pistes of Aspen with Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge, opening on March 9th.

Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge, at 307 South Mill Street, celebrates the roots of Stranahan’s remarkable efforts into putting both American single malt and Colorado distilling on the map. Featuring innovative cocktails that showcase the range of Stranahan’s whiskey lineup, including some lodge-only exclusive bottles and pours, as well as apres-ski-inspired elevated food, Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge aims to further thrust its whiskey into the spotlight.

Introducing Stranahan’s Calvados Cask, a Lodge-Only Exclusive

“Aspen is an international town, where a lot of people know single malts, but perhaps not American single malts,” says Stranahan's head blender Justin Aden. “I spent years in France when I was younger and tried my first pour of alcohol there; it was calvados and I loved it.” So when Aden arrived at Stranahan’s, a little less than a year ago, and began walking the rickhouse to acquaint himself with the cache of finishing barrels, a series of calvados casks spoke to him.

He set to work blending six barrels of Stranahan’s American single malt that had matured for eight years, two to four of which were in calvados apple brandy barrels from Normandy. “Some barrels hit nine years, and the nice blend of age ranges in the expression gives a lot of flavors to play with,” Aden says, adding that the finished product “came out fantastic.” Only available at the Lodge, the Calvados Cask is priced at $140, with some proceeds donated to the Aspen Fire Protection District, in a lovely hat tip to Graber and Stranahan’s chance meeting.

Pairing Whiskey with World-Class Food

Stranahan’s tapped Nick Ragazzo, a 24-year veteran of James Beard-nominated restaurants to run the Lodge’s culinary program. Ragazzo sources from local meat and produce purveyors and crafted a menu that incorporates these elements alongside staple Stranahan’s whiskey expressions. Menu items include Colorado Lamb Flatbread, with roasted tomatoes, feta buttermilk dressing, and mint hot honey, and Whiskey Smoked Wagyu Brisket, with bacon, onion, mushroom, and barbecue jus.

Continuing American Single Malt Education and Awareness

Stranahan’s was the first legal distillery in Colorado to open since Prohibition, and it’s enjoyed phenomenal growth over the past two decades. With American single malt’s official category designation imminent, Stranahan’s is keen to show why it’s enjoyed 35%-plus category leadership to the Aspen market, per Lander Otegui, SVP of marketing for Proximo Spirits, which owns Stranahan’s. “We know how to create phenomenal whiskey experiences,” Otegui tells us. “Aspen attracts discerning visitors from around the country and world, including healthy numbers of scotch drinkers who haven’t yet discovered American single malts. These are people predisposed to appreciate American single malts, and who love sharing what they’ve discovered with others back home, key to helping us reach a wider audience,” Otegui says.

Expect More Stranahan’s Micro Batches, Too

The Calvados Cask lodge-exclusive represents the tip of the spear for Aden and his vision for future blends. “Anyone paying attention over the last decade and a half knows that single barrels are all the rage,” Aden says, “but the next big progression is micro-batching these blends for ultra-rare offerings.” For Aden, Aspen offers an opportunity to showcase his blending wizardry. “We always have two or three experiments running, and Aspen will be a great place to launch smaller blends, ones with international influence in terms of casks.”