GOLDEN, Colo. — When it comes to his business, it’s hard for Stephen Gould to keep a secret.
“It’s one of the largest lines of any producer in Colorado," said Gould, the proprietor and distiller for Golden Moon Distillery.
But the secret's out: Colorado's distillery community is among the top 5 in the country, behind California, New York, Washington and Texas.
Golden Moon is a small business that Gould and his wife started 10 years ago, producing spirits like single-malt whiskey, gin and absinthe with the help of local farmers.
“People are more (attuned) to ‘I want quality, I want to know I’m supporting my local community,'” said Gould. "They don’t just want to buy something out of a box store that’s got a label on it and assume it’s great.”
Gould is a member of the Board of the Colorado Distiller’s Guild and says there are between 1,500 and 1,800 distilleries in the United States. There are currently about 80 producing distilleries just in Colorado, according to a count in 2017.
Golden Moon currently makes 18 different products that are sold in 14 major U.S. markets, as well as the United Kingdom, Italy and Denmark. They recently started an expansion in their building and added a 30-foot stainless steel silo to keep up with demand.
“It is a 1,600-bushel silo that will be used for malted barley,” said Gould. “Once the project is finished, we will be able to make of thousands of cases of premium, artisan spirits."
They’re trying to keep things local in the foothills while getting attention worldwide.
“The fact of the expansion and the silo is going to be amazing, not only for me, but also customers and having much more ability to send things abroad," said Production Manager and distiller James Kalinger.
“I hope every day that someone uses my product and has a smile and enjoyment on their face,” said Kalinger.
Note: It's mentioned in the video above that Colorado is second nationwide for the number of distilleries. The President of the Colorado Distillers Guild said Colorado is actually closer to fifth.
