DENVER — People already began lining up by Friday to get a bottle of Stranahan’s Snowflake – a limited edition whiskey from the Stranahan’s distillery – the following morning.
A record number of people turned out this year, per the distillery Facebook page, as everyone waited to get their hands on a bottle. Video from Sky9 and other images on Instagram showed lines of tents.
The scene made at least one person wonder why that’s allowed in Denver. Next with Kyle Clark viewer Jennifer was curious about why Denver Police don’t seem to crack down on campers at events, but they have enforced the city’s so-called “camping ban” for people who are homeless.
Next Question: "Why does the city of Denver allow people to camp out for a week plus in tents along the sidewalk for whiskey (Stranahan's) but they keep kicking homeless people off of the sidewalk because of the city's No Camping rule?” – Jennifer
When Next reached out to ask about the discrepancy, Jay Casillas with Denver Police said it’s because no one, to his knowledge, has ever complained about the Stranahan’s event. Casillas told us they now plan to reach out to the distillery to see if it obtained the proper permits.
Denver Public Works said the same.
“We appreciate you bringing it to our attention,” said Nancy Kuhn, a spokesperson for the department. “We will reach out to Stranahan’s and discuss how to better manage the situation next year, since it is attracting so many people.
Stranahan’s did post to its Facebook page on Friday night that “camping structures” are no longer allowed on site. People can, however, line up before Saturday’s release.
Last month, the Denver Election Division announced the “Right to Survive" initiative had made the ballot for the May election. If voters approve, people who are homeless could camp where they wish.