Raise a glass to Colorado!
Most Coloradans will agree that part of what makes Colorado one of the best places to live are its breathtaking natural landscapes and the fact that whatever booze you prefer, we can produce some of the best right here, locally. One place, Marble Distilling Co. in Carbondale, Colorado, epitomizes both. With backing from Alpine Bank – yet another Colorado-based, local business – Connie Baker and her husband Carey built the distillery with the goal to produce the highest quality spirits with the lowest consumption of water and energy.
And they weren't kidding. To date, they've won several awards including gold medals at the Denver International Spirits Competition, a gold medal at the Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival, and a silver at the New York International Spirits Competition. They attribute their success to their award-winning recipe that's comprised of 100 percent Colorado grains, including the use of Colorado soft white wheat, and of course 99.5 percent Yule marble which filters their water.
Speaking of water, the distillery was founded on principles of sustainability. “Our core business model is around community sustainability,” Connie said in her Alpine Bank 'Trailblazer' exposé, which is why they collaborated with engineers to build the distillery with zero water waste.
“I toured many distilleries and was a bit aghast at all the supercharged hot water at 145 degrees that was going down the drain. So, we cobbled together a team of engineers and had a lot of blue sky sessions. We came up with the idea to reuse 100 percent of our process water in a closed manmade geothermal loop, and then harvest all the energy" she said.
Had they built it like a traditional distillery, operations would require four million gallons more than what they currently use. They also yield enough reclaimed energy to power a five-room inn and the tasting room.
Does it get any more Colorado than that?
What are your thoughts? Have you ever tried anything from Marble Distilling? If so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
