Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey: Straight or on the block?

If you believe the bar talk, it's already a done deal.

Jess Graber, managing partner and co-founder of Stranahan's, says he's been getting a lot of questions from people who have heard the rumors.

But he won't confirm or deny any of them.

Still, a knowledgeable source says a sale is indeed in the works, and that if things work out, it could be done before the end of the year.

And if the deal is consummated, it could raise cries of anguish from whiskey fans who have followed the small-batch distillery -- and paid a pretty price for each taste -- from its early days in the Ballpark neighborhood to its current whereabouts in a large facility at 200 South Kalamath Street.

That's right behind the Rackhouse Pub, where fans of Stranahan's frequently raise a glass to this homegrown product.

And if the buyer isn't from Colorado (the most persistent rumor), then the waters that make the whiskey could get a little choppy.

Then again, it could be just the shot in the arm that Stranahan's needs to go global.