Leopold Bros. reveals plans for expansion, a tasting room and a new spirit

By Lori Midson Mon., Aug. 6 2012 at 5:57 PM

"It'll overlook the fermenters and stills, we'll do tours on the weekends, and it'll be very small-batch," says Todd. It'll accommodate around 100 people, he adds, and they'll sell specialty whiskeys and other spirits that you can only purchase there. "It's designed to bring people in, show them our products and give people a chance to sample things that they can't sample elsewhere."

And that's just the start for the soft-spoken, ego-free distiller who went to brewing and malting school in Chicago, trained and apprenticed in Munich, Germany and launched his career in 1995, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "Part of the reason why I'm so excited about all of this, is that I'll have more control than I have in the past. I won't be spending my time doing things that require technical skills. I like to play with yeast," he deadpans.

And while the new distillery cements his future in Denver, Todd says that even if he wasn't expanding, he wouldn't consider leaving. "We've had a hand in making Denver a better city in which to drink, and we want to continue to do make great spirits in this city."

We'll drink to that.

See more about Todd and Leopold Bros. Distillery:

blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2011/06/ask_the_bartender_meet_leopold.php
http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2011/09/leopolds_fernet.php
http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2012/01/todd_leopold.php
http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2009/04/denvers_leopold_bros_gin_disti.php

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Tags:

distillery, gin, Leopold Bros., Scott Leopold, tasting room, Todd Leopold, vodka, whiskey

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yeahbooze

Finally! I am very excited for the tours and tasting room!

zombyboy

Wonderful news. I'm thrilled that they have made Denver their home.

Mantonat topcommenter

My two favorite things about the city of Denver right now are Leopold Bros and Il Mondo Vecchio. Nothing better on a summer evening on the patio than a little of both.

distiller

1 Like

Respectfully, Manfrenjensen, that's not how fermentation works. If it did, wine would taste like the internal combustion engines from the agricultural equipment that come within a couple of feet of the grapes during harvest and crushing.... and the same thing goes for all those cars driving on those Napa roads, "polluting" the grapes. Same goes for beer, as both barley and hops are harvested with motorized equipment, and are shipped in "polluting" trucks.

What Lori skipped over in the story, as it's far too boring and complicated for print, is that it's the wild yeast and bacteria that comes with these flowers and botanicals that I'm interested in. Over time, these unique organisms will populate our wooden fermenters in minute quantities..... the reactions I'm interested in are when these wild organisms consume tiny quantities of the fermenting whiskey mash, they will produce things like organic acids, which will lead to fruity or spicy notes when they sit in a whiskey barrel for a few years. Appreciate your interest in the process. When we open, you should come by and I can explain the process in person. Cheers! Todd Leopold

bobbypinz

I"ll certainly patronize a Leopold sippin room. Their spirits are amazing, some of the best Colorado products offered, and I admire Todd's passion. A very interesting story, thanks Lori!

Manfrenjensen

The landscaping idea sounds lovely... One problem though: unless there is a HEPA-type filtration system on the air intake, the "terroir" he's looking for will taste a lot more like Commerce City than flowers. At least the property will look nice, though.