Industry Report: Craft Spirits Bust Out

CompanyWeek takes a closer look at Colorado distilleries expanding their market into other states and countries. Karen weighs in on Montanya Distillers’ expansion into Spain and France:

From coast to coast, spirits from Colorado distilleries are being sold in liquor stores, served at select bars. Denver's Leopold Bros. can be found in 23 states including California, New York, and Kentucky. Bourbon from Old Elk in Fort Collins is distributed in 28 markets -- from California to Maine. Forty-five: That's how many other states in which State 38 Distilling of Golden has extended its presence.

Some Colorado-based companies are exporting their products. Two of the most skilled at the endeavor are Golden's Golden Moon Distillery and Crested Butte's Montanya Distillers. Golden Moon has product in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, and Germany. Montanya has had a wide rollout of its rum in Spain and France.

But there are a host of business challenges attendant with simply getting products across the state line (let alone overseas) in the pursuit of building a successful national brand. And there are persistent challenges in how brands from Colorado distinguish themselves nationwide in a growing craft spirits market.

Read the full article, including Montanya Distillers’ expansion into Europe, HERE.