(92°) An Italian aperitif style bitter, the principal bittering agents are Gentian and wild, hand-picked Rocky Mountain Genepi (a traditional wormwood used in many French and Italian bitters).
Small-batch produced, this aperitif offers an “Old World” balance between bittersweet flavors and sweet aromatics.
For owner Bryan Nolt, finding the best distiller possible for Breckenridge meant going back to school. While taking a class at the American Distilling Institute, Bryan met master distiller Jordan Via. Jordan is well known amongst the artisanal distilling community – as the distilling instructor at the Institute, he’s trained most of them.
At Breckenridge, Jordan applies a purist, traditional approach to distillation. His handcrafted, small-batch spirits are made using a Vendome custom copper pot still and premium ingredients – no shortcuts or additives are allowed. Jordan attributes the unique taste profile of Breckenridge to the water. The distillery, situated at 9,600 feet above sea level, is the highest in the world. Massive snow fall and the glaciers atop Mt. Quandary, a 14,000 foot peak, provide pristine water with a unique ph balance which lends a distinctive flavor and texture. Says Jordan, “You just can’t underestimate the importance of the water in any spirit…it accounts for greater than half the volume”. To maintain its integrity, the water is not filtered for the vodka and only slightly filtered for the whiskey.
Hand-harvested alpine herbs mingle with ancient bitter roots and spicy dried fruits in a symphony of aromas and flavors that recall the mystery of old world alchemy. This exquisite aperitif bitters strikes a remarkable balance of alluring aromatics and bittersweet flavors that will inspire the adventurous imbiber to the last sip.
The Breckenridge Distillery is the “World’s Highest Distillery”. Founded in 2008, the Breckenridge Distillery is most widely known for its blended bourbon whiskey, a high-rye mash American-style whiskey. Breckenridge Bourbon is one of the most highly awarded crafted bourbons; 4x winner of Best American Blended (2016, 17, 18, and 2019) from the World Whiskies Awards and Bourbon of the Year in 2011 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition. In 2018, Breckenridge Distillery won the 2018 American Icons of Whisky for Brand Innovator of the Year.
Since coming online in 2008 and releasing its first vodka and bourbon three years later, Breckenridge Distillery has quickly become an award-winning producer of fine spirits, being designated one of the top three bourbons in the U.S. How it all came to be, however, stems from a mix of just the right ingredients, a hint of luck and a deep love for quality whiskey.
Breckenridge Distillery might not have happened had it not been for a fishing trip to the Mohawk Lakes near Breckenridge, shortly after Nolt had returned from Scotland, where he had searched for those super-rare spirits. In his mind, with a few employees and Breckenridge’s amazing water, there was a clear opportunity to make great spirits and “just revel in it.”
“I didn’t expect it would replace my career by any means,”said Bryan Nolt, Founder and CEO, who still practices medicine on a limited basis. “But that was the motivation behind it.”