Stranahan's Assembly Line

5,800 bottles of Stranahans whiskey were the way out the door. Shelves would soon be restocked with a fine Colorado whiskey. Something this big was done without the use of any automated machines, us workers were the machines for the day! 20 volunteers work the a.m. shift and 20 more come in to finish up the afternoon. It’s one day of bottling that happens once a month to make a complete human powered assembly line.
Empty bottles were filled, corked, labeled, sealed off and boxed! The assembly line was pumping out energy and filling case after case to fill up those pallets! I tried my hands at corking, then moved down the line to see if I had skills to sticker the bottles. Wellp, fumbled… bottles were getting backed up! These volunteers had it down smooth! The sticker was placed with pressure on the perfect point and slid on down the line. I had a few crooked ones that entered the reject pile...so I moved myself to a new department!
So why volunteer to work an assembly line? Well, for anyone who is a fan of Stranahans they are in for the bottle of free whiskey, and maybe the free pizza and VIP tour held afterwards! But I am sure for all of us; it was an experience and story to tell of Colorado’s first whiskey.
And owner and master distiller, Jake Norris is there working for the whole duration. And someone has to hand write on all those labels…thanks Jake!
*Uncommon knowledge: Stranahans can’t keep up with the demand. (Not surprising, I know!) The whiskey was once represented in 40 states, but now only in Colorado to make sure demand is met here. However, plans are in the making for this small time company to expand to branch back out. Which means the bottling crew won’t always be in existence the way it is now. Has to be a trade-off though, now the rest of the nation can re-discover the way Colorado does whiskey!

Lucky Mile Racing Series

Lucky meets lucky. One lucky has to do with running and the other pizza. The Lucky Mile Race Series in Louisville, Colorado an event you don't run across every day. It consists of four one mile timed runs held every Thursday night through the month of May. So yes the first two have passed but you can still get lucky on May 19th and May26th. Dig up your costume and come out in your Thursday best superhero costume or 80's outfit for the the following week. Awards are given at the end of the series. If you are over 21 you get a free prize even if you doddle the whole time..a free beer!
So where does the pizza come in? To some of your dismay it's not provided as fuel at the half mile marker. And the goal is not to see who can chow down the most slices without letting a side ache take them down. The race starts at the Lucky Pie in Louisville. This neighborhood restaurant joint has pizza so good it's getting runners to shave an average of ten seconds off their times because the thought of pizza is that good.
The race was started by Human Movement, an event management company who also runs Oktoberfest, the Colorado Relay and of course the Taste of Louisville Half Marathon coming up on June 4th. The race directors put this in mind wanting something simple.fast.easy. The race proceeds Louisville Elementary School but in more ways than monetarily. It gives kids the chance to come out every Thursday night and try to beat their personal best or race classmates. It's also a big draw for the community and really seems to bring what is already a tight knit community even tighter. But I will vouch..they are a friendly bunch...and you don't have to be a resident to get in on the mile, or the discount offered at Lucky Pie after. A win.win.

Touring Stranahan's, Denver

My cup looked as it was filled with GOLD! I followed our tour guides tip, breathed in with my nose and mouth and took a taste. It was smooooth! Yeeehaw! I was soon the newest fan of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey.
If you live in Colorado, have visited Colorado, or ever plan on coming to Colorado… you should tune in. This 94 proof whiskey is the first micro distillery in ‘Rado, pretty rad. Right? And, one of the first in the country. Take a sip on that!
Hustle on over to the distillery off S. Kalamath in Denver, and you will soon see how the whiskey starts with barley from the Northern Rockies, and water from the Rocky Mountains and ends up as a premium whiskey. After being distilled and aged in 50-gallon tanks, the whiskey basically hibernates for two to five years in white oak barrels. It’s well rested and ready to party after it’s bottled up!
Twelve barrels are produced a week, and after about three weeks, ten to twelve barrels (5,000 bottles) make the cut and are bottled by hand. And check this out…you could be bottling the next batch. Twenty volunteers come in the morning, and twenty in the afternoon to bottle and label. If you want to be apart of the assembly line, visit this link
https://www.distillerysolutions.com/stranahans/crew.php
When you are looking at a slier topped bottle of Stranahan's take note of the batch number (up to 65 right now) and the unique comments on the label, always different in every batch.
Nothing mass about Stranahans, just about everything is done in house and local! Needless to say…they get the gold.

Create Denver

If you are familiar with Denver you know it’s easy to start rattling off a laundry list of reasons it’s one of the greatest cities. Another reason it’s at the top is because many people make the effort to support local artists and businesses. They run the gamete here and “Create Denver” is ready to capitalize on that. The event ran May 12th through the 15th. The goal is to support creative industries in Colorado from film, music, art galleries, graphic artists, fashion and any other artists!
Through the week the artists could come show off what they got from concerts, fashion shows or production. Today was the “Your Sunday Best.” Different artwork, clothing and jewelry were ready to be explored at the Grant Humphrey Mansion. Here any idea is worth a shot…or a full drink if it’s anything from Hula Moon. This company was started by two ladies who wanted to start concocting some more eccentric drinks…and they bring out something called the blueberry lavender lemon cooler—fresh lemon juice, lavender water, a splash of suga and fresh blueberry puree.
Denver is a place that encourages these enthusiastic artists to break the mold. Splashing flair on jewelry, pressing leather bracelets, or curving the paintbrush in a way that matches their mood further etches that art is to be appreciated. In Denver there are more than 120 art galleries, six art districts, 160 performance venues and over 180 film related businesses. There is no doubt we have the goods, now it’s just keeping alive what is already thriving. These creative enterprises help the economy grow and bring unique experiences to anyone whose willing to try. So how about that blueberry lemon lavender cooler? It’s even cooler than cool.

Crater, Utah

We have all heard it, “Get your Vitamins and Minerals!” Ok, ok, well it sure would be a lot easier if we could get those minerals simply by soaking in the mineral filled waters at the Crater Hot springs in Midway, Utah. A soak in the crystal clear waters sure sounds more enticing than a veggie platter and glass of O.J.

After driving by the crater I found myself frantically searching for my Epi Pen, the crater looks that much like the biggest and baddest beehive you have ever seen. How could you not buzz in for a quick look? I dipped my hand in the smooth waters and had to hold off from grabbing as much air as I could muster and cannon balling right in. You can only handle the heat of a hot tub for so long, but these warm waters are between 90 and 96 degrees and will keep you captivated!

Miners took advantage of the waters in the 1800’s. After a long day in the cold, or working hard in the mines they could soothe their aching muscles. Picturing miners in the crater seems historic enough, but the history of the crater started to develop 10,000 years ago. Melted snow from the Wasatch Mountain slid into the earth, and two miles below the earth the water was heated and sent back towards the blue skies. As it heated it was packed with minerals, which formed the limestone dome to reach 55 feet!

But the depth of the water is deeper than the dome is tall. A trip to the bottom will have you 65 feet underground; of course this requires the scuba gear. This is the only warm water place to receive your scuba certification in the U.S. so you most likely see some Scuba Steve’s on your trip, or perhaps you will be one of them, goggles and all.

The dome brought the community of miners together, where they could relax, soak and dream of finding riches, if they hadn’t already. Maybe some already had and cannon balled right in to celebrate!

Alpine Coaster Park City

If you find yourself at one of the most majestic mountains in the world, wouldn’t you want to ride down it? And have speed on your side? Yes, sure you could ski, or board down, and when that sun comes out again, hike or bike down… but there is something for all seasons! And that my friends, is the Alpine Coaster at Park City Mountain Resort. And believe me, you won’t just be coasting; you will one step away from questioning if you are flying.

At speeds of 30 miles an hour you are twisting, turning and gripping on so tight your knuckles will be as white as the snow painted mountains that you catch a nano second glimpses of at every corner. And take advantage…this is Utah’s only Alpine Coaster.

The adrenaline rush is only 20 bucks, and is a great way to experience the mountain magic if skiing and boarding aren’t in your plans for the day. Just remember…no brakes till you see the yellow flags at the end!

CitySolve Urban Race

So there is a race that tests wits and sheer brilliance over strength and endurance.The CitySolve Urban Race moves across the country and the city of Denver was lucky enough to get a splash of the fun. You will find your mind racing more than your feet as you try to crack and solve riddles along the way with your partner. The smart ones and most competitive come with maps of the city and also public transportation. The only way you are permitted to get around is on foot and city busses...no skateboards, roller shoes or roller blades so don't even try!
Between cross-word puzzles, clues and even some math you are led across the city to ten check points. There are also two bonus checkpoints to help make up for a clue you just couldn't wrap your brains around.
Landing at places like the Tilted Kilt was easy...here you get to pose with a firefighter fit enough to land a spot in the stations calender. Fitting as the proceeds of the race go to Fired Up For Kids. This organization benefits the children's hospital burn unit.
We even played a game of Yahtzee at one checkpoint and ended up at places like Fado's, JR's, Gov's Park...places you would just want to be anyways. Don't be afraid to grab a stranger on the street to ask for help or even call the smartest of your friends.
After collecting pictures at the checkpoints it was time to head back to the finish line at Stoney's with the over 300 teams.
If 5,000 dollars raises your brows you can enter for the grand championship in Las Vegas. It's not until November fifth which means you have plenty of time to prepare.
http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/