[drink]
Bees in the trap ... er, booze
»» Indulge your sugar and liquor-loving soul with the help of Honey House Distillery What pairs great with booze? If you’ve got a sweet tooth, might we suggest honey? That’s the philosophy up at Honey House Distillery in Hermosa. The legally-distinctbut-part-of-the-family spirit-makers are part of the bee-spit-based enterprise up at Honeyville. While everyone else was celebrating the end of World War I or fighting off the Spanish Flu back in 1918, Vern Culhane was building beehives, transferring bees he found on his land into them and then selling the resulting honey to locals on the Florida Mesa. His son and daughter-in-law, Danny and Sheree Culhane, carried on the family’s tradition — or beekeeping — and established Honeyville up north of Durango. Just less than a century after the beekeeping began, Danny’s son, Kevin, teamed up with friend Adam Bergal to do what comes naturally for sweet things: fermentation. Honey House Distillery was incorporated in 2012 with just two little tanks after the founders attended a bunch of distillery conferences, Kevin Culhane said.
»» All of the spirits Honey House distills on site pass through the custom hiveshaped still the company commissioned. Can you tell they like honeybees?
The first product they took a shot at — and the one that remains their flagship spirit — was Colorado Honey Whiskey, which infused bourbon from the heart of bourbon country in Kentucky with Honeyville honey. The product blends a six year old bourbon, a four year old bourbon, and wildflower honey to create a sweet and smoky concoction. In addition to the honey bourbon, the distillery has five other products on its shelves at the moment: Cinnamon Honey Whiskey, Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, Hex Vodka, Red Cliffs Spiced Rum, and Forgotten Barrel Honey Flavored Rum.
Nick Gonzales/ DGO
The cinnamon whiskey is pretty simple in concept — it’s the Colorado Honey Whiskey, but with cinnamon. (This writer may have used it in place of Fireball to enliven a cupcake recipe he shared in a recent article.) The coffee liqueur, on the other hand, combines cold brew coffee from Durango Joe’s Coffee Co.’s dark roast espresso beans with Honey House spirits, honey, and vanilla.
Hot Romance Make Valentines Day Special with a Soak & Spa Day Together
Continued on Page 6
Soak & Sauna for Two
Natural hot springs admission for two including towels, lockers and spa robes $34.00
Couples Massage
60 or 90 minute massage for two starting at $180 includes all day soaking valid all February
www.dhsresort.com 970-247-0212 Gii Certificates Available Rejuvenate While We Renovate Open Daily During Renovations ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, February 13, 2020 | 5
