FROM HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATES TO WHISKEY MAVERICKS

THE ORIGINS OF LOCKE + CO. DISTILLING AND ITS ASPEN-AGED SPIRITS, FORGED BY COLORADO CHARACTER, CURIOSITY, AND CAMARADERIE—A SMOOTH COMPANION FOR LIFE’S MANY ADVENTURES.

Written by Katelyn Rutt

In a market brimming with bottles tailored for exclusivity, Locke + Co. emerges as a Colorado-based distillery with a clear goal: to offer a neighborly touch to the world of whiskey. For Owen Locke and Rick Talley, former high school teammates and MBA colleagues turned entrepreneurs, every brand decision is anchored by a simple question: "Does it belong around a campfire?" Since its incorporation in 2016, this micro-distillery has made a bold mark, driven by hands-on founders, a meticulous crafting approach, and a spirit as fiery as the Wild West itself.

“Whiskey is often an exclusionary club where you are expected to drink your whiskey neat in a leather chair while smoking a cigar,” Talley remarks. “Everyone is welcome to join us around our ‘campfire’; it’s how this whole idea got started. Owen always jokes that I’m the ‘+ Co’ to the brand, but in reality, everyone is our ‘+ Co.’”

Rooted in their upbringing, where gatherings were frequent, and reinforced by their experience working under Jim Beam during their MBA studies at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business, Locke and Talley's dedication to hospitality runs deep. For the duo, enjoying a good drink isn't just a hobby—it's an integral part of who they are.

“We met in the mid-90s and played lacrosse together throughout high school,” Talley recalls. “Around this time, there was a big craft brewing boom in Colorado. Owen was smart and would get grain and equipment from the brewing stores that were popping up. I thought, ‘I should get to know this guy.’”

Locke, a sixth-generation Coloradoan with ancestral ties to moonshining, started refining his brewing talents at just fifteen. He jokes that his parents supported his experimentation due to their own family legacy: one great-grandfather owned Denver's inaugural liquor store, while another crafted gin during Prohibition.

“Locke + Co has always been a story about friendship and making friends,” Locke reflects. “In high school, we were too young to be doing that but it was a great way to make friends with the neighbors. It started again when Rick and I reconnected in grad school. I still remember the fall of 2010 at a family property in Fairplay, surrounded by nothing but aspen trees and the Rocky Mountains. As we sat around a fire, passing a jar of moonshine, we asked the question, ‘What would a wood chunk do?’”

That simple curiosity was the catalyst for everything and began the journey of using charred aspen wood to make whiskey. From their initial experimentation with a chunk of charred aspen wood in that moonshine jar, enduring the diverse seasons of Colorado on a windowsill, to their current process of using hand-cut and hand-charred aspen discs, the duo realized they had discovered what Talley refers to as their "secret sauce”—the aspen wood added flavor and filtration for a “Taste Like None Other.”

“Instead of cutting the aspen longwise, we started crosscutting into discs so you’re able to see the rings, “Talley says. “The whiskey interacts and flows easier within the tree; 70% of all whiskey’s flavor comes from interacting with the charred oak barrels and our charred aspen discs. It’s a labor of love, hand-cutting, seasoning, sanding, and charring each piece of wood.”

Aspen Aged Rye

Locke + Co.'s flagship whiskey, a seven-time award winner, embodies enduring quality. Aged for two years in charred oak barrels, the spirit undergoes a unique finishing process, maturing for an additional eight months with hand-charred aspen wood discs. Hints of sweet cherry, vanilla, and rye lead to a velvety cascade of caramel, tobacco, and cinnamon, culminating in a refreshing blend of ginger and black pepper spice for a warm and clean finish.

Like any new venture, success didn’t come immediately. “The first time we ran the still, it didn’t filter the grains enough, scorched the mash, and the whiskey tasted really bad,” Locke laughs. “I even have a brewing background. We had to crawl before we ran, with bumps and bruises, but we kept going.”

The pair favors 30-gallon oak barrels over the traditional 53-gallon size, with char levels ranging from 2 to 5, contributing to Locke + Co’s unique whiskey profiles. Despite their modest scale, the team has secured top honors as a small craft distillery for five consecutive years, releasing fewer than 100 barrels annually and earning numerous gold medals since hitting shelves in the fall of 2018. The brand’s limited availability adds to the allure, making encountering Locke + Co. spirits a special experience—best shared with others.

"We're expanding our collaborations with local bars and restaurants, adding to the '+ Co.' experience,” Locke says. “We've crafted custom whiskies for exclusive Colorado Dude Ranches, offer personalized tasting experiences, and search out unique collaborations like partnering with a local company to age honey in our used whiskey barrels. We recently launched our ‘Big Catch Bourbon,’ we have expert mixologists working on custom cocktail recipes, and there’s even more in the pipeline. This is whiskey; if you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right, and we’re excited to keep spreading the joy to Colorado and beyond.”

Learn more about Locke + Co.’s upcoming launches or make an online purchase at www.lockeandcodistilling.com. Interested in a brand collaboration, private event, or choose-your-own barrel experience? Email info@locke-co.com.

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