Leopold Bros
Overview of the Distillery
Leopold Bros is a family-owned, independent distillery in Denver, Colorado, created and run by brothers Todd and Scott Leopold. The distillery is known for its combination of traditional methods — including floor-maltings and a rare Three Chamber Still — and a clear focus on local sourcing and sustainability. The four-acre facility houses a floor malting area, a dunnage warehouse, and a tasting room, making it a practical, craft-oriented hub for their many unique spirits.
History
Brothers Todd and Scott Leopold founded Leopold Bros as a family-owned business; Todd has a professional background in malting & brewing from Siebel Institute (1996) and experience from Doemens School in Munich, while Scott comes from an industrial and environmental engineering background. In the mid-2000s, they moved operations from Michigan to Colorado to focus on distillation. After starting in a smaller leased space, they purchased four acres of land, planned a facility with onsite floor malting, a barrel hall, and educational facilities, and opened the current distillery in 2014. Since the opening, they have built a production model that blends craftsmanship, local ingredients, and sustainability initiatives.
Raw Materials and Production
The production’s focus is local ingredients and traditional techniques. The distillery floor-malts its own grain on-site and uses mashing and fermentation following Pre-Prohibition principles, which means lower temperatures and longer fermentation times than many modern distilleries. They also ferment mashes to their own neutral grain spirit rather than purchasing it. The distillery operates eight alembic stills in five different styles, including a rare Three Chamber Still, and uses these to make a wide spectrum of spirits. Production is supported by a commitment to avoiding artificial flavors, colors, and additives.
Maturation and Barrel Types
Leopold Bros stores their spirits in an onsite dunnage-style barrel hall, which holds up to around two thousand barrels. The barrel hall is naturally lit with skylights and is run without climate control to reduce electricity and water usage. The distillery also experiments with larger containers such as a French oak foeder, used to 'marry' different bourbon and oak aging in special releases, followed by resting periods and controlled reduction before bottling.
Whiskeys
The range spans broadly and includes several types of American whiskies and other spirits with in total a number of titles — the distillery mentions two dozen unique spirits as a result of their multi-still setup. Releases include both internal recipes based on high-build mash bills and collaboration and Foeder projects, where they combine their own barrels with purchased bourbons. The range balances traditional, local ingredients with experimental aging methods.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Barrel and Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monument Canyon Trail | Blend of straight Bourbon whiskeys; Foeder Series | 45 % | 6-year (base wheated MGP Bourbon; blended with Leopold barrels aged 4–6 years) | French oak foeder | A blend designed for outdoor enjoyment, combining Leopold Bros' high-build recipe with a 6-year wheated MGP Bourbon. The release was married in a large French oak foeder, rested for several weeks and reduced to 45% ABV at bottling. | Limited; General release announced in connection with the release weekend; sold at the distillery with MSRP listed at release. |
The Whiskeys’ Style and Flavor Profile
The overall style is described as fruity and floral, often complemented by a creamy, sweet quality in blends that include wheated bourbons. Spicy elements are also mentioned, which in some blends are softened by sweeter bourbon components. These traits recur in descriptions of the house style and in specific Foeder releases, where marriage in large oak casks is used to unify the profiles.
Visit the Distillery
The distillery welcomes guests to a tasting room, which is open Saturdays from 11:00 to 17:00 for visitors aged 21+. Tours are offered and require booking via the distillery’s booking system. For practical inquiries and booking communications, an email address is available. The facilities include tastings and the opportunity to participate in events such as VIP evenings for special releases.
The stated opening hours are Tasting Room: Saturdays 11:00–17:00 (Age 21+).
Philosophy and Craft
Leopold Bros places emphasis on craft, quality in raw materials, and a sustainable approach. They prioritize traditional, documented methods — such as floor-maltings and longer, cooler fermentation processes — and avoid artificial additives. Their values combine the revival of older artisan techniques with an awareness of nature and environmental considerations.
Sustainability
Aims for a zero-waste facility through water reuse, composting, and other methods. Barrel hall without climate control and natural lighting to reduce electricity and water consumption.
Latest News
Claiming Your Leopold Bros Bottles – Jan 14
Leopold Bros introduces Proof-it tags on new whiskey bottles, which let owners scan and 'claim' bottles digitally. The customer who 'claims' their bottles becomes entitled to special offers and rewards sent via email.
Leopold Bros Partners With Colorado National Monument Association – Jun 10
Leopold Bros launched a Foeder Series release named after Monument Canyon Trail: a blend of 6-year-old wheated MGP Bourbon and Leopold Bros' high-build recipe, 'married' in a large French oak foeder. The distillery donates 10% of sales to the Colorado National Monument Association and hosted both a VIP evening and a general release weekend; bottling ABV was 45%.