Colorado’s Branch & Barrel Distilling’s 2026 Marked by Growth, Giving & Awards

In its 11th year, Colorado’s Branch & Barrel Distilling is enjoying unprecedented growth from its Centennial tasting room to retail shelves across Colorado. Over the past 12 months, the distillery recorded all-time sales highs, earned 20 spirits competition awards including three international gold medals, and set a new benchmark for charitable giving, all while strengthening its presence in its home state through activations and close partnerships with retailers.

At mid-year 2026, Branch & Barrel Distilling reports double-digit growth in total year-over-year sales, largely driven by continued investment in its robust in-market sampling program. Reaching more than 250 activations over the last year, Branch & Barrel brings The Best Damn Bourbon in Colorado to retailers and fans across the state.

“Liquid to lips is the core of our marketing strategy,” said Mitchell Nester, Branch & Barrel’s Master Blender. “Activations get people talking about the brand. It’s a way to build relationships with bourbon lovers while showing up for our retailers. On any given Friday in Colorado, you have a good chance to run into Branch & Barrel while you’re at the store.”

Beyond retail sales, Branch & Barrel is gaining international recognition, helping put Colorado on the map as an American whiskey destination. Branch & Barrel’s award-winning bourbons are shaped by Colorado, with ingredients and techniques influenced and inspired by the Square State’s land, climate, agriculture, and people.

Central to that Colorado influence is water. Branch & Barrel draws from specialized wells tapping the Arapahoe Aquifer, a vast underground reservoir that has naturally filtered through sandstone and shale since the Cretaceous period. Comprising up to 60% of the finished spirit, water shapes bourbon at every stage of production, and the aquifer’s mineral-rich, iron-free composition gives Branch & Barrel’s bourbons their clean, crisp character.

Branch & Barrel was named Small Business of the Year by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce (SMDC) in 2025, and received a Platinum Bar & Pub rating and award with Centennial Votes. Branch & Barrel’s spirits earned 12 awards in 2025 and eight awards in 2026, including a Double Gold (96 points) for its Wheated Bourbon and Gold (91 points) for its High Rye Bourbon at the Denver International Spirits Competition.

“Our team has worked to fundamentally transform Branch & Barrel, from our image and brand identity to our place in the community. We’re in a really strong position now to keep up the momentum,” said Nester.

Over the past four years, Branch & Barrel has partnered with more than 100 Colorado-based nonprofits and raised over $80,000. Fundraising efforts include special, limited-release barrel and bottle projects for charitable organizations such as the recent release of Sculpted In Spirit Bourbon, a collaboration with the Centennial Arts & Cultural Foundation to support a bronze statue art installation in Centennial Center Park honoring the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s K9 dogs. Branch & Barrel has donated to hundreds of auctions, sports teams, and local organizations that benefit people and animals.

That same hands-on spirit runs through the distilling process. “We got our start aging spirits on branches during our experimental days in the late 2000s. By the time we opened our distillery in 2016, we had moved on to using barrels, but even today, our mindset hasn’t changed. We still honor an authentic and hands-on approach as we’ve grown,” said Nester. “We focus on designing equipment and processes intentionally, leaning into the Colorado environment.”

As Colorado continues to carve out a unique position in the national whiskey category, with a high elevation and dry climate that influence barrel maturation differently than traditional American whiskey regions, Branch & Barrel’s lineup of award-winning bourbons showcases the authenticity of the region’s quality and craft.

Ask for bottles of Branch & Barrel at craft spirits retailers across Colorado, or visit the Tasting Room in Centennial to experience it in person.