Sips & Sites & Bites

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if your favorite hockey team teamed up with your favorite Colorado distillery, well… lace up your skates and grab a Glencairn.

Woody Creek Distillers recently partnered with the Colorado Avalanche on a brand-new, officially licensed bottle: Woody Creek Colorado Avalanche Bourbon. Yes, it’s as cool as it sounds — and yes, it features the Avs’ iconic snowcapped “A” logo front and center. Shelf appeal? Let’s just say this one belongs both in your bar and in your fan cave.

The timing couldn’t be better. Fresh off international competition in Milan-Cortina (where eight Avalanche players represented on the global stage), the team is currently sitting atop the NHL’s Western Conference with the league’s best record. In other words, they’re hot — and now they’ve got a bourbon to match.

Only 3,000 six-bottle cases are available in this initial release, and it’s landing exclusively in Colorado — on back bars, in local bottle shops, and through Woody Creek’s direct-to-consumer channel. At $49.99 for a 750ml bottle, it’s priced right for both die-hard fans and collectors who appreciate a limited-edition pour.

Now, let’s talk about what’s inside the bottle … because a pretty label only gets you so far.

The bourbon carries a mash bill of 70% #2 Dent corn and 15% Elbon rye, aged at least five years and bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV). That recipe suggests a classic, balanced profile: enough corn for a solid caramel backbone, enough rye to keep things lively, and enough age to bring structure without overcomplicating the sip. This isn’t novelty juice. It’s proper Colorado bourbon.

Woody Creek, headquartered high in the Rockies in Basalt (just a short drive from Aspen’s slopes and more than a mile above sea level), has built its reputation on doing things the hard way — meaning the right way. The woman-owned distillery oversees everything on-site, from mashing and fermenting to distilling, aging, and bottling. They use Colorado-grown grains, Rocky Mountain water, and a whole lot of pride in place. From their potato vodka to their bourbon and Mary’s Select Gin, terroir isn’t just marketing language here — it’s the blueprint.

For co-founder and CEO Mary Scanlan, this collaboration is personal. A lifelong hockey devotee … player, fan, and even hockey mom … she called the partnership “a privilege and an honor.” And you get the sense this isn’t a corporate logo swap; it’s a genuine hometown high-five.

So whether you’re toasting another Avalanche win, reliving that overtime thriller, or just looking for a solid five-year bourbon with Colorado swagger, this bottle checks a lot of boxes.

Hockey season. Mountain bourbon. Limited allocation.

Sounds like a power play to me.