the RULE of LAWS
Laws Whiskey House Expands on Their Terms WRITTEN BY RICH MANNING /// PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LAWS WHISKEY HOUSE
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lanning in the distilling industry usually happens in two time frames. The first time frame is anticipation and it’s filled with hope and idealism. The second time frame is reality, which is longer than hoped-for and far from ideal. When my wife and I were invited out to Denver in January, it was anticipated that I’d be going there to check out the expanded version of Laws Whiskey House, complete with a shiny new tasting room and bar equipped to make cocktails. When we arrived at the end of May, reality greeted us. The expansion wasn’t quite done. The finish line of a massive project that brand president and founder Al Laws started planning six and a half years ago was in sight, and the bones of something cool were in
place. But the flesh will come later. Not that we were complaining — sitting around their original tasting area and enjoying their excellent terroir-driven whiskey makes for one hell of a consolation prize. In a way, this slow roll is befitting of a brand whose slogan is “There Are No Shortcuts.” It’s also given Laws the chance to reflect on the twists and turns he’s faced since he launched his namesake distillery in 2011, from the COVID crisis to dealing with local bureaucracy. “Our business plan wasn’t five years when we started out. It was 20. We’re a little more than halfway there,” he said. “We’ve just had to do this plan with this background of chaos that seems to shift every 18 months.”
“Our staff didn’t want to use the new tech or any automation. They didn’t change careers and get into distilling just so they could sit down and look at a computer screen.” —AL LAWS, Laws Whiskey House 110
SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE A lot has changed with distilling processes since Laws Whiskey House launched in 2011. Technological innovations like automated distilling procedures, AI sensors, and data analytics programs are now available for distillers to use in the quest for efficiency and product optimization. Laws could have implemented some of these tools during the expansion, but he did not. He installed a new bottling machine that he’s still figuring out how to use, but that’s about it. “Our staff didn’t want to use the new tech or any automation,” he said. “They didn’t change careers and get into distilling just so they could sit down and look at a computer screen. They want to actively engage in making whiskey, and I applaud them for that decision. Engagement adds soul.” W W W . ARTISANSPIRITMAG . C O M