Whiskey and Stories: The Perfect Pairing
03/05/2024 05:05PM ● By Kaitlyn Kinshella
(Photo: Mythology’s spirit selection includes gin, vodka, whiskey and more -- all available at the cocktail bar at the distillery. Courtesy of Mythology Distillery.)
Steamboat Springs, CO - Mythology Distillery began with storytelling. Scott Yeates was on an Alaskan ski trip in 2016 when he first conceived of the Colorado-based spirits company. After skiing steep lines, he and his buddies would arrive at their locale, the Funny Farm, shed their winter garb, and share a bottle of whiskey along with their favorite memories from the day. In these moments, Scott began to realize that whiskey and stories of adventure go together. Scott knew of no whiskey brand that captured the spirit of this pairing. Thus, the idea for Mythology Distillery was born.
Originally the company was a passion project: Scott had no distilling expertise and learned as he went. “My knowledge base at the time was that I enjoyed grabbing drinks with friends, I enjoyed bringing people together, and I knew that whiskey symbolized those two things,” he says. Wanting to create an identifiable brand but not knowing where to start, Scott turned to experts in the industry for help and signed up for chemistry classes. He was a sponge for distilling knowledge and eventually his passion project grew into a legitimate business.
Scott’s focus for the past six years was to make premium, handcrafted spirits that people across the country could enjoy and celebrate. By 2021, Mythology Distillery was internationally recognized, had won over 60 awards from San Francisco to New York, and was named Denver’s top distillery multiple years in a row. The spirits are currently distributed in 10 states and can be shipped to many more via their website. Now Scott speaks of the spirits with such depth of knowledge that one wonders if he has an actual chemistry degree and has been distilling for years.
Scott didn’t get into the business of distilling to sell whiskey to liquor stores – he did it to sit across the table from strangers and hear their stories. Several years ago, he turned his attention to Steamboat Springs, and last July, opened Mythology’s Steamboat campus with dreams of connecting with locals and visitors alike. If everything goes according to Scott’s plan, visiting Mythology will eventually be on the list of “must-dos” in town, like soaking in the hot springs. “I envision it as a destination for people, whether they’ve lived here for 20 years or are visiting for a weekend,” he says.
The campus is fully open this winter and Scott imagines a world where, after a long day on the mountain, you take a bus to the distillery. Sitting at the cocktail bar, you might order a flight of spirits and learn about the different notes as you sip. Or maybe you take an educational tour of the rack house where the spirits are aged for years in barrels. Or perhaps you simply sit by the fire with a bowl of Asian dumplings and a drink, sharing tales of your adventures, much like Scott did seven years ago on his Alaskan ski trip. Stories will, no doubt, be best recounted over a glass of barrel-aged whiskey with a smooth vanilla caramel finish, served neat.
Steamboat Springs, CO - Mythology Distillery began with storytelling. Scott Yeates was on an Alaskan ski trip in 2016 when he first conceived of the Colorado-based spirits company. After skiing steep lines, he and his buddies would arrive at their locale, the Funny Farm, shed their winter garb, and share a bottle of whiskey along with their favorite memories from the day. In these moments, Scott began to realize that whiskey and stories of adventure go together. Scott knew of no whiskey brand that captured the spirit of this pairing. Thus, the idea for Mythology Distillery was born.
Originally the company was a passion project: Scott had no distilling expertise and learned as he went. “My knowledge base at the time was that I enjoyed grabbing drinks with friends, I enjoyed bringing people together, and I knew that whiskey symbolized those two things,” he says. Wanting to create an identifiable brand but not knowing where to start, Scott turned to experts in the industry for help and signed up for chemistry classes. He was a sponge for distilling knowledge and eventually his passion project grew into a legitimate business.
Scott’s focus for the past six years was to make premium, handcrafted spirits that people across the country could enjoy and celebrate. By 2021, Mythology Distillery was internationally recognized, had won over 60 awards from San Francisco to New York, and was named Denver’s top distillery multiple years in a row. The spirits are currently distributed in 10 states and can be shipped to many more via their website. Now Scott speaks of the spirits with such depth of knowledge that one wonders if he has an actual chemistry degree and has been distilling for years.
Scott didn’t get into the business of distilling to sell whiskey to liquor stores – he did it to sit across the table from strangers and hear their stories. Several years ago, he turned his attention to Steamboat Springs, and last July, opened Mythology’s Steamboat campus with dreams of connecting with locals and visitors alike. If everything goes according to Scott’s plan, visiting Mythology will eventually be on the list of “must-dos” in town, like soaking in the hot springs. “I envision it as a destination for people, whether they’ve lived here for 20 years or are visiting for a weekend,” he says.
The campus is fully open this winter and Scott imagines a world where, after a long day on the mountain, you take a bus to the distillery. Sitting at the cocktail bar, you might order a flight of spirits and learn about the different notes as you sip. Or maybe you take an educational tour of the rack house where the spirits are aged for years in barrels. Or perhaps you simply sit by the fire with a bowl of Asian dumplings and a drink, sharing tales of your adventures, much like Scott did seven years ago on his Alaskan ski trip. Stories will, no doubt, be best recounted over a glass of barrel-aged whiskey with a smooth vanilla caramel finish, served neat.
Chai Bourbon Sour
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Hell Bear American Whiskey
- 1 oz egg white (dry shaken)
- .75 oz chai simple syrup
- .25 oz ginger simple syrup
- .5 oz lemon juice
- Garnish with dashes of black walnut bitters
Directions:
Add egg white (alone) to a cocktail shaker and shake before adding ice and the rest of the ingredients. Shake thoroughly again and strain ingredients into a Nick and Nora glass.