Denver-based Stranahan's Whiskey calls itself the first Colorado whiskey and the only Rocky Mountain one. But of late, these claims have seemed a little dubious. For years, Stranahan's made its mash--a fermented water and grain mixture used to make both whiskey and beer--in collaboration with Flying Dog Brewery. In January, Flying Dog moved to Maryland, and since then several Denver liquor store owners and restaurateurs have dismissed Stranahan's, claiming that the company has also moved its mash-making out of state. Such arguments have been so persuasive that some 5280 staffers gave up drinking the purported Colorado whiskey. But they shouldn't have. When Flying Dog headed to the East Coast, Stranahan's simply partnered with Oskar Blues in Lyons. Now, the beloved producer of Dale's Pale Ale makes 3,000 gallons of Stranahan's mash each week, and the whiskey continues to be distilled at the company's Blake Street location. --Kazia Jankowski