There are a few simple guidelines taught to any new drinker: Liquor before beer and you're in the clear; beer before liquor and you'll never be sicker. But forget that old adage and sip on Well Built ESB [2], a collaboration between Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (read about the company here [3]) and Breckenridge Brewing Company [4]. The barrel-aged extra special bitter beer is bottled with branding from both the distillery and brewery on the label. 

"We've achieved balance," Breckenridge's brewmaster Todd Ursy says. "There's a great blend between wood and whiskey, neither overpowering the other." Made from 100 percent English malt imported from the United Kingdom, Well Built ESB has a 7.8 percent ABV with a flavor hints of oak, caramel, dark cherry, and fruit.

The first small batch of 750 ml bottles hits Colorado-only shelves today and you can find it on draft at a few taprooms statewide. The next batch is already in the barrels, but the plan is to release a new one each quarter. "It's a small, neighborly, friendly batch," Ursy says. "Get it while you can."