Turnbuckle Distilling sits in an industrial section of Broomfield, Colorado, founded by husband-and-wife team Mike and Cindy Thompson in 2016. Mike’s background in mechanical engineering shows throughout their operation—from custom-built equipment to their methodical approach to distillation. The distillery occupies a 3,000-square-foot facility where they produce bourbon, rye whiskey, and vodka using a 500-gallon copper still they designed themselves. The Thompsons started this venture after years of homebrewing and distilling as a hobby, deciding to turn their passion into a full-time business when Colorado’s craft distilling laws became more favorable. Mike handles the production side while Cindy manages the business operations and tasting room. Their approach focuses on small-batch production with careful attention to each step of the process, from grain selection to barrel aging. The facility includes a production area where visitors can see the milling, mashing, and distilling equipment in action, plus a tasting room that doubles as their retail space. They age their whiskeys in 15 and 30-gallon barrels, which allows for faster maturation in Colorado’s climate but requires constant monitoring to prevent over-oaking.