Bear Creek Distillery sits in Denver’s arts district on South Acoma Street, founded by husband-and-wife team Jason and Jennifer Walsh in 2012. Jason brought 15 years of brewing experience from Colorado’s craft beer scene, while Jennifer handled the business side after a career in marketing. They started with a 250-gallon copper still in a converted warehouse space, focusing on bourbon and rye whiskey production using traditional methods with Colorado grain. The distillery opened its doors to visitors in 2014, adding a tasting room that showcases exposed brick walls and industrial touches that reflect the building’s manufacturing past. What began as weekend tours has grown into a full visitor experience, with the Walshes often personally leading tastings and sharing stories about their transition from beer to spirits. They’ve maintained their small-batch approach, producing around 1,000 bottles per month while slowly expanding their barrel aging program.