Spirit Hound Distillers sits along the Ute Highway in Lyons, Colorado, a small town wedged between the foothills and the plains about 20 minutes north of Boulder. Craig and Kathy Engelhorn founded this farm distillery in 2012, bringing together Craig’s engineering background and their shared vision of creating spirits using locally-sourced Colorado ingredients. The operation runs out of a 6,000-square-foot facility that houses their custom-built German copper still alongside fermentation tanks and aging barrels. They focus on whiskey, gin, and vodka, with most of their grains coming from farms within 150 miles of the distillery. The Engelhorns didn’t just want to make spirits—they wanted to create a complete grain-to-glass operation that showcases Colorado’s agricultural potential. Craig’s methodical engineering approach shows up in every aspect of production, from the precise temperature controls during fermentation to the detailed tracking of each barrel’s development. The distillery opened its doors to visitors in 2013, offering a chance to see the entire process from milling grain to bottling finished spirits.