Longtime friends’ project resulted in lasting, popular businesS

By Jay McKinney

“What ifs” rarely materialize into anything past a conversation, but when they do, it can seem like pure destiny. At least that’s how it feels for a group of friends who founded Bear Creek Distillery after they got serious about one of those crazy “what if” ideas.

They’re not the first people to ditch regular jobs in pursuit of creating liquid art, but nearly 10 years after starting Bear Creek Distillery, it’s safe to say that Jay Johnson, Jeff Dickinson, and Dbo (David Baker) have successfully captured lightning in a bottle in south Denver. The three guys serve as the managing partners of the distillery, which began operations after they bought their building in 2012. Johnson, Dickinson and a fourth partner, who likes to remain anonymous, attended Bear Creek High School together and decided to name the distillery after the school.

“We sort of rekindled our friendship and decided that we wanted to launch a venture together,” says founder Jay Johnson. “We’ve all come from successful backgrounds, so it was just the next step. My wife was questioning my sanity when she found out that I was quitting my business and going into business with these guys because she grew up with the same guys.”

Johnson used to own a pest control business, while Dickinson and Dbo had jobs in the snowboarding industry. From the beginning, the three of them designated roles for their new venture. Dickinson took on the daunting task of distilling, as he toured the country taking classes and learning from industry vets. Dbo was tasked with running the day-to-day business side of the distillery. And Johnson became the event guy, who also coordinated sales and marketing.

During the distillery’s initial years, each of them would also take turns tending bar multiple nights a week as they juggled long hours and no days off during their struggle to launch a small business. The hard work paid off, however, and the distillery is committed to delivering great spirits that everyone can enjoy.

“It’s been our vision from the very beginning to create quality, drinkable spirits,” Johnson says. “We have approachable, (reasonably priced) spirits and we want to be Colorado’s go-to craft brand from whiskey and vodka all the way down to our rums.”

While Bear Creek puts the same effort into all of its spirits, Johnson admits the crew always envisioned being a whiskey-focused distillery, and they are extremely proud of what they’ve accomplished thus far. The distillery entered its 5-year Straight Bourbon Single Barrel into the American Craft Spirits Association’s Spirit Competition last July in New Orleans. The bourbon took home a gold medal.

In addition to creating spirits that are distributed in liquor stores across Colorado, Bear Creek has a creative cocktail program to lure people to the tasting room. The cocktail menu has blossomed thanks to the creative vision of Dbo and tasting room manager Megan Heenan.

Who can resist drinks like the Blackberry Whiskey Smash (Rye Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, blackberries, mint, honey syrup), Stumbling Tumbleweed (Straight Bourbon, fresh lemon juice, cranberry/apple/sage syrup, cranberry bitters, soda) and the Noel (Spiced Rum, Cask Strength Rum, cranberry juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, aquafaba)? Some are original creations while others are Bear Creek twists on the classics.

Friendly bartenders and flavorful cocktails are another reason people keep coming back to the Platt Park location near Overland Golf Course.

“I would say the most important thing that we can attribute to our success here at Bear Creek is the people we’ve been able to bring on to our team,” Johnson says. “People like to work here, and people are proud to work here. That’s been our strength.”

Visitors appreciate the vibe and are often rewarded with a pleasant surprise. Aside from the staples, Dickenson is always willing to experiment and get creative. Small batch creations like a rye whiskey aged in port barrels (released September 2022) and cask strength rum aged in once-used bourbon barrels (to be released November 2022), are a couple examples of the limited spirits Bear Creek has produced recently.

When it first started producing cask strength rum, the distillery didn’t have its own barrels, so it borrowed from “competitors,” including Peach Street Distillers and Laws Whiskey House. The collaboration shows how tight-knit Colorado’s craft distilling community is as they all strive to bring consumers great products. While Johnson might favor the spirits that he and his close friends take pride in making, he’s quick to show love to his fellow craft producers throughout the state.

“The level and the quality of the spirits that are coming out of Colorado right now, I don’t think you see that matched in such mass, anywhere else in the world,” Johnson says. “Obviously Tennessee and Kentucky, but (Colorado) in the craft realm more than anything else.”

Jay McKinney grew up in Sedalia and graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. During his free time, he enjoys playing golf, shooting pool and hiking throughout Colorado and neighboring Utah.

This article appeared in the November-December issue of Thirst Colorado. Click here to read the full magazine online.