NoCo family craft spirits while also supporting the industry

By Tiffany Thompson

The road to creating an award-winning whiskey has been long trod by the Olander family. Todd Olander, the founder of the Colorado-based spirits company Root Shoot Whiskey, works on the farm his family has owned for five generations.

With multiple members of the Olander family assisting in the process, the Loveland-based farm has expanded from a long-standing grower of grains to the creators of their own popular whiskey.

Even with all their current accomplishments, these malting masters stay rooted in community with their love of the craft, a commitment to causes such as helping preserve farmland and combating climate change and their dedication to serving the people of Colorado.

As a generational farm, the land has served many purposes over the years, but has primarily remained a grower of grain.

“We grew barley primarily for Coors in the early 80s, but we also worked with local dairies to custom harvest their corn crop (silage corn),” Olander says. “We've always kept a rotation with small grains, the major switch to grow barley and wheat was when we started the malthouse in August 2016.”

Though the farm stopped growing for Coors in 2012, the family still provides grains to many other breweries and distilleries in the area, including Breckenridge Distillery, Mythology Distillery, and of course, their own spirits. This commitment to selling their grains to other Colorado-based businesses makes this local business deeply ingrained in the Colorado community.

The fight to preserve farmland

For a farm that has been owned by the same family since mid-Prohibition, longevity, sustainability and preservation are of the greatest importance. One of Root Shoot's most passionate causes (besides creating a great whiskey) is spreading awareness about conservation easement.

The company has a short documentary available on their website that explains the importance of conservation easement in detail, but essentially, the cause is about preserving farmland.

Conservation easement is a land trust agreement that guarantees that the purpose of the land will be used as a farm (or remain as open space) in perpetuity. This kind of agreement protects the land from urbanization, even if the owners of the farm do decide to eventually sell.

To those who own large pieces of land, like farmers, there can be pressure to sell to developers. “Some of these farms have also been in the same family for generations, some of them getting close to the century mark,” Olander says.

With the help of conservation easement, these farms can stay in the families that have owned them for generations without the pressure of selling their land to developers. Olander farms participates in this practice not only as people who have entered into a conservation easement agreement themselves, but also as advocates and informers who have successfully convinced other farmers to adopt the agreement for their own land.

“The more urbanization that occurs, the more farmland we lose, and it may get to a certain point when the urbanization has expanded to a point where there is a very small amount of farmland left,” Olander says.

However, people outside of the farming community can do their part in helping support the conservation easement movement. “Buy our whiskey,” Olander says with a laugh. “But really, buy local. Pay attention to what you put in your body, what you eat and drink, the ingredients. Pay attention to where these things come from.” Conservation easement involves an initial investment on the part of the landowner, so purchasing products from local growers ensures that more farmers will feel secure entering into such an agreement.

Award-winning values

From their dedication to community, their commitment to their craft, and their work in spreading conservation easement, these positive values have paid off for Root Shoot Whiskey. This year, Root Shoot won the silver prize in the Best American Single Malt Whisky category at the International Whisky Competition.

Additionally, Root Shoot also won the award for single malt American Whisky of the year at the London Spirits International Competition, the bronze prize in the taste category in 2024’s World Whiskies Awards, and the gold at the World Wine and Spirits Competition in 2023.

This quick succession of victories is something Olander feels proud of, especially because of the style of judging used at the recent International Whisky Competition. “The competition was judged using a double blind taste test. The judges didn’t know anything about the whiskeys they were tasting, so everything was judged based on flavor, and it won one of the top prizes,” he says.

Flavor is one of the top priorities for Root Shoot. Though he admits he may be biased because he was born and raised here, Olander credits the conditions of Colorado as one of the keys to creating a fantastic whiskey. “The cool nights, the spring and summer rains, and the quality of the soil all contribute to creating a great environment for growing grains,” he says. After the grains comes the malting process, the time in which the whiskey really starts to develop its flavor. This process is treated with the same amount of care and attention to detail as the grains. The end result is a spirit with hints of cobbler, granola, and cocoa –sweet and spicy, smooth and strong.

What’s next for Root Shoot?

Root Shoot Whiskey recently announced a new partnership with Zero Foodprint, continuing their involvement with creating sustainable agriculture. Zero Foodprint is an organization that teams up with people and businesses within the food and beverage industry to assist in combating climate change.

Their mission statement explains that “through small donations across the food system, ZFP is able to fund farm projects that draw carbon straight from the atmosphere and store it underground, resulting in better food, thriving farms, and a restored climate.”

Through this partnership, Root Shoot will contribute one percent of their earnings from their spirits to help fund grants for farmers to make similar changes to their lands. This process will also benefit the farms by helping to create healthier soil.

Colorado Proud

Root Shoot Whiskey is about as Colorado as it can get. The supply-chain journey from the fields of grain to the bottle of whiskey is about 30 miles, a true commitment to locality. Olander feels a strong connection to Colorado, one that makes him want to preserve the land he loves for years to come.

“Our family's connection to Colorado runs deep and it’s home in every sense of the word. We've been farming here for the last 100 years, and the land itself has shaped who we are and how we work,” Olander explains. “Colorado is an incredible place to grow grain, but it’s more than that. We’re committed to preserving this landscape not just for our own future, but for those who come after us.”

By purchasing Root Shoot Whiskey, people looking for a full, flavorful, and smooth whiskey can also help contribute to causes such as local farmers keeping their land, supporting small businesses, and combating climate change.

Root Shoot Whiskey is available for purchase in various restaurants, bars and retailers across the state, shown here.

Tiffany Thompson is a Colorado-born writer and musician. In addition to her creative pursuits, she spends her time reading, checking out the Denver music scene, and watching movies with her partner and their cat.