Hoot + Howl Spirits launches straight into awards prestige

New Golden distillery quickly claims regional, national and international medals

By David Young

A Golden-based craft distillery is making a name for itself out of the gate with a number of awards and accolades, thanks to its diverse line-up of unusual bourbons aged in Amaro and Armagnac casks. Hoot + Howl Spirits is pushing the boundaries of distilling with new innovative bottles such as Black Tea Liqueur, Amaro Cask Bourbon, and Armagnac Cask Bourbon, blending historical recipes and distilling techniques in a modern era.

The industry is taking note of Hoot + Howl Spirits' recent awards at the Beverage Testing Institute World Spirits Championships. The Colorado distillery also won multiple medals at the prestigious 2026 World Whiskies Awards, and top honors, including Best of Colorado, at the recent Heartland Whiskey Competition.

Founded by Callan Deline and head distiller Chris Ritenour, the duo approaches distilling a bit differently than your average whiskey maker. Deline is a seventh-generation Coloradan with a family background in brewing. Ritenour buys and reads old French distilling books to train himself in the art and craft.

“Our distilling process starts by seeking out and studying the recipes and methods of long-lost distillers. Then we recreate, rework, and reinvent them into fresh takes on historically inspired spirits meant for mixing, sipping, and most importantly, celebrating life among friends. This is something we’ve been obsessed with for years, and we’re excited to finally bring it to life and share it with you,” Deline said.

In its first year, Hoot + Howl took home two gold medals at the Beverage Tasting Institute World Spirits Championships for its Amaro Cask Bourbon and Armagnac Cask Bourbon. The two unique cask-finished bourbons earned a score of 92 and also won silver at the World Whiskies Awards, which evaluates whiskies from across the globe.

The Armagnac and Amaro Cask Bourbons both use unique cask finishing in their production.

The armagnac is blended from seven-year-old bourbon and finished for one year in an ex-armagnac cask. The result is a rich, bold, and smooth whiskey.

The Amaro Cask Bourbon is blended from seven-year-old bourbon and finished for one year in a Sicilian amaro cask. Hoot + Howl says that this bottle tastes like a Black Manhattan in a bottle.

More than just whiskey, the distillery also makes a Black Tea Liqueur, which earned a silver medal at the Beverage Testing Institute World Spirits Championships. The liqueur is double-distilled and infused with loose-leaf black tea, bergamot peel, and rich Demerara sugar. This liqueur also undergoes the traditional tranchage (cutting or separating) process, capturing the essence of a perfectly brewed sweet tea.

Hoot + Howl also has a gin and triple sec, which won bronze and silver medals at the BTI World Spirits Championships, respectively.

Their Triple Sec Liqueur is made using bitter orange, lemon, and bergamot peels. It is double distilled and mellowed through the historical tranchage process.

The mountain gin, which tastes like Colorado’s alpine landscape, blends native botanicals like spruce tips and white sage with bay laurel, juniper, and other mountainous botanicals. Its rich, full-bodied profile balances herbal, floral, and citrus notes, delivering a clean, complex spirit reminiscent of an ancient tonic.

You can check out Hoot + Howl’s unique take on historical award-winning spirits for yourself at hootandhowl.com or at local liquor stores across Colorado.