Peyton Manning Brings His Talents to Colorado (Again)

Sweetens Cove Bourbon is Not Your Average Celebrity Spirit

By Jay McKinney

When Peyton Manning announced he would be signing with the Broncos in 2012, it sent a wave of enthusiasm across the state and rejuvenated the team’s loyal fan base. But since his reign of excellence on the football field has ended, Manning has found a new way to dominate with his recent venture into the bourbon industry.

With the first release sold in only Tennessee and Georgia, Sweetens Cove bourbon is now available in Colorado, and it is more than just another trendy celebrity spirit. It’s won over Manning fans and bourbon aficionados alike, with renowned distiller Marianne Eaves appointed as the master blender. Aside from being a tasty libation, the interesting story of how the bourbon came to be sets it apart from Manning’s other mainstream endorsements.

It started at Sweetens Cove Golf Club, a dinky nine-hole public course outside of Chattanooga, Tenn. Despite lacking a lavish clubhouse or even a paved parking lot, the humble property has amassed a cult following and lured a notable team to purchase the course. The ownership group includes Manning and tennis great Andy Roddick, who both fell in love with this hidden gem. 

So, what makes this discrete golf course so legendary that it inspired a $200 bottle of bourbon? Tradition. One that even resonated with Manning, who is a self-proclaimed beer drinker and does not pretend to be a connoisseur of bourbon, despite this new partnership.  

“This tradition was kind of going on and it just sort of started organically. Before people were doing their first golf shot at Sweetens Cove, they were doing a shot of whiskey on the first tee and leaving the bottle,” Manning says. The bottles would be left for other groups to enjoy or even the maintenance staff, and they began to pile up quickly through this pay-it-forward tradition.

With this pre-shot routine, the idea was born to create a bourbon that paid homage to the golf course that so many have fallen in love with. And while the tradition will surely live on at the golf course, those who purchase a bottle of Sweetens Cove will likely want to keep it for their personal bars rather than gift it to someone else after a few shots.

Photo Credit: From the Hip Photo

The first release in 2020 was a limited edition of about 14,000 bottles sourced from 100 barrels in Kentucky, and blended by Eaves. The 2021 release will be more accessible as it makes its way into other states, but it is still a premium product blended from bourbons aged 4, 6 and 16 years.

“My hope for Sweetens Cove, the ultra, hyper-premium product is that it creates a new experience every time you taste it,” Eaves says. “It’s layered, you know lots of nuances and complexities and hopefully you’re getting a little bit of everything that we love about bourbon. A lot of people talk about the pieces of the pie, the sweet aromatics, the fruit and floral, the oak characteristics, the grain characteristics, so I want all of those to be present in the product that we present.”

The high-quality, limited quantity bourbon is different from typical spirits endorsed by celebrities, making it nearly impossible for critics to write off.

“I thought football critics were tough, but bourbon critics are really tough,” Manning jokes. “The people that really know it seem to like it.”

Despite his dedication to drinking beer, it is clear that Manning is proud of this product. The former Tennessee Volunteer loves the parallel between the hidden treasure of Sweetens Cove Golf Club and Sweetens Cove bourbon, which isn’t mass-produced and requires some diligent searching to acquire. 

Jay McKinney is a Colorado native who recently graduated from Metro State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He loves spending time outdoors, playing golf and hiking.

Competition kept Belgian-style brews relevant

Charlie Gottenkieny from Bruz Beers discusses the storied tradition

By Kyle Kirves 

Editor’s Note: In this, the third of three articles about Belgium and Belgian-styled beers, Thirst Colorado contributor Kyle Kirves talks with Bruz Beers head brewer, co-founder, and Belgian beer enthusiast, Charlie Gottenkieny about the variety of styles and tastes that fall into the Belgian and Belgian-style motif – some you may know, some you don’t. They also discuss how a continental beer rivalry in the 19th century transformed the beer landscape forever.  Click here to read Part 1 in the series, and Part 2.

Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. And conflict is the fulcrum of every great tale. Upstarts and underdogs, heavyweight champions and those with just a puncher’s chance. It permeates our storytelling and it’s a part of the world history of great beer. 

Charlie Gottenkieny, co-founder and head brewer at Bruz Beers, explains how the rise of Czech pilsner beer created new innovation in Belgium. While history may not remember it as the Great Beer War of the later 19th century, that’s certainly what I’ve decided to call it. 

“The Czech city of Pilsen started brewing these light, pale beers that presented really well in glasses as opposed to traditional stoneware or crockery,” Gottenkieny says of the beer style we now refer to from its origin city. “Beautiful, golden beers. And the Germans adopted it and started creating their own pils beers and the style really took off from there.” It was, as Gottenkieny tells it, all anybody wanted to drink. 

From such things are empires made.

While it may have seemed a harbinger of the end of distinct and varying beer styles, rumors of the demise of Belgian beers were greatly exaggerated. In fact, far from being intimidated by their Teutonic neighbors, Belgian brewers rose to the challenge. “In 1905, the Belgian university brewing schools held a contest to see if they could come up with something to rival the rise of pils style beers, Gottenkieny says.” One of these styles is familiar to folks with an affinity for a certain Fort Collins bicycle-themed beer. 

Photo: courtesy Bruz Beers

“Amber,” Gottenkieny says, “is one of the styles that emerged from the contest as a favorite. It remains a very popular pub beer in Belgium today.” One of the other emerging favorites was the blond – a close relative of traditional dubbels but brewed with paler malts to make for a lighter colored, clear-presenting ale. Gottenkieny cites the easily found Leffe beer as an example of the style. Tripels, too, count themselves among the contenders to challenge the dominance of pils. Pour a glass of Karmeliet Tripel and tell me it doesn’t look like liquid sunshine. 

Other styles in the Belgian family you are likely already familiar with – for example, the national mainstay Blue Moon is an example of the Belgian White style; the less familiar lambic (and its most popular variation, gueuze) remain popular in the U.S. even while consumption overseas declines. The Cantillon brand is the ultimate expression of the style. It may not be as easily found as some others, but it is eagerly sought out. 

Citing the importance of yeast selection in Belgian brewing, Gottenkieny says that the complexity and taste of the yeast in Belgian beer is by design. It’s a flavor component full of esters and phenols that give Belgians notes of fruit or spice. Most American brewing tradition tries to keep yeast flavors neutral in favor of hops. 

Still, Gottenkieny explains that there are literally hundreds of beers made in Belgium that defy easy categorization. “They are just one-offs or experiments or things that don’t fit in with an established style,” he says. Sounds like a ready-made beer Odyssey for the ale-inclined. 

But if a trip to Belgium is not in your foreseeable future, fear not: Gottenkieny and the team at Bruz has you covered. Monthly, the midtown brewery offers a 2-plus hour tasting and history lesson in the marvels of Belgian beer. Your ticket gets you a sample of over a dozen beers, true Belgians and state-side representatives of styles as well. It also includes a backstage tour of the brewing operations. Bruz produces examples in the Belgian tradition from enkels to blondes to Belgian strong ales – their menu is a kind of passport into the world of Belgian-inspired brewing. 

While the history of Belgian beers is a long and storied one, it is not as intimidating as you may think. The range and tastes of Belgians certainly offer something for virtually everyone – whether their tastes gravitate to the sweet or the sour, the strong or the light, the bold or the nuanced. Start your journey with Gottenkieny and the good people at Bruz and you’ll likely feel transported to Brussels or Bruges. The only thing missing is the waffles.