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How better to tell the story of American whiskey than through the producers who grow the grain and the distillers who craft the spirit? That’s just what Denver-based production company Traverse Image has set out to do with “The Whiskey Film,” a farm-to-barrel documentary that’s set to release in Spring 2018. (Traverse’s credits include the Netflix movie “Crafting A Nation.”)
The film will look at the stories behind the makers, including Michael Myers of Distillery 291 in Colorado Springs, Lenny and Amy Eckstein of Deerhammer Distilling Company in Buena Vista, and the Cody family of Colorado Malting Company in Alamosa. “The Whiskey Film features the new generation of whiskey craftsmen and women and dives deep into the agriculture ties behind the end result,” director Thomas Kolicko says.
Kolicko is taking an unconventional, crowdsourcing approach to funding the film. An Indiegogo campaign will launch on March 15th, with a first goal of $5,000. The ultimate aim is $100,000. (To put the cost into perspective, each minute of final cut costs approximately $1,000).
Check out the trailer here. Craving more in-depth footage? Watch the sizzle reel. These are best watched with a glass of Colorado whiskey in hand, of course.
Bonus: Kolicko is holding a nationwide search for additional distilleries to feature. He is specifically looking for strong characters with a sense of place, tradition, and story—think a “Chef’s Table“ approach. Interested parties should email director@thewhiskeyfilm.com.
