The driving force behind Colorado’s robust craft distilling scene — now 80-plus strong — is whiskey. Sparked by the mash-recycling moonshiners at Stranahan’s who forged Colorado’s first microdistillery more than 13 years ago, Colorado has become the birthplace of Rocky Mountain Whiskey, a hand-crafted movement injecting youthful vigor into the centuries-old whiskey business. For fans of whiskey and other spirits seeking a tour, here’s an assemblage of distilleries where inventive whiskey peddlers are tweaking grain profiles to fuel a new era of Colorado distilling. 1.