The Dry Land team is deep in mop buckets, scrub brushes, paint cans, and the familiar hum of shutdown week. Every year, we close the Tasting Room the first full week of January to clean, repair, reset, and regenerate.
I love this week.
It’s a lot of work—scrubbing floors, fixing what’s worn, tending to the details that get overlooked in the rush of daily operations. But it’s also a pause. A chance to step back, take a breath, and reflect on what the past year has given us—and what it’s quietly asking of us next.
The past few years have taught me perspective. When I look back, the hard moments tend to rise first: the mini disasters, the glitches, the seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the daily challenges. And 2025 gave us plenty of those:
- There were multiple floods of sticky Emmer wash from fermentations that got a little too enthusiastic, blowing their tops.
- There were vehicles sideswiped along Main Street.
- There were hail storms—literal and figurative—that tested roofs, patience, and resolve.
- There were international tariff changes that resulted in the loss of what would have been our largest sale to a Canadian client.
- There was the stark reality that our insurance and property taxes increased more than 400%, a reminder of how fragile the economics of small businesses can be.
- You get the idea. Running a small business is humbling work. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily disasters.
That’s exactly why shutdown week matters.
This week gives us the space to sweep away the dust and debris, to put things back in order, and to remember something essential: we’re still here. And beyond that, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the good—to name it, to honor it, and to carry it forward with excitement for what the future holds.
Earlier today, someone found a medal tucked behind the bar. It was from our Best American Craft Aged Rye win. It was the medal commemorating the win of the Best American Craft Aged Rye – a significant win. It made me smile, and we decided to make sure none of our other medals were missing. So, we counted – and I realized for the first time that we’ve won more than 20 significant accolades and awards. I’d never counted them in totality before.
It made me wonder: what if we counted the wins with the same care we give the setbacks?
- We made it through another year—never something to take for granted.
- We honored our commitment to reviving ancient grains, bringing Emmer wheat back to life in the still. That Emmer Wheat Whiskey sold out in a single day, a quiet affirmation that people care deeply about where their food—and their spirits—come from.
- We released the first-ever 100% Regenerative Organic Rye—and yes, it also won Best American Craft Rye.
- And during one of the fiercest summer storms, when hail and rain turned the alleys into rivers, two families with young children found themselves stranded nearby. The Tasting Room became what we’ve always hoped it would be: a third place. A place of refuge. A place to pause, connect, and wait out the storm together.
- There are countless moments like these—small, human, easy to overlook if you’re only watching the bottom line.
And then there are the bigger ones. The strategic choices that shape not just what we make, but why we make it.
The idea that maybe we can change our world for the better even though we’re just a small craft distillery. 2025 opened the door to our future – becoming the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified Integrated Grain Hub. The building blocks are in place – we secured a building that’s perfect for our plans (and is only 6 blocks away). Our vision is simple – expand our support of farmers and producers throughout Colorado transitioning to regenerative organic practices. We’ll source these grains and create a center of excellence where any small brand – distillers, brewers, bakers, millers, maltsters, chefs, restaurants – can easily access the best, most sustainable grains in the world.
It’s an ambitious goal, and setbacks are certain (because we’ve already had many). But just like the growers who are committed to meeting the challenges of sustainability for our lands and waters, we’re equally resilient. No matter what we’re going to face, we’re in it for the good – and the long haul.
I hope you’ll join us on this journey by supporting Dry Land and small, craft distilleries, bakeries, breweries and restaurants. We all need your help more than ever as we embark on a new year of surprises, challenges, hard decisions, wonderful connections, brilliant creativity – and most of all, helping us build a sustainable and resilient world.
Here’s to 2026!
