Why Talnua Distillery is a MUST-DO on Your Visit to Arvada
If you're planning a trip to Arvada, Colorado, there's one stop for whiskey lovers and anyone looking for a uniquely Colorado experience that should be on the list:
Talnua Distillery
The award-winning distillery has earned recognition from Colorado's most respected publications and the world's most respected whiskey competitions. From 5280 and Westword Editors' Pick & Readers' Choice awards to medals at the World Whiskies Awards, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, ADI International Spirits Competition, and ASCOT Awards, Talnua has made a pretty big impression.
So, yes, it's worth bragging about a little.
Award-Winning Whiskey Worth the Trip
Let's start with the whiskey.
Talnua is America's first Single Pot Still Whiskey distillery, creating American Single Pot Still Whiskey with a 50/50 mash bill of malted and unmalted barley and traditional triple distillation in copper pot stills.
And the whiskey has been getting noticed.
Talnua received an incredible award, 2026 Distillery of the Year from the American Distilling Institute’s International Spirits Competition. This is an enormous achievement and accolade. This comes on the heels of receiving America’s Greatest Whiskey for Bourbon Cask & Stave Series Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey in 2025, making these back-to-back honors especially meaningful for the team.
Talnua's Olde Saint's Keep has been named Best American Pot Still at the World Whiskies Awards, including recognition in 2023 and 2025. Most recently, the 2026 Olde Saint's Keep earned Gold at the World Whiskies Awards, continuing a run of recognition that stretches across multiple years.
Talnua's portfolio has also collected Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals across multiple World Whiskies Awards competitions, with winning expressions including American White Oak Cask, Bourbon Cask & Stave Series, Heritage Selection, Olde Saint's Keep, and other Talnua releases.
And then there's the ASCOT Awards.
In 2026, Talnua's American White Oak Whiskey Bottled-in-Bond was named Best Craft American Whiskey, another major recognition for the style of whiskey Talnua is helping establish in America.
The accolades don't stop there. Talnua whiskeys have also earned recognition from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including Silver for the American White Oak Cask and other award-winning expressions.
In other words, there's a reason to come see what all the fuss is about.
Colorado Readers Keep Sending
Talnua to the Top
Competition medals are great, but there's something especially meaningful about being recognized by the people who live here.
5280 readers have voted Talnua a winner more than once.
In 2023, Talnua was named Readers' Choice for Best Cocktail Menu in 5280's Top of the Town awards.
In 2024, readers named Talnua Distillery the Readers' Choice winner for Distillery.
And in 2026, 5280 readers once again selected Talnua Distillery as the Readers' Choice winner for Distillery. 5280's recognition highlights exactly what makes the experience worth a visit: whiskey flights, house cocktails, and bottles to take home.
Westword Readers Agree
Talnua has also had a pretty good run with Westword.
The distillery was named Best Distillery Taproom in the 2022 Readers' Choice Awards.
In 2025, readers selected Talnua for both:
Best Colorado Distillery
Best Distillery Taproom
And in 2026, readers did it again, naming Talnua:
Best Colorado Distillery
Best Distillery Taproom
That's back-to-back-to-back recognition for the taproom, along with consecutive recognition as one of Colorado's best distilleries.
Westword has also recognized Talnua editorially, including Best Distillery Taproom in 2023 and Best Distillery to Visit If You Have a Shamrock Tattoo in 2025.
A shamrock tattoo isn't required for entry, but Talnua certainly appreciates the recommendation.
But Here's the Thing:
Awards Are Only Part of the Experience
The awards might get people through the door, but the experience is what makes Talnua worth the trip.
Talnua isn't simply a place to buy a bottle. It's a place to taste, learn, hang out, ask questions, try something new, and have a really good drink.
The cocktail lounge is designed to be comfortable and welcoming, whether someone is a longtime whiskey enthusiast or simply curious about whiskey.
Visitors can start with a flight and taste several whiskeys side by side, try a cocktail, talk with the bartenders, or pick up a bottle to take home.
And for those who want to go a little deeper, there's always the opportunity to get behind the scenes.
Go Behind the Barrel
The Behind the Barrel Guided Distillery Tour & Tasting offers one of the best ways to understand what makes Talnua different.
Guests walk through the working distillery, get up close to the barrels, learn about Single Pot Still Whiskey and Talnua's production process, and taste the core-four whiskeys along the way.
The experience is educational without being stuffy, making it a great option for both whiskey enthusiasts and those just beginning to explore the spirit.
And yes, tour guests receive a 10% discount on bottles after the tour, excluding special releases.
Make Wednesday a Whiskey Wednesday
For visitors looking for something a little different during the week, Wednesdays at Talnua just got a lot more interesting.
Whiskey Wednesday gives guests the opportunity to explore what's happening beyond the standard pour.
Each week, Talnua features unique barrel picks, unreleased whiskey expressions, early-access experimental pours, and distillery favorites that aren't always available to the public.
It's an opportunity to experience Talnua's whiskey program from a different perspective, and maybe taste something that isn’t regularly available.
Whether someone is a seasoned whiskey enthusiast or simply curious to try something new, Whiskey Wednesday is an invitation to discover more.
Guests can add a pour to their regular flight or enjoy all three featured pours together as a mini flight.
It's a pretty great way to turn an ordinary Wednesday into a whiskey adventure.
And There's Always Something Happening
One of the things that makes Talnua a destination rather than simply a tasting room is its calendar of events.
Throughout the year, Talnua hosts whiskey releases, educational experiences, makers' markets, seasonal celebrations, community events, live music, and specialty gatherings.
Recent events have included the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration, Tiki-themed Christmas in July, and a Whiskey Blending Class. In the fall, Talnua hosts an annual philanthropic event to benefit a local organization. This year is a party to celebrate Colorado’s 150th birthday with The Spirit of Colorado: A Sesquicentennial Event. From 1–6 p.m., all ages are welcome for an afternoon packed with Colorado-made food, drinks, games, activities, and plenty of ways to celebrate our state's incredible history and pioneering spirit. Then, from 6–9 p.m., the celebration continues for guests 21+.
The annual Olde Saint's Keep release has become one of Talnua's biggest celebrations, bringing together award-winning whiskey, food, music, cocktails, and plenty of Irish spirit.
Before visiting, it's worth checking the events calendar. There may be something special happening during the trip.
Come for the Awards, Stay for the Whiskey
There's a lot to do in Arvada.
But for whiskey lovers, or anyone who's simply curious about whiskey, Talnua is worth putting on the itinerary.
Come see the copper pot stills.
Taste an American Single Pot Still Whiskey.
Try a cocktail.
Take a guided tour.
Explore Whiskey Wednesday.
Ask questions.
Hang out in the lounge.
Meet the people behind the bottles.
And, yes, maybe take home a bottle that has won a few awards along the way.
Talnua is proud of the recognition it has earned, but those awards represent something bigger: years of taking a different path, making whiskey the team believes in, and building something unique here in Colorado.
So if you're visiting Arvada, make Talnua a stop.
The awards are a pretty good reason to come.
The whiskey is an even better one.
Plan Your Visit
Talnua Distillery
5405 W. 56th Ave., Unit C
Arvada, Colorado
Enjoy the cocktail lounge, explore the award-winning spirits, book a Behind the Barrel Guided Tour & Tasting, experience Whiskey Wednesday, or check the events calendar to see what's happening during your visit.
Come see what Colorado whiskey is all about.