Michael Myers was a successful New York photographer before moving to Colorado and launching 291 Colorado Whiskey. But he grew up in rural Georgia and Tennessee, helping to fuel his love of whiskey and whiskey making.

He started making whiskey on a still he designed and built himself in a small space. Today, Myers’ whiskeys are renowned, having won numerous awards in competitions around the world.

This week, Michael Myers celebrates 291 Colorado Whiskey’s 13th anniversary by answering a few questions for FredMinnick.com for our series Five Questions.

What was your gateway whiskey – the one that made you love whiskey?

At midnight the morning of my 18th birthday (back in the day, 18 was the drinking age in Georgia), I went to a bar with my high school friend Todd Hopkins and did a shot of Yukon Jack when it was still whiskey. Growing up in Georgia, the whiskey of choice was Jack Daniels.

What is your favorite part of the whiskey making process?

My favorite part of the whiskey making process is all of it, truthfully. A few highlights: If you know my story, one comes from my 300 square-foot space where I started making whiskey and I had to push the button on my steam boiler every 45 minutes for every cook, strip, and finish run, because it was a home unit with an automatic off.

Being a self taught distiller (books, YouTube, and a documentary), another part I really enjoy is creating a new mash bill and having it come off the still as white dog and how amazing it tasted, knowing when aged in a barrel, it’s going to be amazing whiskey.

The last is standing around with my head distiller Eric Jett tasting two different whiskeys trying to decide if they are 291 E-worthy. And taking the glasses of whiskey and pouring the two different whiskeys together, making a blend and us deciding its better as a whole then as a part.

In my 13 years of making whiskey I have only poured one whiskey I made down the drain: Barrel #41. My bourbon is my very first experiment, mash bill ever, only changed by 1%. I had never brewed beer or distilled until then. And have only distilled with a DSP  (DSP-CO-15023)

What trends do you believe are forthcoming in the spirits industry?

I see at the moment a contraction of distilleries and brands. Distilleries because making whiskey from scratch and getting it to market is incredibly hard and expensive. Brands because there are so many brands that are sourcing the same whiskey from the same source and just finishing it and putting it in the bottle. I believe in the future, with more contract distilling distilleries being built, the American whiskey landscape will not be the whiskey sourced from Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky, which over the past 10 years has dominated sourced brands.

Other than your own brand, do you currently have a favorite bourbon, whiskey or other spirit?

Other than my 291 E 13 Colorado Whiskey, and my 13th anniversary 291 XIII Colorado Whiskey, I like to drink Thomas Handy.

Neat, rocks or cocktail?

I like my whiskey neat. I never used to drink whiskey on the rocks, but a few years back a past love got me to drink whiskey on the rocks and over the past couple of years I have come to enjoy it. 

I like a black Manhattan made with my 291 Barrel Proof Single Barrel Colorado Whiskey and Averna. And sometimes in Mountain Dew or lemonade.

Read more: Five Questions with Buzzard’s Roost Co-Founder Jason Brauner

About Five Questions

Five Questions is a series on Fredminnick.com in which professionals in the whiskey business offer insights into trends, favorite spirits and more.