The Curated Barrel Project

27/05/2026

LAST CALL - TICKETS ARE NEARLY SOLD OUT!

This is your last chance to grab tickets to tomorrow’s Curated Barrel Project Chef’s Pairing Whiskey Dinner with celebrated Chef Manny Barella, co-owner of Riot BBQ & Chicken Riot!

Only a handful of tickets remain to experience an intimate, elevated dining experience in the Curated Barrel Project distillery among its burgeoning barrel collection.

Tomorrow night’s menu will showcase an array of cocktails as well as the debut release of “The Control”, a beautiful high-rye bourbon that’ll serve as the foundation for The Curated Barrel Project’s specialty cask-finished releases, plus a few additional surprises.

Grab your tickets before they’re gone via the link in bio.

25/05/2026

Still on the fence about grabbing a spot for Thursday's Chef's Whiskey Pairing Dinner?

Chef Manny Barella is rolling out an unforgettable dining experience a and we've got your first look at the menu:

CANAPES
-Huitlacoche Arancini, poblano cema
-Deviled Chicken Salad, toasted brioche

APPS
-Carrots, pesto calabrese, jocoque, lemon
-Beet Hummus, shaved fennel, orange, arugula, almond gremolata

DINNER
-Lard Braised Bone-in Pork Chop, mole verde, escabeche
-Epazote Polenta
-Charred Broccolini, cotija, lime

DESSERT
-Carlota de Limon - Mexican vanilla wafer, condensed milk

Plus, don't miss your chance to be among the first to experience "The Control," a beautifully complex high-rye bourbon which marks the official return to the Colorado craft whiskey scene for Jake Norris, the original Head Distiller at Stranahan's Whiskey and Laws Whiskey House.

Tickets available now —> https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thecuratedbarrelproject/2106136

21/05/2026

Don't miss out on an unforgettable whiskey dinner experience with one of Denver's top culinary talents.

Join The Curated Barrel Project next Thursday, May 28th as we welcome Chef Manny Barella, co-owner of Riot BBQ and Chicken Riot, and James Beard Emerging Chef Semi-Finalist for our inaugural whiskey pairing dinner.

Enjoy an intimate night of cocktails, an unforgettable meal from Chef Manny Barella, all capped off with a guided bourbon tasting from Head Distiller, Jake Norris, featuring "The Control", our debut 7-year high-rye bourbon.

Tickets available NOW while supplies last:

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thecuratedbarrelproject/2106136

19/05/2026

Grab your tickets for The Curated Barrel Project’s inaugural Chef’s Whiskey Pairing Dinner!

One of the driving goals behind starting The Curated Barrel Project was to inject humanity back into craft whiskey. To accomplish this, we’re launching a quarterly whiskey dinner that will accompany each release, showcasing some of Denver’s most talented chefs.

The first installment, taking place on Thursday, May 28, will feature Co-Owner of Riot BBQ and Chicken Riot, and James Beard Emerging Chef Semi-Finalist, Manny Barella.

Enjoy an intimate night of cocktails, elevated culinary experiences, and a guided tasting of our Curated Barrel Project release, “The Control”, a beautifully complex 7-year high-rye Bourbon, led by Head Distiller, Jake Norris.

A few expected menu items include: huitlacoche arancini, epazote polenta, lard braised bone-in pork chop with mole verde, and carlota de limon, to name a few!

Tickets are now available for purchase: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thecuratedbarrelproject/2106136

15/05/2026

Has craft whiskey lost its way?

Quality bottles of whiskey are meant to be opened and shared amongst friends, not sitting collecting dust on a mantle.

The Curated Barrel Project hopes to promote those kinds of experiential community-driven gatherings through quarterly bourbon pairing dinners aimed at bringing together friends and strangers over great conversations and even better bourbon.

Our first chef-driven dinner, taking place on Thursday, May 28, will feature Co-Owner of Riot BBQ and Chicken Riot, and James Beard Emerging Chef Semi-Finalist, Manny Barella.

Enjoy an intimate night of cocktails, elevated culinary experiences, and a guided tasting of our Curated Barrel Project release, "The Control", a beautifully complex 7-year high-rye Bourbon, led by Head Distiller, Jake Norris.

Tickets now available for purchase:

CBP Spring Dinner Party – 5525 W 56th Ave Suite 400 Arvada, CO 80002, Thu May 28, 2026 - At The Curated Barrel Project (CBP), we’re not just pouring whiskey—we’re creating the table worth drinking it at. And the best way we know how to do that? Dinner parties. But not the old stodgy whiskey ...

28/04/2026

Meet the Team Behind the Curated Barrel Project - Part 2

The production team is bolstered by the unbelievably talented Gene “JB” Salem as Project Engineer. Gene is an absolute wizard in spirits production and has served as Master Distiller for Destilería Serrallés, which produces Don Q rum.

In addition to bringing his wealth of production knowledge to this entire process, Gene has been an invaluable help in the full buildout of our distillery.

13/04/2026

Today, we’re taking you behind the scenes for the process of “Marrying Barrels”!

Each barrel of whiskey showcases a distinctly unique flavor profile, which is great for single-barrel releases. However, for our base bourbon recipe, we need a bit more continuity. Join as Jake walks you through the process of “marrying barrels”, the final step before our bourbon hits your future bottles!

03/04/2026

23/03/2026

Meet the team behind The Curated Barrel Project - Part 1

Co-founder, Jake Norris brings over 20 years of distilling experience as the original founding distiller who previously launched Stranahan's Whiskey and Laws Whiskey House. As the pioneer who developed and launched Stranahan’s celebrated Snowflake program, Norris was the first to employ additional cask maturation as a vehicle for adding enhanced flavor components to American craft whiskey, and he also spearheaded the creation of Colorado's first bottled-in-bond bourbon.

With The Curated Barrel Project, Norris is excited to showcase how his innovative approach toward cask-finished whiskey has evolved. However, where specialty releases like Snowflake have leaned into the hype around waiting in line and collecting rare whiskies, Norris is hoping to inject life back into the experiential ritual of prioritizing sharing whiskey with friends.