Colorado distillers are raising a toast to this new standard of identity for domestic whiskey. 🥃⁠ ⁠ Instituted in December by federal alcohol regulators, the designation joins vaunted labels like bourbon, rye and Irish Whiskey, formally defining what ingredients can be used and how American single malt should be made.⁠ ⁠ While U.S. distilleries have been making single malt spirits for a long time, local whiskey producers believe the designation will allow them to better compete with powerhouses like Scotland and Japan. They are also confident that Colorado can take the lead in popularizing American single malt, thanks to the state’s strong beer heritage, which has cultivated a generation of distillers familiar with using its base ingredient, one that is frequently grown here as well.⁠ ⁠ What most excites Ironton head distiller Laura Walters is the opportunity for creativity and innovation. The single malt definition mandates that distillers use 100% malted barley, but it doesn’t speci...