Branch & Barrel Distilling has released Peas Please, a limited-edition specialty spirit distilled with Colorado field peas alongside corn and barley. The Centennial, Colorado-based distillery believes the mash bill may be a first for the whiskey category.
The six-year-aged spirit enters the market as the drinks industry increases its focus on regenerative and climate-conscious ingredients. Peas have previously featured in vodka and gin. Branch & Barrel is now transposing them to the world of whiskey.
The concept began on a small scale. Branch & Barrel first released a single-barrel test batch in 2023, followed by an experimental version that paired field peas with hand-crushed white, pink and green peppercorns. Both were highly limited and sold only at the distillery’s tasting room.
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READ THE STORYThe latest release strips the recipe back to its essentials. It uses just field peas and grains, with no peppercorns, and adds three more years of age for a total of six years in the barrel.
Colorado field peas differ from the sweet peas found in a produce aisle. They are starchy, with an earthy, savory character. Branch & Barrel co-owner Scott Freund partnered with a farmer in Elizabeth, Colorado, to acquire the peas for the spirit.
Field peas are planted as a rotational cover crop, a regenerative agricultural practice that enriches soil and naturally supports weed and pest control. They also require less water than many alternatives, a growing priority as drought reshapes farming across the American West.
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“Peas Please has a smooth, rich, complex flavor, akin to bourbon-meets-añejo tequila,” said Mitchell Nester, Branch & Barrel’s master blender. “This bottle was crafted to showcase uniquely Colorado ingredients and flavors you can’t find in just any whiskey-style spirit, while supporting local agriculture.”
Peas Please is distilled from a mash of 64% corn, 22% field peas and 14% barley. It is cut with water drawn from the Arapahoe Aquifer, an underground reservoir that has filtered through Colorado sandstone and shale for millions of years.
Branch & Barrel started small in the late 2000s, aging spirits on branches, before opening its distillery in 2016.
The spirit is available at the distillery’s tasting room in Centennial while stocks last. Further details are available at babdistilling.com.
