Fans prepared to wait 24 hours for Denver distillery's rare 'Snowflake' whiskey

DENVER (KDVR) — On Friday morning, whiskey lovers are setting up tents in the Baker neighborhood and planning to wait 24 hours to buy a bottle known to sell out within hours at a local distillery.

Stranahan's on Kalamath Street is releasing its annual American single-malt "Snowflake Whiskey," where, like a snowflake, the distillery said no two bottles are alike.

The tradition started in 2011 when the distillery said it released the first batch, which only produced a limited number of bottles due to the scarcity of the barrels. Since then, the distillery said the batches gained global attention for the whiskey's complexity and rarity.

As the bottles are known to sell out the day of, sometimes within hours, the distillery said fans wait hours for the release -- and this year is no exception.

On Friday morning, people are already setting up shop outside the distillery for this year's "Snowflake Batch #27," set to drop on Saturday.

Because so many people choose to get ahead of the crowd and wait for the bottles to be released, the distillery said "Snowflake Village" was born. The village, which kicks off on Friday, has a full day of events with a live DJ, bands, yard games, food trucks and more.

Stranahan's said there are limited camping spots, which opened on Thursday morning. Others wait in cars or RVs, which have to be preregistered. While people are already waiting for the bottle, they will receive wristbands on Saturday to secure their place in line for "one of the most sought after whiskeys in the world."

The 750ml bottles are going for $119.99 before taxes. People can purchase up to three bottles. These will be released on Saturday, although the exact time is a surprise. The distillery doesn't know when the bottles will sell out, but they will provide updates day-of on Instagram and Facebook.