Both at Empower Field at Mile High and on the shelves of liquor stores across the state, you may see a bottle bearing an orange and blue label featuring a Broncos helmet.
It’s the limited edition honey whisky, a partnership between Breckenridge Distillery and Bronco. The honey used in it also represents a full circle moment for a man who describes himself as Africa’s number one Broncos fan.
Omar Lababidi was born in Estes Park and later moved to Nigeria as a teenager. He loves his home.
“A lot of my life has been about merging Nigeria and Colorado,” Lababidi said.
His first home, Colorado, is the home of his favorite team, the Denver Broncos. He’s not just a lifelong fan either. His grandfather, Richard Kitchen, was one of the founding members of the team as a trustee.
“It’s very strange when you think about it,” he told Babidi.
In his second home in Nigeria, he picked up another passion: West African honey. He said his first taste almost left him speechless.
“She was very rich and very beautiful, you know? Luxurious,” he told Babidi.
Wanting to share that feeling with the rest of the world, Lababidi founded Goldswarm, a company that now produces honey that he says is unlike anything made in the United States.
“Bees forage for food in these unique forests across West Africa that have not been disturbed by pesticides or industrialization,” Lababidi said.
Recently, his emotions had come together. One partner asked if they could send a taste of Goldswarm to Breckenridge Distillery for a potential collaboration.
“I was like, ‘Please God make them like this!’ Lababidi said.
They loved it. They actually used it to make a limited edition Bronco Honey Whiskey.
“I was thrilled when they were excited. It meant a lot to me, as if it was a surefire confirmation that Breckenridge Distillery, like the top of the top, would love my honey,” he said.
For Babidi, there is no better way to integrate his two sides than through team football, which is literally in his blood.
“Goldwarm honey is sold at Empower Field at Mile High. It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I’m just full of joy and excitement.”