Craft beer? Oh so 2014. Meet the new game in town. Colorado’s local distilleries are producing some amazing hootch and offering up tasting rooms with all the ambience of your favorite brew pub. Here are five of our favorite spots to relive our adventures and plan for our next excursion. (Oh, and to drink fantastic liquor and spirits.)
Spirit Hound Distillers
Lyons
The small town of Lyons, Colorado is home to some of the best mountain biking, hiking and kayaking on the Front Range. After an epic day playing in the mountains, head to the Spirit Hound distillery and post up in the quirky tasting room for a refreshing adult beverage. This distillery is quickly garnering a name for itself throughout Colorado for its line-up of spirits which include Gin—made with handpicked juniper berries—a Mountain Bum Rum, White Dog Moonshine, the incredibly smooth and devilishly deceiving Richardo’s Decaf Liqueur and the recently released Whisky—made with Colorado malt from Alamosa. The Whisky is aged for a minimum of two years in American oak barrels, and it’s damn tasty. Sip the distillery’s variety of offerings or drink ‘em down in one of the hand-crafted cocktails on the tasting room menu. spirithounds.com
Marble Distilling Company
Carbondale
Thanks to the Marble Distilling Company, the small town of Carbondale is gaining a reputation for being an exceptional place for a nice weekend getaway—complete with outdoor fun, laid-back mountain town vibes and this welcoming tasting room/inn that’s cranking out award-winning spirits and bringing new life to Carbondale’s main drag. Using old-school family recipes, co-founder and head distiller Connie Baker is creating a Marble Vodka, Moonlight EXpresso, and a Gingercello that are bringing all of the locals and tourists to the bar. And she’s winning a steady stream of medals picked up at some of the most prestigious spirits competitions in the country. And did we mention the accommodations? The Marble Distilling Company also owns and operates an affordable, eco-friendly luxury inn above the distillery. marbledistilling.com
Peach Street Distillers
Palisade
With a craft brewery, winery and distillery all located within a stone’s throw of each other, Palisade is one heck of a place to imbibe after a long day on the trails. On any given night, the tasting room at Peach Street Distillers is filled with adventurers still clad in cycling gear or hiking boots, all enjoying the distillery’s variety of offerings. From the Goat Artisan Vodka to the Jackelope and Jenny Gin to the D’Agave Tequila, Peach Street Distillers’ arsenal runs deep. But it’s the Colorado Straight Bourbon and the Peach Brandy that will keep you coming back for more. Twenty-six pounds of fresh Palisade peaches are used in each bottle of Peach brandy—and it’s simply delightful. peachstreetdistillers.com
Woody Creek Distillers
Basalt
The Roaring Fork Valley is home to gold-medal fishing waters, backcountry adventures and miles and miles of biking and hiking trails. After a day soaking in the beautiful Colorado sunshine, hit up the cozy and comfortable Woody Creek tap room to pay homage to the most prolific vegetable in the region—the potato. The folks behind Woody Creek Distillers are growing and harvesting potatoes locally, and they’re using them to make 100-percent potato vodka, which they’re packaging and selling all over the country. The distillery is also making a Gin and a Colorado Straight Rye Whiskey which is every bit as smooth as it sounds. woodycreekdistillers.com
Montanya Distillers
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is one of those must-visit Colorado destinations in the summertime, with exceptional Singletrack, breathtaking views on Kebler Pass and that mountain town charm that rivals any across the state. But at the end of the day—when the sun goes down and the trails empty out—the outdoor patio at Montanya Distillers fill up. Enjoy one of three of Montanya’s award-winning high-mountain rum options, which are delicious on their own, but also quite delicious in one of the tasting room’s hand-crafted cocktail concoctions. montanyarum.com
Wyoming Whiskey
It may not be in Colorado but meet the distillery our readers voted
BEST OF THE ROCKIES
Winner of our Best of the Rockies reader poll, Wyoming Whiskey is located in the small town of Kirby, Wyoming. While the surroundings are nothing short of an outdoorsperson’s dream, the distillery itself draws in hordes of tourists on its own each year. It uses local grains, and the limestone-rich water from the area to make incredible whiskey, which is currently available for sale in nearly thirty states. Visit the distillery’s Whiskey Shop and see why the small batch bourbon whiskey, single barrel bourbon whiskey, and barrel-strength bourbon whiskey are flying off the shelf. wyomingwhiskey.com
