Distilleries worth a stop all over colorado

Wherever the journey takes you, there’s likely a Colorado distiller who can hook you up with a pleasing cocktail.

Peach Street Distillers

Palisade is famous for the peaches but Peach Street Distillers is putting the agricultural town on the liquor map with its lineup of spirits. From the all-Colorado grains sourced for the bourbon and whiskey to the hand-picked, high-desert juniper berries in the gin, Peach Street Distillers is capturing the Western Slope flavor. The distillery leaders love what they are doing but they’d be the first to admit that their first passion lies with beer. Dave Thibodeau and Bill Graham launched Ska Brewing in Durango before turning their attention to Palisade and a new venture. Head Distiller Davy Lindig is no different, and also is considered an expert homebrewer.

Spirit Hound Distillers

Located in Lyons, Spirit Hound Distillers opened in 2012 when four friends set out to make an all-malt, 100 percent Colorado Whisky. The distillery is dedicated to only sourcing local ingredients. The bottled-in-bond Straight Malt Whisky recently took home a gold medal at the 2022 London Spirits Competition. Outside of the award-winning whiskies, gin, rum and vodka, Spirit Hound also produces a Colorado Sambuca, Creme de Cacao (a rum-based chocolate liqueur) and Whitedog Moonshine. Visit the family-friendly tasting room for a craft cocktail, or grab a bottle and be the bartender at your next gathering.

Marble Distilling

If you haven’t heard of Marble Distilling, put it on your list of must-visit distilleries. Not only is it producing high-quality spirits in the thriving small town of Carbondale, but Marble Distilling also lays claim as the only place in the world where a luxury inn is located within a working distillery. Five contemporary suites on the second floor above the stills are offered for nightly rental, making this location an appealing destination for those seeking a mountain getaway. In addition to the spirits, Marble is proud to be a pioneer in sustainable distilling, recapturing 100 percent of its process water and heating the facility with energy harvested through the distillation process.

Talnua Distillery

Outside of Ireland, Arvada’s Talnua Distillery is the best bet to find single pot still whiskey. It’s a style with a long history in Ireland that nearly went extinct in the last century. While on their honeymoon in Ireland, Patrick and Meagan Miller were introduced to the first batch of single pot still whiskey that had been produced in decades. Sitting in a Galway pub watching rugby, the newlyweds made friends with the bartender, whose eyes lit up when a liquor representative showed up with a case of the revived whiskey. They were educated on the history, fell in love with the flavor, and became determined to bring the style back to the United States. Through a series of meant-to-be events, the Millers opened Talnua Distillery to the public in 2019 and they’ve been climbing the ladder ever since.

Fraser Valley Distilling

Location may be key when it comes to marketing and selling a product, but in the case of Fraser Valley Distilling, the location is extremely important to the creation of the product as well. According to owner Barry Young, the cooler temperatures in Fraser impact the aging process and produce spirits with less bite. Fraser Valley Distilling also benefits from the mineral-rich water that is sourced from the aquifer 200 feet below ground. The purity of the Rocky Mountain water comes through in the entire distillery’s lineup, but it is most noticeable with the vodka that many people will drink neat.

Durango Craft Spirits

Launched by a couple who moved to Durango more than 30 years ago, the bourbon, vodka and moonshine have won awards in various competitions over the years. Michael and Amy McCardell have operated the distillery for eight years in its current location on Main Avenue in downtown Durango. Locally sourced ingredients include white corn from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and grain obtained from Colorado Malting Co. in Alamosa. The McCardells proudly proclaim that the distillery is “Durango’s first grain-to-glass distillery since prohibition.” Cocktails feature the Soiled Doves Vodka, Mayday Moonshine and Cinder Dick Straight Bourbon.

Montanya Distillers

There’s something to be said about specializing in one area and dominating. Montanya Distillers is a female-owned distillery in Crested Butte that doesn’t produce any of the usual suspects like vodka, gin or whiskey. It just produces premium rum that every Coloradan ought to have in the liquor cabinet. The distillery is proud to be a certified B Corporation. There are numerous benefits to high-altitude rum distilling, which tends to produce a smooth flavor that is less sweet. The result is a trophy case of 29 double gold, gold and silver medals in international competitions since 2008. Montanya’s recently expanded tasting room is the perfect spot to grab a cocktail after a day on the slopes.

Breckenridge Distillery

Breckenridge is an industry leader that continues to raise the bar with its award-winning spirits. The high-rye mash American-style blended bourbon is the distillery’s flagship product and has the accolades to justify it. It’s a four-time winner of the Best American Blended from the World Whiskies Awards and also took home Bourbon of the Year honors at the 2011 International Wine & Spirits Competition. The distillery also has won numerous awards as a whole, including the Icons of Whisky for Brand Innovator of the Year in 2018.

Woods High Mountain Distillery

Salida’s popular distillery is the vision of two brothers who wanted to make spirits that embody the Colorado mountains and all the outdoor adventure found within them. P.T. and Lee Woods opened Wood’s High Mountain Distillery to the public in December of 2012 after securing a downtown building, and then restoring an antique German pot still from the 1800s. Ten years in and the distillery continues to produce incredible gin, vodka, whiskey and liqueur. Enjoy a celebratory libation at the downtown Salida tasting room after a day of skiing on Monarch Mountain.

This article appeared in the November-December issue of Thirst Colorado. Click here to read the full magazine online, and pick up our print magazine all over Colorado.