Get into the festive spirit(s) for your holiday events

By David Young

The holidays have arrived and what’s better than sharing a good drink with friends or gifting a nice bottle of spirits? Across the Centennial State, there’s a wealth of Colorado holiday drinks coming out to ring in the holidays.

Colorado craft brewers and distillers love to get creative this time of year and release some exciting limited-edition holiday bottles. From candy cane vodka to hot cocoa beer and Christmas ales to boozy eggnog, we’ve gathered a list of some of the best Colorado drinks to try this year.

Check out our list that will make someone's stocking a little more tasty this year.

Colorado Craft Beers

Odyssey Fluffy Hot Cocoa

What’s the holiday without hot cocoa? Odyssey Beerwerks gets it with this special chocolate peppermint marshmallow porter brew. At 5.6 percent, the Fluffy Hot Cocoa comes in 16-ounce cans as a four-pack, which is perfect for sharing around a fireplace.

Old 121 Brewhouse Cinnamon Roll Dunkel

This special release launched on Black Friday with the seasonal Munich Dunkel. Clocking in at 5.9 percent ABV, this festive brew has flavors of caramel, biscuit, and notes of chocolate. The vanilla and cinnamon are also incorporated into the brewing process, adding the cinnamon roll notes that make this a Christmas favorite.

New Terrain Brewing Company Black Planet

On Black Friday, Golden’s New Terrain Brewing started pouring a special release of its Black Planet beer with four variations that were aged in rum, bourbon, whiskey and cognac barrels. The base is an imperial Belgian Porter. The beer has hints of vanilla and tangerine peel, and is conditioned with whiskey oak.

Crabtree Brewing Holiday Ale

Cranberries are always a holiday favorite, and Crabtree Brewing Co. in Greeley has incorporated them into this light, refreshing holiday ale. The brew also includes blood orange, and the two combine to create a festive holiday beer that pairs well with everything from ham to turkey.

Goat Patch Brewing Company Cranberry Kettle Sour

A re-release of this Colorado Springs favorite, this holiday beer is brewed with holiday feasts in mind. A plethora of cranberries are used to create a refreshing tart brew that also incorporates orange peel to balance with the berries.

Breckenridge Brewery Christmas Ale

This dark malty brew is strong enough to stand up to the coldest of winter nights this season. Breckenridge Brewery’s signature Christmas Ale is made using Mount Hood and Chinook hops, and comes in a festive red and green bottle.

Colorado Craft Spirits

Breckenridge Distillery Candy Cane Vodka

Candy Canes are a staple this time of year and Breckenridge Distillery has managed to bottle that with this new vodka. At 80 proof and less than $30 a bottle, this bottle is a sweet treat for the holidays. Enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or in a variety of festive cocktails.

Atomic Cowboy Ready To Drink Old-Fashioned

Nothing says the holidays like a well-made old-fashioned. The whiskey, cherry, orange, and sugar are ideal for this season. Be the star of the party with this ready-to-drink bottled Old Fashioned created for the Denver bar and restaurant Atomic Cowboy’s 20th anniversary with local distiller Boulder Spirits. The ready-to-drink cocktail with bourbon and bitters is available at all Atomic Cowboy locations and Boulder Spirits' new retail store on Pearl Street.

The Family Jones Millie Jones Wheat Whiskey

This limited edition holiday release is a single-barrel wheat whiskey expression. The special bottled-in-bond bottle is $65 and is only available for pickup at the distillery starting Dec. 15. The label is an homage to farmer and friend of the distillery Emily Olander. This annual special holiday release highlights local Colorado farmers.

Laws Whiskey House Honey Cask Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey

If you have a holiday sweet tooth, then the mix of Colorado whiskey with Bee Squared Apiaries, a Colorado beekeeper, might be what you need this season. The Denver distiller used barrels that stored honey to age this whiskey, which resulted in a sweet fruity flavor profile that is 100 percent Colorado-based.

Colorado craft cider and eggnog

Talnua Eggnog

Eggnog is a must for any holiday party, and Talnua’s Eggnog makes it easy. This limited-edition bottle is full of creamy, rich, boozy eggnog ready to pour. The Arvada distillery, known for its single pot still whiskey, rings in the season in style with this bottle.

Talbott's Alpine Winter Cider

Out on the Western Slope of Colorado in Palisade, Talbott’s has an alternative to the beer or spirits option with this winter cider. The spiced hard cider comes in six-packs and it offers holiday flavors, including clove, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.