Distillers across the state shared their recipes for a wide range of drinks to bring seasonal flavor to every gathering

Compiled by the Thirst Team

Colorado’s craft distillers stirred up holiday cheer by sharing these cocktail recipes that blend local spirits with winter-inspired flavors.

They included everything from hot spiced rum and apple cider drinks to chilled espresso martinis and vodka cranberry with a twist. We even included two Old Fashioneds. Try both and tell us if rum or bourbon is the winner.

All Buttered Up

Shelter Distilling, Montrose

Ingredients
2 oz Shelter Stormrider Spiced Rum
0.75 oz orange juice
0.25 oz honey
Scoop of house-made spiced butter
Cinnamon stick

Directions
Add all ingredients to a coffee mug, pour in hot water to taste, and stir until well mixed. Top with butter and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Autumn Collins

Spirit Hound Distillers, Denver and Lyons

Ingredients
1.5 oz Spirit Hound New American Gin
1.5 barspoons of fig jam
0.5 oz lemon juice
Club soda

Directions
Add all ingredients into a shaker tin, shake, strain, then top with club soda.

Buttered Toffee

Clark & Co's Distilling, Palisade

Ingredients
1.5 oz Clark & Co.’s Distilling Enstrom’s Toffee Bourbon
0.5 oz coffee liqueur
4 oz sweet cream
Toffee crumble

Directions
Mix bourbon, coffee liqueur and cream in a 16 oz glass. Top with toffee crumble.

Espresso Moontini

3 Hundred Days of Shine, Monument

Ingredients
1.5 oz 3 Hundred Days of Shine sugar moon
3 oz dark roast iced coffee
0.5 oz simple syrup

Directions
Shake ingredients in a shaker of ice, remove ice from shaker and dry shake ingredients without ice, pour into martini glass, enjoy.
Note: dry shake creates that signature foam.

Golden Hour

Downslope Distilling, Centennial

Ingredients
0.5 oz fresh orange juice
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz maple syrup
1 oz apple-cinnamon tea
2 oz Downslope Spiced Rum or Downslope Bourbon

Directions
To serve cold, shake all ingredients with ice and strain into your preferred glass.
To serve hot, mix everything except the liquor, heat gently, then add the Downslope spirit after warming to preserve the flavor and aromatics.

Maple Smoked Old Fashioned

Montanya Distilling, Crested Butte

Ingredients
0.25 oz maple syrup
2.5 oz Montanya Rum
2-3 dashes of Montanya Cherry Black Pepper Bitters
Ice

Directions
Stir 20 times to chill. Use smoketop to smoke cherry bark. Release smoketop and enjoy.

Red Rocks Vodka Cran

Red Rocks Spirits (distribution only)

Ingredients
2 oz. Red Rocks Vodka
3 oz. 100-percent cranberry juice
1 oz. real maple syrup or 1/2 oz. pancake syrup
Pinch of salt
2 dashes of cinnamon
Cracked Ice
Cinnamon stick and orange slice garnish (optional)

Directions
Add the Red Rocks Vodka, cranberry juice, syrup, salt, cinnamon, and ice into the shaker. Shake until you find your inner child. Pour into your fancy glass and add the cinnamon stick and orange. Sip and wonder how you've survived holidays without this drink.

Spiced Maple Old Fashioned

Branch & Barrel Distilling, Centennial

Ingredients
2 oz Branch & Barrel 3-Way Bourbon
3 dashes walnut bitters
1 dash orange bitters
0.25 - 0.5 oz maple syrup (adjust to taste)
1 drop saline solution (optional)

Directions
Stir with ice, serve over a large cube, garnish with expressed orange peel and/or premium cocktail cherry

Spiked Hot Apple Cider

Locke + Co Distilling (distribution only)

Ingredients
Makes 10 servings
1 bottle (750 ml) Locke + Co Distilling DU Aspen Signature Bourbon
0.5 gallon apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 orange slices

Directions
Warm everything except the bourbon over low heat (do not boil). Add bourbon just before serving. Ladle into mugs with cinnamon sticks.