The 5 Best Colorado-Made Spirits 2014
Elevate your cocktails with these fine Colorado-made spirits
It's Spirits Month! Get in on all the booze-filled fun.
Colorado has long held a reputation as a beer powerhouse. But the Centennial State's also producing some mighty fine spirits. Here are five worth seeking out.
CapRock Gin, $30
It's made in what has to be the cutest little distillery shack high up in the Colorado mountains, but your G&T doesn't care about that. Know this instead: The base spirit is made from certified organic apples and infused with a blend of a dozen fruits, flowers, seeds and spices, creating a slightly fruity gin that finishes lean and crisp ($30).
Photo: Courtesy of Leopold Bros. and Peak Spirits Farm Distillery
Dancing Pines Chai Liqueur, $40
Serve it in a tea cup if you like. Made in Loveland, Colorado, this complex, chai-inspired liqueur melds black tea with vivid, spicy orange peel, cinnamon and clove. If chai's not your, ahem, cup of tea, try their caramel-y Brulee Liqueur or ruddy Cherry Tart Liqueur.
Leopold Brothers Absinthe Verte, $70
This cult product is now produced in a shiny new distillery on the outskirts of Denver. There's a whole lot going on in there: Its built its own malting floor (one of the few in the U.S.) to make whiskey; it's aging a "Highland Amaro" scented with sarsaparilla and spearmint; a 30-foot-high vodka still pokes through a cupola cut into the ceiling. And yet, this super herbaceous, emerald-green absinthe is all fellow craft distillers want to talk about.
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Peach Street Colorado Straight Bourbon, $60
Aged for a minimum of two years, this bourbon is made with Colorado corn, and tastes lke butterscotch and spice. Lovely as it is—just right for Old Fashioneds and other cocktails—we're waiting impatiently for its incredible but still sold out aged peach brandy to come back into stock. (It's going to be at least another year. Sigh.)
Woody Creek Vodka, $30
Produced in Aspen, this all-Colorado potato vodka is neutral and refreshing, with hints of mint, rosemary, grapefruit peel and black pepper on its smooth finish.