BEVVIES Short Pours

Mythology Distillery Gets New Home at Butcherknife

Grand Opening July 4th Weekend

It ain’t no myth…Steamboat’s getting another uber-sweet distillery, with Mythology, an award-winning craft whiskey and gin distillery from Denver, making Steamboat its new home as of this summer. Its new digs—including distillery and the Confluence bar, tasting room and outdoor whiskey garden—is at the former Butcherknife Brewery headquarters at 2875 Elk River Road. Co-funder Scott Yeates has lived in Steamboat with his wife, Lauren, since 2017 and is cork-popping excited to base Mythology in Steamboat after founding it with partners Scott Burg and Mike Zakhem in Denver in 2018. When he saw the 5,000-square-foot Butcherknife property was available, he knew it was the answer. “We’re super excited,” he says. “We’ll have the full guest experience cocktail bar, whiskey garden and restaurant where customers can enjoy craft cocktails, local craft beer, boutique wines and an Asian soup dumpling restaurant. We want to create a community gathering space for people to come together and have a great time.” Recognized as one of Colorado’s top distilleries, its spirits have won more than 50 awards, with mainstays including its Best Friend Bourbon, Hell Bear American Whiskey and Needle Pig Gin. It also experiments with different finishing barrels—including one bourbon batch aged on the Mississippi River for five years, rising and falling with the water level before being moved into Jamaican rum barrels. And yes, the distillery’s dog name is (wait for it)… Whiskey! mythologydistillery.com

Did You Know?

Mythology uses sonic aging in its rackhouse to stimulate whiskey and wood interaction during the cold winter months when the wood barrels contract—so don’t be surprised to hear music emanating from inside to keep the whiskey active.

Arriba!

American Woman Whiskey Launches Tequila!

“Mujer Americana!” Uh, that’s “American Woman” in Spanish for all you Luddites. But it’s also the name of a new tequila launched by Steamboat’s own American Woman Spirit Co., which is now entering the agave market for the first time. Coming this summer, its new Tequila Blanco, Reposado and Anejo brings forth a unique and premium tequila from Jalisco, Mexico. What’s different about it? One thing, says owner and longtime Steamboat local and blues guitarist John Lupori, is that it’s aged in its own bourbon barrels. “It’s made from the best blue weber agave plants and produced in a unique process that uses less energy and less water than traditional methods,” he says, adding the result is a pure extract of agave and resulting blanco. “Then, we age it in fine barrels with the staves of our whiskey barrels to combine American Woman Whiskey with Mujer Americana Tequila.” Joining the company’s American Woman Straight Bourbon and Special Release Rye, Mujer Americana Tequila also helps contribute toward the company’s give back program to the National Association of Woman Artists, sponsoring women sculptors in their pursuit of their dreams. Que bueno! americanwomanwhiskey.com

New Liquor Store Downtown Pop the cork!

Bringing town’s official count to nine, there’s a new liquor store downtown, with Ski Town Wine and Spirits opening this spring at 1107 Lincoln Ave. Owned by wine pros AJ Fossum, Mike Lang and Andre Swanson, who also own Ski Town Wine and Spirits in the Steamboat Grand and The Collective Wine Bar on Ski Time Square, the store prides itself on selection, convenience and service, with all of its products personally vetted by its workers. Including a “fine wine room,” craft beer and specialty liquor, the new downtown location is in a refurbished building and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, with ample parking. And it benefits from six sommeliers on staff researching all of its products. “We want to be that neighborhood bottleshop for the downtown community,” says Swanson. skitownwineandspirits.com

Sunset Happy Hours Are Back

While you might not be mountain biking up to them on the Pioneer trail due to chairlift construction (thank God, as that was never that fun anyway), Sunset Happy Hours are back in full swing Thursday and Sunday evenings this summer from June 18 to Sept. 3 (Sundays only through Oct. 1), with live music at the top of the gondola at Thunderhead Lodge, where everything from sunsets to suds and swing dancing all converge for a fun-filled evening. Live music runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., with the last upload taking place at 7:30 p.m. Pass holders ride for free and non-pass holders pay $30 to ride up to Thunderhead Lodge. Guests are encouraged to park for free in the Upper Knoll lot. steamboat.com

Bevvie Highlight

How Ya Doin’s Pepperoni Negroni

The latest hip rage? Negronis. And no one does it better than How Ya Doin’ Pizza’s Pepperoni Negroni, which both rhymes, has meat and is damn good. How Ya Doin’s cocktail artist created the drink as a version of a classic negroni with a unique spin. “Being a pizza joint, we just called it the ‘pepperoni negroni,’ and why not have some pepperoni in it while we’re at it?” says general manager Sean Moore. The drink has gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and orange twirl, along with a little snack of pepperoni on top for a savory touch on the refreshing classic.