Thirst Colorado -- November-December, 2024

SERVING UP THE COLORADO EXPERIENCE

Vol. 10, No. 1 November-December 2024

Learning to Ski Colorado

It’s all downhill from here

Plus

Mosca distillery rooted in Denver history Artist draws on culture to open minds Band is proud of its Colorado ‘mysterious noise’

Celebrate

the sson

Connection.

Cuisine.

Quality time.

Is there a better way to welcome the holidays?

Savor every moment with a night out at one of five unique dining options.

Like mouthwatering southwest fusion flavors at Bistro Mariposa.

Or, classic steakhouse favorites with a modern flair at The Chophouse.

All here for you to gather together over an experience worth celebrating .

Make your reservation at MonarchBlackHawk.com

VISIT US

ONLINE

W

e publish more stories than we can fit into each print issue.

Visit ThirstColorado.com (or point your smartphone at the QR code) to see these stories and much more, including our weekly events roundup, food and drink recommendations, ticket giveaways and more.

GLAMP IT UP

Book your next outdoor excursion in luxurious style at five top-shelf glamping spots across Colorado. Photo courtesy of Ramble

Publisher Paul Johnson paul@thirstcolorado.com Associate Publisher & Editor Joe Ross joe@thirstcolorado.com Vice President, Sales Scott Kaplan scott@thirstcolorado.com Sales Linda Battle, Rebel Becker, Mila Gaytan-Campos, Nina Gunther, Alexandra Smith, Christine Werner Design & Layout Sandy Birkey Stacey Krull President & Founder Emeritus Wilbur E. Flachman Digital & Marketing Manager Steve Graham Editorial Interns Brianna Corrine, Adair Teuton Contributors John Garvey, Kristen Kuchar, Malena Larsen, Natasha Lovato, Jay McKinney, Eric Peterson Thirst Colorado is produced by The Publishing House, a division of Colorado Word Works, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The Publishing House also produces Colorado’s Performing Arts Publications, serving arts venues along the Front Range.

7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, Colorado 80030 303.428.9529

ANTIQUE ROAD GO

Take a trip around Colorado to hunt for historic treasures in small town markets and stores.

BOATBUILDING IN THE BLOOD

Meet the Longmont craftsman who continued his family legacy of shaping beautiful, durable watercraft.

Drink up life in large amounts, but restrict your alcohol consumption. We do not endorse or support excessive drinking.

Except where noted, the content of Thirst Colorado is the property of the magazine and should only be reprinted with permission. Thirst Colorado is not responsible for false or misleading claims made in advertising or editorial materials published herein. Thirst Colorado Magazine is distributed in part by DJM Distribution, Inc., and Community Racks Distribution, LLC.

Photo courtesy of Core Boards

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THIRST COLORADO | November-December 2024 EXPERIENCES

28 Gift Guide

Fill those holiday wish lists with something they’ll truly enjoy

10 Learning through art Kristina Maldonado-Bad Hand brings cultural awareness to her art and teaching

6 10

26 Prime Pairing

Denver Beer Co. offers up a recipe that pairs well with a great lager

30 Crooked Rugs

Fort Collins band bounces around genres and loves every minute

32 Laugh it up

Roxey Grant brings comedy excellence to BIPOC community and beyond

34 Cannabis humor

Joining the holiday family gathering involves careful planning

14

On the cover:

Steamboat Ski Resort is a great place to learn to ski.

See story page 6.

Photo courtesy of Steamboat Ski Resort

32

30

Distillery, Winery, 36 Brewery, Cidery and Meadery Guide

Find great craft beverages wherever the adventure takes you

FEATURES

6 Slope newbie

There is so much to learn when you decide to begin skiing Colorado’s slopes

18 Spirits in the valley San Luis Valley distillery has roots in north Denver

14 Strength through therapy 22 Curious additions Drew Peterson is not skiing or running away from his problems

Colorado distillers are creating excellent, yet unusual, libations

November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 5

BUNNY HILLS TO BLACK DIAMONDS

Learning to ski as an adult in Colorado

Photo by Ty Erhard

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By Malena Larsen

B

efore moving to Colorado, I had never downhill skied despite being cautiously interested in it. Being a non-skier here felt like being an uncool fish out of very cool waters. The move was the final nudge I needed to take on this new hobby in my late twenties.

First up: acquiring all the necessary gear. It was overwhelming, but luckily, Colorado has plenty of helpful resources, like Powder7, a ski shop in Golden.

“We spend a lot of time training all of the staff,” explains Alex Stettner, Powder7 content coordinator. “You meet customers where they’re at. What are their goals? Are they trying to progress quickly to keep up with expert skiers? Or are they simply trying to have a good time? The answers to these questions change the conversation about what skis you need.”

GETTING THE GEAR

WHAT I SPENT TO SKI

I wanted something affordable and MY FIRST SEASON I was not determined to keep up with • Skis and Bindings: $349.99 the experts. In fact, I told the Powder7 • Boots: $50 (hand-me-down) employee that I was a wimp and that • Komperdell Rider Ski Poles: speed was far from a priority for me. $54.95 I ended up with a pair of 2022 • Smith Maze MIPS Snow Helmet: K2 Reckoner 92 Alliance demo skis, $115.93 size 159cm, with Look NX 12 Konect • Ikon Base Pass: $829 GW demo bindings. Demo gear is • Goggles: Free (hand-me-down) previously rented equipment often TOTAL: $1,399.87 sold at a discount.

At around 5-foot 7-inches, 159 cm skis are on the shorter side, which can be ideal for beginners because they’re more forgiving and easier to control. I expect these skis will carry me through my first couple of seasons.

ROUGH START ON ‘NO BEGINNER TERRAIN’ My first day “on the slopes” was early in the season at Eldora Ski Resort. Next to the chairlift was a sign that read “No Beginner Terrain.” After attempting to french-fry and pizza at the base, I naively thought I could handle it. Spoiler: I couldn’t. I ended up pizzaing 10 feet down a blue run, falling in a panic, crying, and walking the rest of the way down.

It was not only embarrassing but also unsafe for me and others.

Whether you’re 3 or 30, it’s okay to wait until later in the season when the bunny hill or some greens are open.

BACK TO BASICS Needing help, I turned to my fiancé, Ty Erhard. After switching from snowboarding to skiing a few years prior, he was tackling runs like the East Wall at Arapahoe Basin and spending weekends backcountry skiing at Jones Pass and Berthoud Pass.

He took me to the bunny hill at Copper Mountain, where I was surrounded by young ski school students and tots on leashes. After learning to stop and turn, I graduated to the Pitchfork lift.

I spent all day on the glorified bunny hill, riding it repeatedly with no lift lines. I’d recommend this run to anyone starting out.

Meanwhile, Ty and our friends tackled the blues and blacks. I was determined to improve by the end of the season so I could join them.

Photo by Ty Erhard

(BLACK) DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND Three months after my rocky start, I conquered my first black diamond run, Challenge, at Eldora. Despite falling on a few moguls at the top, I managed to get the hang of it by the bottom.

At this point, I was comfortably skiing greens and most blues.

My speed had increased, I was less anxious, and I was actually having fun. For those of you in the midst of learning, it does get fun, I promise!

The key was consistency. I skied most weekends, trying new challenges each time—whether a more difficult run, different terrain, or a faster speed. Breaks were also crucial. They helped me clear my head and release the expectations I’d placed on myself.

“It was awesome to see you improve,” admits Ty. “It was personally rewarding because it meant you got to ski the things I wanted to ski and it was also fun to see you do the things that you originally felt were impossible.”

Ty’s patience and skill accelerated my learning. He felt like my ski security blanket.

“I remembered how stressful it was to learn,” he says. “Trying to keep a calm atmosphere was important because as soon as you get flustered, you forget all the things you’ve been taught. It was important to find a balance between offering tips and letting you learn on your own.”

Learning wasn’t linear. I was embarrassed pretty consistently for three months as tweens yelled “go faster” or toddlers zoomed by on tiny skis. Learning to let go of embarrassment was essential in getting better.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Powder7’s Stettner affirms. “There are loads of people in the same position. It’s an overwhelming thing when you show up to the mountain and people are skiing fast and in cool gear. Just remember, you’re not the only person learning.”

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Photo by Malena Larsen

TIPS FOR BEGINNER SKIERS FROM A BEGINNER SKIER • Get a ski pass • Wear a helmet • Go often as possible • Learn the basics and start on the easy stuff • Pay attention to the signs (literally) • Ask for help • Do your best to let go of embarrassment • Don’t compare yourself to others • Take breaks when you’re feeling frustrated • Set goals and keep challenging yourself Photo courtesy of Steamboat Ski Resort

IT’S (NOT) ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE In February, I went on my first multi-day ski trip with Ty and two friends at Steamboat Ski Resort. I was so excited to finally ski with the group.

On the second day, we were lapping the blues under the Sunshine Express lift. During our 9th lap, Ty zoomed past me with his usual speed, in his element, a smile spread across his face. He veered into the trees and hit an unmarked ravine at about 40 miles per hour.

“My leg!” he screamed. He had broken his tibia just above the ski boot. Ski patrol was by his side in four minutes.

Ty, my coach, partner, and ski security blanket, spent seven days in the hospital. I slept next to him every night, replaying the accident in my mind and questioning the sport and myself.

Seeing his injury made me wonder: if it could happen to him, what’s to stop it from happening to me? Unfortunately the answer is nothing and that’s a harsh reality of skiing. While you can take precautions, staying injury-free isn’t guaranteed.

SAFETY ON THE SLOPES “Don’t let your guard down, even on easy runs,” advises Ty. “I’d ridden that run multiple times and considered myself a competent skier. I took more chances than I should have, given the flat lighting,

8 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

assuming I was safe. Statistically, injuries often happen on easier runs for that reason.”

“Ski cautiously and have your wits about you,” Stettner says.

“Especially during spring and winter break, the slopes can get chaotic. Wear a helmet, obviously. Goggles, too. If the weather is bad you can get vertigo or frostbite. Goggles help protect you.”

After three surgeries, compartment syndrome, an external fixator, a rod, and three screws, Ty’s season was over. Seeing his injury was disturbing, and I initially decided to end my season too.

But he encouraged me to get back out there.

“I knew that watching something like that would leave a scar on your psyche,” he says. “The longer you let that scar callus over, the harder it would be to get you back out there. It was important for you to see that you could still do what you learned that year.”

With his support, I returned to skiing. By the end of the season, I had not only worked hard to overcome my fear but I had also improved significantly.

By the end of the season, I had completed 18 ski days, progressed from bunny hills to blues and blacks, increased my speed from 10-15 mph to 20-30 mph, and skied at five different Colorado resorts: Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park, Eldora, Copper Mountain and Steamboat.

POINT ‘EM STRAIGHT “My main goal is to ski a full season,” Ty shares, his left leg now lined with scars. “Sure, I have goals for specific lines I’d like to ski, but for now, staying healthy is my top priority.”

As for me, I’m excited to hit the slopes with Ty again. Plus, I have new goals, including skiing 30 resort days, trying backcountry skiing for the first time, and tackling The Cirque at Winter Park.

To the adults learning to ski: have fun, be safe, prepare for horrendous traffic on I-70, and don’t expect a completely seamless journey. Skiing is a great way to set and achieve goals, see new places, make new friends, overcome hardships, and challenge yourself both mentally and physically. Cheers to a great season!

Malena Larsen is a writer and Minnesota-to-Colorado transplant. Her favorite subjects to write about are craft beer, outdoor adventures, and any topic where she gets to learn something new. In her free time, she enjoys trail running, taking photos of mountain goats, and checking out breweries with her pals.

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November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 9

Echo – Mixed media portrait

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COMICS, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY A glimpse into Kristina Maldonado-Bad Hand’s artistic impact

By Malena Larsen

K

ristina Maldonado-Bad Hand, a Sicangu Lakota and Cherokee artist, fell in love with art the moment she was able to hold a pencil. What started as a hobby with her siblings and in the classroom evolved into a passion, a career and a powerful form of storytelling.

“I originally got into comics,” Maldonado-Bad Hand shares. “I was dyslexic, and comics actually helped me learn how to read.”

Of her three siblings, Maldonado-Bad Hand was the only one born outside of Colorado (Taos, New Mexico). However, she came to Denver to attend the Art Institute of Colorado. Because of her family ties to the area, involvement in the Native community, and deep love for the city, she never looked back. She has been in Colorado for over a decade.

The experiences and memories she has created in Denver served as inspiration for a project she did with other local artists for the Denver Art Museum (DAM). The “Map of Denver” was an interactive mural in DAM’s Storytelling Studio.

Visitors were invited to write down their personal memories tied to specific locations on the map and pin them to those spots. Maldonado-Bad Hand intentionally included places like parks and museums instead of typical tourist destinations. She wanted to focus on locations where meaningful memories are often made.

Although Maldonado-Bad Hand primarily focuses on digital art, she explores a variety of mediums. She particularly enjoys blending traditional and digital techniques.

“I like to scan textures, like watercolors or sidewalks,” she says. “It gives my paintings a traditional feel.”

A form of art that Maldonado-Bad Hand is particularly drawn to is Ledger art—a type of narrative art typically practiced by Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains. It emerged in the late 19th century as Native Americans adapted to forced relocation to reservations.

Ledger art often illustrates historical events, personal experiences, and cultural stories. Maldonado-Bad Hand likes to scan in ledger paper and use it as a base for her digital art.

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Keep Calm Dance On – Tumbler design, graphic design digital illustration on computer.

Maldonado-Bad Hand has a diverse portfolio. Her website features detailed and colorful mushrooms on ledger paper, portraits of celebrities like Prince and Betty White, Native American-inspired comics, and much more. Regardless of the subject or medium, she finds purpose in every project she takes on.

“With the graphic design that I do, for example, I like to do a lot of research with each logo,” she explains. “What is the logo trying to say? Is it for a school or a tribal program? You have to think about the meaning and impact. If you don’t understand the meaning of what you’re doing, the impact won’t have the same value.”

She believes that gaining a deep understanding of her clients is crucial. For instance, when creating a logo for a tribal community that holds specific cultural beliefs, such as an aversion to owls, she ensures those elements are respected and excluded from the design.

“Same thing with color theory,” she adds. “Depending on the tribe, different colors can mean different things.”

She recalls an experience she had creating a Polynesian comic; she learned the importance of thorough research firsthand.

“I was fresh out of college and thought it was a cool idea, but it was under-researched,” she admits.

She is now revisiting this project, Kaui, a Polynesian version of Beauty and the Beast, with more comprehensive research as well as collaboration with a Hawaiian artist.

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Maldonado-Bad Hand’s involvement in the art scene goes beyond personal projects and client work. She is a teaching artist with Think360 and Denver Parks and Recreation. Additionally, she and her husband, Rafael Maldonado-Bad Hand, co-founded áyA Con, which is “a comic and arts festival celebrating nerd culture and cultural heritage.”

Although áyA Con primarily focuses on uplifting Native American artists, the turnout is extremely diverse. With over 150 vendors, an eclectic selection of musical and dance performances, film screens, panels, and more, there’s something for every artist.

According to Maldonado-Bad Hand, festivals like áyA Con are excellent platforms for emerging artists to enter the scene.

“Participate in festivals, take part in áyA, make connections, and build your network. It’s all about who you know—unfortunately, that’s the reality. Find people who can lift you up. An artist’s community is so important.”

Whether it’s planning an upcoming festival or the creation of a traditional-meets-digital piece, Maldonado Bad Hand’s work reflects her commitment to cultural respect and storytelling.

Malena Larsen is a writer and Minnesota transplant. In addition to writing, she spends her time running in the mountains, visiting local craft breweries, and avoiding aggressive geese.

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RUNNING TO, NOT FROM, MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS

Drew Petersen’s rugged path to peace and purpose

Running trails can be therapeutic,

but in no way, shape, or form should they be a substitute for real therapy..

— Drew Petersen

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By Malena Larsen

R

unning 100 miles teaches more than just which bandages work best on blisters. It reveals that darkness, isolation, pride, graciousness, and determination are all temporary, but embracing

life’s constant ups and downs is both possible and worthwhile. This is a lesson Drew Petersen, an ultra runner and skier from Silverthorne, shares through his own experiences with mental health struggles.

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All photos courtesy of Drew Petersen

Petersen first experienced skiing when he was just a year and a half old. His passion for the boards and natural inclination to take risks eventually led him to a career as a professional skier—a role he describes as being an “ambassador of the sport, whether it’s through telling stories or meeting people on a chairlift.”

His platform goes beyond the chairlift. He has made a name for himself as a public speaker, writer and filmmaker. His latest film, “Feel It All,” encapsulates his mission to foster open conversations around mental health. Although the film took two years to complete and faced its share of roadblocks, Petersen believes the challenges were worth it due to the film’s deeply rooted intention.

“I had a stubborn belief that [the film] was going to help people,” shares Petersen. “I’m really proud of the people I made this with, it is not just my film. My co-director, Jesse Lavine, and Tyler Boyd, the editor — I take a lot of pride that this is a film made by emotionally intelligent men.”

“Feel It All” blends Petersen’s skiing adventures with his first experience running the iconic Leadville 100.

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“Leadville is home,” Petersen explains, sharing why he felt a strong drive to run the race. “It’s where the motivation is the purest for me.”

Throughout the film, vulnerable stories about suicidal thoughts and mental health are woven into the breathtaking shots of Colorado’s landscape.

“I was standing there on the summit and I looked over the edge of the cliff,” Petersen says in the film. “And I just had the thought go through my head, ‘I should jump.’”

He grappled with suicidal thoughts consistently for two decades. “A massive portion of people have struggled their whole lives,” Petersen says. “The lifelong struggle is not talked about, and that’s a huge driver in people feeling terminally unique.”

In the outdoor community, running is often viewed as a form of therapy. “Running trails can be therapeutic,” Petersen says, “but in no way, shape, or form should they be a substitute for real therapy.”

Recovery isn’t linear, and depression is often a lifelong battle.

However, for Petersen, getting sober, using medication, and engaging in therapy were all essential to rediscovering his purpose and peace.

Endurance sports have a remarkable ability to reveal new aspects of who we are. Petersen’s journey is one of many that demonstrates how pushing physical limits can uncover mental fortitude.

Looking ahead, Petersen wants to continue his mission of changing the way we talk about mental health, particularly in the outdoor community. He’s considering starting a podcast, writing a book, and pursuing some major running goals. And, of course: “I’m going to ski a lot of powder this winter,” he adds with a laugh.

Malena Larsen is a writer and Minnesota-to-Colorado transplant. Her favorite subjects to write about are craft beer, outdoor adventures, and any topic where she gets to learn something new. In her free time, she enjoys trail running, taking photos of mountain goats, and checking out breweries with her pals.

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DUNE VALLEY DISTILLERY ROOTED IN NORTH DENVER HISTORY

All photos courtesy of Dune Valley Distillery

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By Eric Peterson

D

une Valley Distillery opened in Mosca in 2023, but the seed was planted in Denver more than a century earlier. And it came from a California grape.

An immigrant from Italy, Anthony Carbone was on his way to the California vineyards back in 1903 when he got a bit sidetracked.

“Back in the day to get to California, you had to travel to Denver,” said Nicholas Chambers, Carbone’s great-grandson and the founder of Dune Valley Distillery. “So he stopped over and realized it was a good market out here in the West.”

It follows that his Carbone & Company made wine until pausing for Prohibition, then resumed winemaking in 1933. “That was when Carbone wine really took off,” Chambers said. “They were bringing in fresh grapes and grape must from California vineyards because, of course, the Colorado wine scene hadn’t started yet.”

The Denver winery shuttered in the 1950s with the sale of Carbone & Company, but it wasn’t the bitter end for the label.

After more than 60 years of hibernation, Chambers resurrected the Carbone brand in 2019 with the help of his late mother, Claudia Carbone, and Palisade winemakers Talbott Farms and Sauvage Spectrum. “We’ve got a chardonnay and a rosé with Talbott’s, and a red blend with Sauvage Spectrum,” Chambers said.

The wines are now under the umbrella of Dune Valley Distillery, which makes vodka and other spirits in Mosca, which is in the heart of the San Luis Valley. The distillery emerged following Chambers’ long career in local food. As the founding general manager of Valley Roots Food Hub in Mosca, he saw an opportunity right next door: a 1930s-era gymnasium long abandoned by the Sangre de Cristo School District.

The vision coalesced about five years ago. “The food hub operates out of a potato plant, out back is North America’s capital of quinoa, and next door was the old gym that was abandoned and boarded up,” Chambers said. “And it was just like, ‘Man, wouldn’t it be cool to reinvigorate that building?’”

Once the plan for a distillery was cemented, toasts from a bottle of French quinoa vodka soon helped seal the deal with Mosca’s White Mountain Farm, the country’s first large-scale quinoa grower, as a supplier. The gymnasium-turned-distillery is now part of a campus that also encompasses Valley Roots and its Root Cellar Market.

It’s (quinoa vodka) been really popular. I cannot keep it on the shelf. People have been likening it to tequila. It’s got this earthy, smoky flavor. I’m not smoking it or doing anything special.

– Nicholas Chambers Dune Valley Distillery’s quinoa vodka has emerged as a favorite because of its distinctive flavor, Chambers said. “It’s been really popular. I cannot keep it on the shelf. People have been likening it to tequila. It’s got this earthy, smoky flavor. I’m not smoking it or doing anything special,” he continued. “We’re in the era of vodkas with a terroir. It’s not a neutral spirit by any means. Our potato vodka is full of vanilla and butterscotch.”

The distillery also makes rakia – a brandy that originated in the Balkans – with surplus fruit from the Western Slope. “We have tremendous fruit production up on the Western Slope … and we’re frequently in oversupply,” he said. “It was kind of a traditional thing to be able to store the harvest when the fruit is dropping off the trees in a perishable form, and you really need to capture and put it into something that’s non-perishable.”

Dune Valley Distillery hosts a number of dinners and special events that showcase the San Luis Valley’s prodigious agricultural output. “We have a really amazing community of local farmers and ranchers,” Chambers said. “Speaking to agriculture is really how it’s all rooted.”

Eric Peterson is a freelance writer who covers travel, business, and real estate, as well as Colorado’s craft beverage industry. Eric lives in Denver with his wife, Jamie, and their faithful mutts, Aoife and Ogma.

Dune Valley Distillery (dunevalleydistillery.com) is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The wine, vodka, and rakia are available exclusively at the distillery.

November-December 2024

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WINTER EVENTS GUIDE NOVEMBER “AVAAZ,” Singleton Theatre, Denver, through Nov 17 “THE MOUNTAINTOP,” Cherry Creek Theatre, through Nov 17 “HAMILTON,” Buell Theatre, Denver, through Nov 24 ELEPHANT & PIGGIE’S “WE ARE IN A PLAY!,” Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre, Denver, through Dec 22 MONOPOLY LIFESIZED: TRAVEL EDITION, DCPA Off-Center at Broadway Park, Denver, through Jan 5 COLORADO SYMPHONY: FINAL FANTASY VI REBIRTH ORCHESTRA WORLD TOUR, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Nov 1-2 CJRO SMALL BAND WITH MARION POWERS, Aurora Fox Arts Center, Nov 2 SONGWRITER CITY, Lone Tree Arts Center, Nov 2 SPIRITS & GRASS CRAFT SPIRITS FESTIVAL, Estes Park Events Complex, Nov 2 “REEFER MADNESS: THE MUSICAL,” Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Nov 2-30 “GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!,” Garner Galleria Theatre, Denver, Nov 2-May 4 CJRO SMALL BAND WITH MARION POWERS, Lakewood Cultural Center, Nov 3 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: WILD WOLVES OF YELLOWSTONE, Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Nov 3 BRAD WILLIAMS, Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs, Nov 3 BLOODY MARY FESTIVAL, ReelWorks Denver, Nov 3 QUARTET INTEGRA, Grusin Music Hall, Boulder, Nov 3-11 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: LIFE ON THIN ICE, Lone Tree Arts Center, Nov 7 ROOMFUL OF TEETH, Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Nov 7 CARSIE BLANTON, Community Concert Hall, Durango, Nov 7 GABRIEL KAHANE & ROOMFUL OF TEETH, Newman Center, Denver, Nov 8 MICHAEL W. SMITH, Union Colony Civic Center, Greeley, Nov 8 JOE GATTO’S “LET’S GET INTO IT,” Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs, Nov 8 GREELEY PHILHARMONIC, Union Colony Civic Center, Greeley, Nov 8-9 ROCKY MOUNTAIN STOCKING STUFFERS, Lakewood Cultural Center, Nov 8-9 COLORADO SYMPHONY: RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Nov 8-10 “ANTIGONE,” Roe Green Theatre, Boulder, Nov 8-17 PABLO SÁINZ VILLEGAS, Macky Auditorium, Boulder, Nov 9 ZIKR DANCE ENSEMBLE, Ute Theater, Rifle, Nov 9

20 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

Photo courtesy of the Newman Center

CLOUD GATE DANCE THEATRE The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan brings its colorful “Thirteen Tongues” production to the

GABRIEL KAHANE & CAROLINE SHAW, Newman Center, Denver, Nov 9 MUMMENSCHANZ, Lone Tree Arts Center, Nov 9-10 “DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT,” Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver, Nov 9-17 BOULDER PHILHARMONIC, Macky Auditorium, Boulder, Nov 10 STRAIGHT NO CHASER, Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs, Nov 10 ZIKR DANCE ENSEMBLE, Rialto Theater, Loveland, Nov 10 BOULDER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, Dairy Arts Center, Nov 10-17 CHALLENGER AND HUBBLE: PREVENTABLE FAILURES, Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Nov 11 SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX, Union Colony Civic Center, Greeley, Nov 12 LAKEWOOD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Lakewood Cultural Center, Nov 14 ZIKR DANCE ENSEMBLE, Southridge Rec Center, Highlands Ranch, Nov 14 “HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL,” Music Theatre, Boulder, Nov 14-17 JEFF ARCURI, Paramount Theater, Denver, Nov 15 ZIKR DANCE ENSEMBLE, Dairy Arts Center, Boulder, Nov 15 HIGH LONESOME, Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Nov 15 BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET, Lone Tree Arts Center, Nov 15

Newman Center in Denver. The show incorporates meditation and martial arts into contemporary dance.

NewmanCenterPresents.com

“THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL,” Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Nov 15-17 SAN JUAN SYMPHONY: TIM FAIN AND THE BEETHOVEN FIVE, Community Concert Hall, Durango, Nov 16 ZIKR DANCE ENSEMBLE, Wright Opera House, Ouray, Nov 16 COLORADO SYMPHONY WITH BÉLA FLECK Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Nov 16-17 BALLET MELANGE’S “THE NUTCRACKER,” Lakewood Cultural Center, Nov 16-17 THE DOVER QUARTET, Newman Center, Denver, Nov 17 ZIKR DANCE ENSEMBLE, Montrose Pavilion, Nov 17 AFTER MIDNIGHT, Lone Tree Arts Center, Nov 20 “THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE,” Lakewood Cultural Center, Nov 22-24 “A CHRISTMAS CAROL,” Wolf Theatre, Denver, Nov 22-Dec 29 CLOUD GATE DANCE THEATRE OF TAIWAN, Newman Center, Denver, Nov 24 GROOVE WITH THE BOULDER PHILHARMONIC, Dickens Opera House, Longmont, Nov 25 ROCKY MOUNTAIN UKULELE ORCHESTRA, Lakewood Cultural Center, Nov 26 NUTCRACKER MAGICAL CHRISTMAS BALLET, Avalon Theatre, Grand Junction, Nov 26-27 COLORADO SYMPHONY: “HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS” IN CONCERT, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Nov 29-30

WINTER EVENTS GUIDE

Photo courtesy of Cripple Creek

ICE CASTLES Cripple Creek will host Ice Castles again starting in December, with ice slides, sculptures, tunnels, caverns and

“RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL,” Buell Theatre, Denver, Nov 29-Dec 1 RODNEY CARRINGTON, Avalon Theatre, Grand Junction, Nov 30 ESTES PARK HOLIDAY WINE FEST, Estes Park Events Complex, Nov 30 BOULDER PHILHARMONIC AND BOULDER BALLET, “THE NUTCRACKER,” Macky Auditorium, Boulder, Nov 30-Dec 1 “THE CHILDREN’S NUTCRACKER,” Lakewood Cultural Center, Nov 30-Dec 1 COLORADO BALLET PRESENTS “THE NUTCRACKER,” Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver, Nov 30-Dec 29

DECEMBER COLORADO SYMPHONY: DRUMS OF THE WORLD, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 1 CIRQUE MUSICA HOLIDAY, Avalon Theatre, Grand Junction, Dec 1 THE DOO WOP CHRISTMAS PROJECT, Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 1-2 FRIENDS OF CHAMBER MUSIC PRESENTS AWADAGIN PRATT, Newman Center, Denver, Dec 4 “THE NUTCRACKER,” Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Dec 4-8 Visit ThirstColorado.com for more calendar listings.

Email your upcoming event listings to joe@thirstcolorado.com.

arches. The historic southern Colorado town also has an ice festival coming in February. visitcripplecreek.com

COLORADO SYMPHONY WITH CELTIC WOMAN, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 5 MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS, Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs, Dec 5 “LITTLE WOMEN,” Dairy Arts Center, Boulder, Dec 5-29 HOLIDAY FESTIVAL 2024, Macky Auditorium, Boulder, Dec 6-8 “WHITE CHRISTMAS,” Lakewood Cultural Center, Dec 6-22 LESLIE ODOM, JR. WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 7 BOULDER PHILHARMONIC AND BOULDER BALLET, “THE NUTCRACKER,” Vance Brand Auditorium, Longmont, Dec 7-8 LONE TREE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS “A VERY CHERRY CHRISTMAS,” Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 7-8 GRANNY DANCES TO A HOLIDAY DRUM, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theatre, Dec 7-22 GLOW IN THE PARK FROSTY BEER FEST, Bond Park, Estes Park, Dec 9 MEOW MEOW, Newman Center, Denver, Dec 10 TAKE 6 CHRISTMAS, Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 11 “FUNNY GIRL,” Buell Theatre, Denver, Dec 10-22 RIDERS IN THE SKY CHRISTMAS, Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 13 STORIES ON STAGE: MAKING MERRY, Arvada Center, Dec 13

COLORADO CHORALE AND THE DENVER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: HOLIDAY CHEER, Central Presbyterian Church, Denver, Dec. 13 CHERRY CREEK CHORALE: JOY AROUND THE WORLD, Bethany Lutheran Church, Denver, Dec. 13-14 COLORADO SYMPHONY: “A COLORADO CHRISTMAS,” Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 13-15 “THE NUTCRACKER,” FEATURING THE SAN JUAN SYMPHONY, Community Concert Hall, Durango, Dec 13-15 “TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,” Union Colony Civic Center, Greeley, Dec 13-22 AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 14 BOSTON BRASS, Macky Auditorium, Boulder, Dec 14 COLORADO CHORALE AND THE DENVER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, Mapleton Arts Center, Denver, Dec. 14 A JOHN DENVER CHRISTMAS, Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Dec 17 WUJA YANG WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 18 BAR-D WRANGLERS CHRISTMAS JUBILEE, Community Concert Hall, Durango, Dec 18 HOLIDAY BRASS WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 19 A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS WITH FRISSON, Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Dec 19 COLORADO BACH ENSEMBLE, St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Highlands Ranch, Dec 20 EVA NOBLEZADA HOLIDAY, Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 20 “AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS,” Central Presbyterian Church, Denver, Dec 20-22 CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE, Bellco Theatre, Denver, Dec 20-24 LEAHY CHRISTMAS, Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 21 COLORADO BACH ENSEMBLE: CHRISTMAS ORATORIO, First United Methodist Church, Fort Collins, Dec 21 COLORADO SYMPHONY: TOO HOT TO HANDEL, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 21-22 CHRISTMAS SYMPHONY, Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs, Dec 21-22 SECOND CITY, Lone Tree Arts Center, Dec 22 COLORADO BACH ENSEMBLE, Parsons Theatre, Northglenn, Dec 22 ARIES SPEARS, Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs, Dec 27 COLORADO SYMPHONY: A NIGHT IN VIENNA, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Dec 31

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LESS COMMON LOCAL SPIRITS Try out these tasty sippers

By Jay McKinney

W

hether it’s whiskey, vodka, gin, tequila or rum, every distillery offers its own take on the classic spirits that have been around for centuries. A basic bourbon may be the flagship spirit that a distillery will hone in on and define its identity around. However, Colorado distillers are also innovative, and experimental (or at least outside-the-box) spirits can often become best sellers in a distillery’s lineup. The inspiration behind unusual spirits can be varied but they all have a sense of originality that a flagship bourbon lacks.

When Boulder Spirits first made its popular Ginskey, it was done mostly out of spite, according to the distillery’s head blender and marketing guru, Ryan Negley. “The original founder and distiller was only into making gin and he had no desire to make whiskey,” Negley says. “Back in the day, everybody was just making vodka and gin while they were waiting for whiskey to age, but in this case, we

22 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

were just making gin. Kind of out of spite of that, the distiller put all this gin into a freshly charred oak cask and decided to age it the exact way you’d make a whiskey.”

The spirit turned out favorable and to this day remains a staple of Boulder Spirits’ collection even after the distillery started producing whiskey with the retirement of its original distiller. When Boulder Spirits purchased the trademark name Ginskey, it was officially here to stay.

Negley says it has clear whiskey characteristics in regard to its palate and mouthfeel but once it opens up, the botanical characteristics of gin become more prominent. Since the spirit is aged in freshly charred oak barrels as opposed to used barrels, there is a dominant oak flavor that lends caramel and butterscotch notes.

“It’s as if all of the botanicals, each one is kind of candied,” Negley says. “It’s almost like an Eastern European candy kind of thing and then a long whiskey-style finish.”

In Colorado Springs, Axe and the Oak Distillery took the opposite approach to making its Citra Gin. The owners and distillers had an affinity for brown spirits like bourbon and rye, and steered clear of producing gin with its intense botanical flavors that people seem to either love or hate. Co-owner and CEO Casey Ross likens the juniper-heavy flavors of traditional gin to chewing on a pine tree and says he’s had some that are over-the-top with botanicals.

However, the bartenders at the distillery’s whiskey house were eager for more spirits to play around with, and that prompted the creation of Citra Gin. “It is just smooth, it’s clean and just a super bright gin that’s not going to overwhelm the palate with that juniper,” Ross says. “It goes great in cocktails whether it’s a regular gin and tonic, a negroni, or a gin old fashioned, they’re fantastic.”

Axe and the Oak also makes a spirit called Dream Stream in which the Citra Gin is barrel aged in new American white oak. The result is an orange creamsicle-esque flavor that is incredible and led the spirit to multiple awards. Ross likes to sip both the Citra Gin and Dream Stream neat, but he says it’s especially amazing in a negroni or the gin old fashioned.

While Boulder Spirits’ Ginskey and Axe and the Oak’s Citra Gin are creations that the distilleries came up with alone, other unusual spirits are often born out of collaboration. For example, Talbott’s Cider Co. (Talbott Farms) and Breckenridge Distillery teamed up to create a Pommeau, which is a fortified cider that is barrel aged and originated in France. In addition to the apple flavors, the collaboration Pommeau has bourbon characteristics with the subtle flavors of caramel and vanilla that come from the American oak. It’s an incredible spirit that challenges the notion of what a hard cider can be.

“Pommeau is a traditional cider product that for us captivates what more hard cider can expand into and really offers something that I think expands the category,” says co-owner of Talbott Farms, Charles Talbott. With its higher alcohol content and additional flavors

of oak aging, Talbott believes Pommeau is a product that spiritfocused drinkers can fall in love with.

Another notable collaboration occurred in August when Montanya Distillers partnered with Buckel Family Wine to produce a Grappa. The spirit is of Italian origin and utilizes the grape pomace, which is the leftover matter in winemaking after grapes have been pressed for their juice.

“Montanya is always looking for ways to collaborate with other businesses in the alcohol industry,” says head distiller and co-owner, Megan Campbell. “We were stoked when Buckel Family Wine approached us about doing something fun together. Buckel fermented the grape pomace, and Montanya distilled the juice into what’s known as Grappa. We distilled this in our custom copper pot still and let it rest in a stainless-steel tank for a month, before proofing it down with pure mountain spring water to 47 percent ABV before bottling.”

The first batch was an extremely limited spirit with only 100 bottles produced and available only at the distillery’s Crested Butte tasting room. However, the distillery is hopeful that they can continue this partnership with Buckel Family Wine in future years.

Producing a spirit using the leftover grape pomace aligns with the distillery’s sustainability values.

These collaboration spirits have introduced consumers to lesserknown spirits from abroad and showcase the creative freedom that Colorado’s craft distillers wield. From staples to collaboration oneoffs, there are unusual spirits being made by Colorado distillers that are worth stocking a home bar with.

Jay McKinney grew up in Sedalia and graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. During his free time, he enjoys playing golf, shooting pool and hiking throughout Colorado and neighboring Utah.

STOCKING UP

Here are a few others to add to the holiday wish list: • Leopold Bros - Cherry Liqueur • Dry Land Distillers - Honey Spirit • Talnua Distillery - Eggnog • Marble Distilling - Gingercello • Deviation Distilling - Americano Whiskey • Peach Street Distillers - Pear Brandy • Spirit Hound - Peppermint Cafe Colorado • Wood’s High Mountain Distillery Fleur de Sureau Elderflower Liqueur • Stoneyard Distillery - Hazelnut Coffee Cream Liqueur

November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 23

There’s more to do in Cripple Creek Lots of special events!

Gamble all night long!

Enjoy the Food!

Coming in December!

Ice Castles

Spend the Night!

See Art and History!

Visit the Museums!

Enjoy Live Theater!

VisitCrippleCreek.com

24 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

Feed the Donkeys!

1428 Miner St • Idaho Springs, CO 720-432-0133 slaymakercellars.com

Award winning, local mead in the heart of a delightful mountain town. Stop by our tasting room for samples or sip a glass in the mead garden. Enjoy the adjacent Miner Street Market and strains of live music. The Mead Garden is open May-October.

Explore the wonder of ICE!, where the timeless story of The Polar ExpressTM is brought to life in stunning ice sculptures. Slide, explore, and marvel at the breathtaking creations, hand-carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice.

Nov. 22 - Jan.1 • ChristmasAtGaylordRockies.com THE POLAR EXPRESS and all related characters and elements ©️ & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Prime Pairings Denver Beer Co. Rocky Mountain Lager fajita tacos

By Kristen Kuchar Denver Beer Co. boasts a seasonally-inspired menu, and these fajita tacos were a great addition to the summertime lineup even though they are great year-round. The steak is marinated overnight with a mix of ingredients, including the brewery’s Rocky Mountain Lager.

The classic American lager is the ideal pairing for the tacos, especially since it’s part of the cooking process. The tacos are topped with pickled radishes and whatever fajita garnish fits your taste.

Ingredients 2 lbs skirt steak 1 each medium white onion, bell pepper and poblano pepper 2 cloves garlic (minced) 3 limes (2 juiced and 1 for wedges) 2 cans Rocky Mountain Lager (1 for marinade, 1 for drinking while cooking) 1 tbsp kosher salt 11⁄2 tsp black pepper 1 bunch cilantro 16-20 mini corn or flour tortillas For pickled radishes: 5 small red radishes 1 lime (juiced) 11⁄2 tsp salt

Directions Julienne onions and peppers and mix with garlic and lime juice.

Remove excess fat and silverskin from skirt steak and pat dry. In a large mixing bowl or deep dish, combine steak, vegetables and one can of Rocky Mountain Lager. Mix ingredients and be sure to fully cover meat with marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the grill. Cook steak on high heat each side for 3-5 minutes for medium finish. Rest meat for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.

26 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

Heat mini corn or flour tortillas. Place one and a half ounces (give or take) of steak on each tortilla, garnish with pickled radishes, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Add desired condiments, such as salsa and guacamole, and enjoy!

For pickled radishes: Trim ends of radishes and thinly slice as evenly as possible. Place in a small container, add lime juice and salt, and mix well. Let sit for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).

Financial Clarity & Direction F R O M A T E A M YO U CA N T R U S T Osaic Institutions, Inc. located at Bellco Credit Union branches

Vodka Our 1859 Vodka is made in Black Hawk, Colorado by Rick Thomas Distillery, a proud veteran-owned business

Convenient access to a variety of investment services located right at your local branch.

Colfax & I-225 • Havana & Mississippi 9th & Colorado Blvd. • Grand Junction • Clifton 303-367-9768 Michael Mullen, CFP®, CRPS®, CRPC® Executive Financial Advisor Osaic Institutions, Inc. mmullen.bcufinancial@bellco.org Justin Parks Financial Advisor Osaic Institutions, Inc. jparks.bcufinancial@bellco.org

Check us out at RTWhiskey.com or at 1859.rocks

Investment and insurance products and services are offered through OSAIC INSTITUTIONS, INC., Member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Institutions and Bellco Credit Union (“Bellco”) are not affiliated. Products and services made available through Osaic Institutions are not insured by the NCUA or any other agency of the United States and are not deposits or obligations of nor guaranteed or insured by any credit union or credit union affiliate. These products are subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of principal. The past performance of any investment product should not be considered an indication of future results. Insurance products may be purchased from a producer of your choice without affecting your relationship with Bellco. Bellco has contracted with Osaic Institutions to make non-deposit investment products and services available to credit union members.

November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 27

H•O•L•I•D•A•Y

Gift Guide SKI SLIPPERS Pondoz $84.99 The goal of Pondoz is to protect your ski equipment and make traveling with your gear easier than ever. The Ski Slippers protect the tips and edges of your skis with durable materials to keep your gear safe in a truck bed, car box or ski bag. Once you’re at the slopes, Pondoz’s padded, detachable shoulder strap makes carrying it all a breeze! pondoz.com

THE COLORADO Ross Reels Reel: $375; Spool: $281 The Montrose-based fishing reel company has long provided quality gear for enthusiasts who expect the best. The Colorado reel is both highly functional and a piece of art. It’s designed to take on big rivers and small mountain streams that attract anglers of every skill level. With a classic sound and feel, the frame is durable and lightweight. The handle is easy to grip, even when wet. The large arbor allows one to land a lunker quickly and it helps reduce line memory. Available sizes include 2/3 and 4/5. rossreels.com

TASTE OF THE ROCKIES TEA BOX Ku Cha House of Tea $45 Boulder’s original Ku Cha House of Tea celebrates its 20th anniversary next year, and has expanded into Fort Collins, Denver Pavilions and Park Meadows Mall. But the store retains its core mission of blending and crafting fine teas, and makes a line of beautiful and delicious “Colorful Colorado” teas. Our favorite gift idea, though, is the Taste of the Rockies box with samples of five Rocky Mountain-themed teas, along with local honey and a tea ball. kuchatea.com

ANIMAL ADOPTIONS The Wild Animal Sanctuary $20-$40 per month

Give someone the gift of a lion, tiger or bear without actually foisting a dangerous (and illegal) new pet on them. The Wild Animal Sanctuary operates three animal rescue and rehabilitation facilities across Colorado. The organization cares for more than 950 animals, and relies on donations and memberships. The non-profit has books, clothes, calendars, plushies and more for sale on its website, and also offers a range of animal adoptions that include a frameable photograph and adoption certificate. wildanimalsanctuary.org

28 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

CUSTOM GUITAR Born Guitars $1,000 deposit Every Born Guitar is individually crafted in Colorado, and designed to last a lifetime. The guitars are made with rare, sustainably harvested woods in a zero carbon emission workshop. Each instrument is customized to fit the customer’s hands and style. For a custom-made gift, invest $1,000 toward a new guitar, or shop Born Guitars’ custom amp stands, guitar straps and other accessories. bornguitars.com

VERSE HOODED COWL Akinz $54.95 These beanies are designed, knitted and finished in the Akinz Fort Collins workshop. The beanies are super soft and cozy with a style for everyone, from fitted to slouch beanies, pompom or plain, to knit hooded cowls. Whether you are looking for something warm for winter or lightweight for spring and summer, you’ll be able to find the perfect beanie in a variety of fibers from wool to acrylic! akinz.com

PERFORMING ARTS GIFT CERTIFICATES Colorado Symphony and many more Any amount Colorado boasts an amazing performing arts scene. The Denver Performing Arts Complex hosts plays, ballets, opera and symphony performances and more. And dozens of other theaters, music ensembles and dance troupes enrich every city in the state. Consider giving experiences this holiday season. Most performing arts groups offer gift cards for any budget. You can’t go wrong with any organization, but the Colorado Symphony in particular offers something for everyone with its variety of music all year long. coloradosymphony.org FATTY HANDLEBAR BAG Green Guru Gear $60 Green Guru Gear is a B-Corp certified company that crafts backpacks, bike accessories and other rugged outdoor gear in Colorado using upcycled materials, including the fabrics and bike tubes in these handlebar bags. The bag should fit any handlebar, and is big enough for lunch, tools, spare tubes or other necessities. It comes in “wild” neons and “earthtone” greens. www.greengurugear

November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 29

THE CROOKED RUGS FoCo band refuses to take themselves too seriously while pursuing their art

Photo by Jacqui Hazel

30 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

By Brianna Corrine

A

fter meeting as students at Colorado State University several years ago and living, jamming and playing lacrosse together, the Crooked Rugs have become one of Fort Collins’ hottest bands.

Heralding the tagline “mysterious noise from Fort Collins, Colorado,” they are rising stars of the state music scene.

The band is a modest group of five, including a pair of brothers: Rex Stowers on guitar and Finn Stowers on bass. Jayce Haley takes on the role of frontman and guitarist; Nolan Brumbach plays drums; and Jay LeCavalier is on keys. Each member radiates charisma and a genuine joy for art. While many projects fall through or break apart, The Crooked Rugs seem to be here to stay.

SIBLING BONDS Band dynamics are tricky, and even more so when siblings are involved. However, Rex and Finn share a unique bond that surpasses many sibling relationships, Haley says, adding, “They are a pretty crazy working dynamic, but they definitely play together really well.”

Speaking about the band as a whole, Brumbach adds that they are comfortable working with one another and sharing spaces.

Between playing in different bands and being roommates, they know one another well. And while they still face challenges, the music keeps them together.

“There have been a lot of dynamic changes. There have been moments where I think we’ve all been frustrated with people individually, but we just keep together,” Brumbach says.

“You know it’s really good to communicate and talk about your problems,” he continues with a laugh, while LeCavalier jumps in with “The Crooked Rugs are my family.”

Grinning, Brumbach agrees, “As cheesy and corny as it sounds, it’s true.”

He adds, “I think it’s just about communication and goal setting.

We do take it seriously, but at the same time we try not to take it too seriously.”

In tune with their jovial attitude about working together, the band is excited to play music in northern Colorado.

“It’s a pretty happening music scene, honestly,” Haley says.

“We’ve toured other places and gone to a lot of other thriving scenes and Fort Collins has essences of all of them, but it stands on its own. It’s pretty cool, there will probably be a lot of bands from this area that stick around for a while.”

Continuing Haley’s thought, LeCavalier adds, “It’s pretty popping here, and I’d say one of the biggest challenges of being here at this stage that we’re at is that geographically Colorado is in a difficult place to launch a tour from.”

While there’s an outstanding local scene across the Front Range, the rest of the country and world are relatively far away, LeCavalier says.

Brumbach adds, “There’s nothing like coming back and playing at home.”

“We tend to write more thematic albums,” Haley says.

LeCavalier says their “Tales of a Great Western Sky” album had more of a “country, midwestern vibe to it and there was a long time where we were writing music like that and we just kept putting it on the back burner.”

Eventually, they compiled enough songs for the LP. The blend of genres comes down to two things in the words of Brumbach, “One, we all just love music, and two, we all like a lot of different kinds of music.”

From pop-punk to country-blues to singer-songwriter, “There’s influence of all these different kinds of music, so it kind of keeps us in a headspace where it’s easier to create,” Brumbach says.

Haley adds, “We also experiment quite a bit.” Whether it’s a cheeky disco album, electronica, or a completely post-punk album, you can be sure that The Rugs had a blast while making it and were as authentic to themselves as a band can be. “We play whatever excites us at the time,” notes Brumbach.

Where have The Crooked Rugs learned their free-flowing behavior? Primarily from artists who don’t take themselves too seriously but continue to be prolific. LeCavalier mentions how, “We all have our own tastes individually,” even as they connect over common touchstones such as The Beatles.

INSPIRED BY BECK It’s an ever-evolving relationship that keeps them excited to create. In discussing the specifics of their inspirations, they point to their CD collection. “We have a ton of CDs in our van,” Brumbach says, adding that there is a foot-high stack of varying artists and a similar stack that is just Beck.

Revealing his undying love and obsession with Beck, a veteran singer-songwriter and producer also known for ignoring genre boundaries, LeCavalier said, “He also has a wide variety of sound and has still managed to stay relevant, by kind of going with the flow instead of sticking with one thing.”

Putting it simply, “I think we all are inspired by artists who are …”

Brumbach starts, “... prolific and just put things out,” Haley finishes.

As for new music, The Crooked Rugs planned a release party on Nov. 14 at the HQ Denver on South Broadway for their new 1970s-themed album. “It’s probably our best album yet,” LeCavalier crowed.

“I hope people are just inspired,” Brumbach says. “I think the best thing is when I go see a show and then immediately want to come home and play music.”

With pride in what he and his mates have built, Brumbach says, “I didn’t think we’d be doing it at this level, but we are and I love it.”

Humble, charismatic, and genuine with an edge of satire, The Crooked Rugs are creating music that sparks an infectious joy. Their dreams are vast – from a Red Rocks date to a European tour – and they are ready to pursue them.

Brianna Corrine is a part-time poet and full-time audiophile. She is a writer with a penchant for critiquing music and delving headfirst into various art and literary-focused spheres as she contributes regularly to a variety of publications.

PLAYING EVERY GENRE There is something in The Crooked Rugs catalog for any listener.

The band has four albums under their belt and a fifth on the way.

They aim for each album to have a distinct but cohesive sound.

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Photo by Natasha Lovato

Photos courtesy of Roxey Grant

ROXEY GRANT BRINGS DIVERSITY TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE COLORADO COMEDY SCENE

By Natasha Lovato

D

enver-based comedian Roxey Grant is working to shake up the comedy scene as a non-binary, fem and Black person. As Denver continues to grow, so do the artistic expressions, and Grant utilizes their experiences to relate to the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community.

“I feel like people would like to see themselves onstage and enjoy content they can relate to,” Grant said.

Grant stated that their comedy is mostly about life.

Race, sex, religion, pets, and their interracial relationship.

“When I go to a comedy show, I want to laugh and try to not take life too seriously so that’s what I try to bring to my comedy shows. We can laugh about things that are serious,” Grant said.

Grant started comedy just before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020, but since then their career skyrocketed and Grant is excited to be in a position to help share the space with other comedians.

During the summer, Grant performed comedy throughout Pride Month, at the Speak Cheesy Lounge in Fort Collins, at BlueStocking Burlesque, the Denver Queer Comedy and Arts Festival, the Boulder Comedy Festival and more. Grant has also previously performed at Comedy Works, Denver Improv and RISE Comedy.

Among the most notable shows for Grant was the Juneteenth comedy show that Grant produced at the Museum for Black Girls, located inside the Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall.

“We ran out of chairs and it was my first time producing,” Grant said. “It was a really cool opportunity.”

The show was so successful, Grant will now produce a show at the Museum for Black Girls quarterly.

Grant’s show is called, “The Culture,” and it features various local BIPOC comics.

“There’s a lot of talented people in Colorado that just don’t get the stage time so that’s what I’m trying to do

32 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

because that’s what I struggled with when I first started out too,” Grant said.

Grant said that producing has been incredible to build a network of BIPOC comedians.

“Even if I can’t put someone in the next show, I’ll put them in the one after that. So I’m making an archive of talent and if someone asks me if I know any comics, I can pass them along and help share the talent,” Grant said. “I feel like it can get catty in the creative space but it’s not a limited resource. There’s always pieces of the pie and everyone can have some. It’s all about networking, of course, you actually have to be funny too.”

Grant is excited to keep the momentum in their comedy career going and although Grant said they don’t want to leave Colorado, the next goal would be to get a comedy feature on TV or travel and do shows out of state.

For more information on upcoming shows and to reserve tickets, email poproxxcomedy@gmail.com.

Natasha Lovato is a Colorado native with a love for her cats, writing and a cold Holidaily Blonde Ale.

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34 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

WILL CANNABIS BE PART OF YOUR FAMILY HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE? Humor by John Garvey

C

onsidering whether to imbibe with cannabis before any given family event is a complex and tricky choice. Just kidding. It is actually possible that the reason God created cannabis is family holiday dynamics. Now that we’ve settled the question of whether it’s okay to get surreptitiously high before spending all that time in close quarters with your family, you want to know how to do it right.

BASICS

Since it has just dawned on me that I’m an advice columnist, I suggest you first consider “The Quarter Gummy Solution.”

The most accessible and reliable approach to microdosing, “The Quarter Gummy Solution” goes like this: Take a standard 10mg weed gummy, cut it neatly into quarters, and take one 45 minutes before walking in the door. That’s too small a dose to impair most people, but enough to give conversations, music, and … um, writing … a pleasant and subtle flow.

The extent to which you can prudently use marijuana in any kind of family context has to do a lot with your family culture, and your personal relationship with weed, so I won’t walk you through every caveat. I’ll just suggest you wait until Thanksgiving dinner is over before lighting up in your cousin’s ‘89 Bronco so you don’t hog the pumpkin pie.

SUPPLY

Now, this whole discussion is moot if you don’t have a supply. Are you traveling to a state with restrictive cannabis laws? Don’t worry; it’s a particularly contentious election year and they’re likely too busy hoarding canned food, ammunition and Hostess Cupcakes to enforce their laws. … Unless, of course, you have the wrong bumper sticker. So that brings up a good point: If you’re operating in a legal gray area, keep your politics low-key and stock up on Febreeze. You’ll be okay. Probably. But if you take some inspiration from this article that ends up getting you in trouble, remember that my name is Josh Granvey. J-O-S-H G-R-A-N-V-E-Y If you can’t get weed in your hometown, I don’t know what to tell you. It would be uncouth to suggest that you break the law. But I have, and Santa still delivered on my wishes at the usual 50 percent rate. I am neither your lawyer nor your moral compass.

junkie has just cracked open his third beer. Or maybe a sibling has brought up an embarrassing stage you went through in high school. They know how to get their hooks into you; they know they know, they know you know, they know you know they know.

But you are about to thwart their efforts. You excuse yourself with a euphemism that might imply you need to poop, grab a tampon, etc. There is always some reasonable pretense to hit pause on a conversation.

In the bathroom, you stand on top of the toilet to get close to the ventilation fan in the ceiling, fish a doob and lighter out of your pocket, and take a hit.

You then realize that you forgot to actually turn the ventilation fan on — which was the whole point of standing precariously on the toilet — and as you exhale it is like a reenactment of Vesuvius blowing its top.

Fortunately, there is some Febreeze under the sink.

You turn on the fan, wash your hands and return to the dinner table gauntlet that awaits you. You smell heavily of Febreeze and weed, but you nonetheless feel much more comfortable.

When the conversation resumes, you deflect every jab. You masterfully resist the bait when one of your politically entrenched dinner companions asks what you think of the conspiracy of the week. A Fruition song is stuck in your head and it gives you the sense that you’re floating gently down a river with a light breeze through your hair.

One or two relatives gaze at you sternly, but otherwise pretend not to notice your bloodshot eyes or your odor. An uncle you always thought was a square gives you a big, goofy smile and a knowing wink.

By the end of the meal, your relatives are none the wiser about your views on various hot-button topics: politics, critical race theory, “Elon,” your cousin Frankie’s sharp-tongued fiancé, and a few other things people seem to have conspired in advance to disagree with you on. The tactics you’ve employed may include: A. agreeing with political assertions in a subtly sarcastic manner, B. feigning deafness, and C. generally conveying that you give zero craps.

The day draws to a close. You and your family part ways peacefully. And that’s a good thing, because you do, after all, love each other.

You have survived the holiday with your family.

Congratulations. And you’re welcome.

John Garvey is a storyteller, freelance writer, illustrator, and nerd. You can see more of his creative ventures at clippings.me/ johngarvey and CreativeFollies.com.

THE BIG DAY

Now you are at the Thanksgiving (or pick your occasion) dinner table and the token family political November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 35

COLORADO CRAFT ● – Serves Food ● – Food Truck ● – Live Music

BREWERIES DENVER

Raices Brewing Co

SomePlace Else Brewery

Coors Brewing Co

Seedstock Brewery ● ●

Spice Trade Brewing at Yak & Yeti ●

Golden City Brewery ●

Strange Craft Beer Co ● ● Tivoli Brewing ● Zuni St. Brewing Co ● ●

AURORA A Bit Twisted Brewpub ● Bent Barley Brewing Co

NORTHEAST DENVER

BJ’s ●

Danico Brewing ●

Cerebral Brewing ● ●

BAKER/SOUTH BROADWAY

FlyteCo Tower ●

Cheluna Brewing Co

Baere Brewing Co ●

River North Wash. St. Taproom ●

Dry Dock Brewing Co ●

Banded Oak Brewing Co ●

Wanderment Brewing

Incantation Brewing Co

Burns Family Artisan Ales Denver Beer Co ● Incantation Brewing ● Monolith Brewing ● Novel Strand Brewing Co ● Platt Park Brewing Co ● The Post Chicken and Beer ● Public Offering Brewing ● Ratio Beerworks ● TRVE Brewing Co

NORTHWEST DENVER Amalgam Brewing Berkeley Alley Beer Co. Bruz Beers ● ●

Long Table Brewhouse ● Pints Pub ● Renegade Brewing Co ● Reverence Brewing Co Station 26 Brewing Co ● ●

Boulder Social ● Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery ●

Spice Trade Brewing Co

The Post Chicken and Beer ●

Something Brewery ●

Living the Dream Brewing Co ●

Altitude Brewing & Supply Bierstadt Lagerhaus ● Black Shirt Brewing Co ● ● Blue Moon Brewing Co ● ● Brew Dog Denver ● Cohesion Brewing Co ●

BROOMFIELD 4 Noses Brewing Co ● Gordon Biersch ●

6 and 40 Brewery

CASTLE ROCK 105 West Brewing Co ● Burly Brewing ● ● The Elizabeth Brewing Co ● Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse ● Iron Mule Brewery ● ●

Odell Brewing Co

Halfpenny Brewing Co ● ●

Our Mutual Friend

Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria ●

Ratio Beerworks ●

Resolute Brewing Co

River North Brewery

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery ●

Woods Boss Brewing ● ●

LODO / BALLPARK AC Golden Brewing Co Cervecería Colorado Denver Beer Co ● Denver Chophouse & Brewery ●

Bull and Bush Brewery ● ●

Comrade Brewing ● comradebrewing.com 720.748.0700 7677 E Iliff Ave Denver

Copper Kettle Brewing Co ● Denver Beer Co ●

Landlocked Ales ● Old 121 Brewhouse ● Westfax Brewing Co ●

Blue Spruce Brewing Co

Blue Spruce Brewing Co ● ●

Spangalang Brewery ●

Green Mountain Beer Co ●

Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co ●

New Belgium - The Woods at the Source

SOUTHEAST DENVER

Great Frontier Brewing Co ●

LITTLETON AREA

Bent Barley Brewing Co

FIVE POINTS

BJ’s

Rockyard Brewing Co ●

Left Hand Brewing Co ●

Tivoli Taphouse ●

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery ●

Wonderland Brewing Co ● ●

CENTENNIAL

SweetWater Mountain Taphouse ●

Prost Brewing Co & Biergarten

LAKEWOOD

Great Divide Brewing Co ● ●

New Belgium Brewing ●

Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria ●

Rails End Beer Co ● ●

DENVER INT’L AIRPORT

Great Divide Brewhouse and Kitchen ●

Beyond the Mountain Brewing Co

Holidaily Brewing Taproom

The Empourium Brewing Co

RINO

Avery Brewing ●

Six Capital Brewing & BBQ ●

3 Freaks Brewery ●

14er Brewing

BOULDER Asher Brewing Co

BJ’s ●

Floodstage Ale Works ●

Hogshead Brewery ●

Howlin Wind Brewing and Blending Rollinsville

Cherry Creek Brewery ●

Diebolt Brewing Co ● ●

Goldspot Brewing Co ● ●

Fritz Family Brewers - Niwot

Second Dawn Brewing

HIGHLANDS RANCH

FlyteCo Brewing ●

Echo Brewing Co - Erie ●

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Dewey Beer Co

Denver Chophouse & Brewery ●

Over Yonder Brewing ●

BOULDER COUNTY Bambei Brewing - Superior ●

Mileau Fermentation

Vine Street Pub & Brewery ●

Boulder Beer Tap House ●

Ohm Brewing

Big Choice Brewing

Prost Brewing Co. & Biergarten●

Fiction Beer Co ●

New Terrain Brewing ● ●

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

4 Noses Brewing Co ●

Crazy Mountain Brewery

Mountain Toad Brewing ●

BRIGHTON

The Grateful Gnome ● ●

Cerebral Brewing ● ●

801 Brickyard Cir., Golden

Call to Arms Brewing Co ●

CAPITOL HILL/E COLFAX/ PARK HILL Bruz Off Fax ● ●

Launch Pad Brewery ●

Holidaily Brewing Co Holidailybrewing.com 303.278.BEER

_____________________________

Two22 Brew ●

Breckenridge Brewery ● Coal Mine Ave. Brewing Co Comet Brews ● Denver Beer Co ● Lariat Lodge Brewing ● Locavore Beer Works Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria ● Zymos Brewing

Rocks & Hops Brewing Sanitas Brewing Co ● ● Southern Sun ● ● Twisted Pine Brewing ● ● Upslope Brewing Co ● ● Vision Quest Brewing Co ● Wild Provisions Beer Project

LAFAYETTE Cellar West Artisan Ales ● Liquid Mechanics ● ● Mono Mono Brewery ● Odd 13 Brewing Inc ● ● The Post Brewing Co ● ● Sanitas Brewing Co ● ● Westbound and Down Brewing Co

LONGMONT 300 Suns Brewing ● Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales ● Bootstrap Brewing ● ● Collision Brewing Co ● Großen Bart Brewery ● ● Knuckle Puck Brewing Left Hand Brewing Co ● Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse ● Oskar Blues Brewing ●

LONE TREE

Outworld Brewing ● ●

Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse ●

The Post Chicken and Beer

Lone Tree Brewing Co ●

Pumphouse Brewery ●

Joyride Brewing Co ●

NORTHGLENN/THORNTON

Shoes and Brews

Mestizo Brew Cantina ●

Mother Tucker Brewery ● ●

New Image Brewing

Prost Brewing

LOUISVILLE

Satire Brewing Co ● ●

12Degree Brewing ● Crystal Springs Brewing Co

EDGEWATER/WHEAT RIDGE Barquentine Brewing Co Brewery Rickoli ●

ENGLEWOOD AREA

Wibby Brewing ●

Breckenridge Brewery Ale & Games ●

PARKER

Great Divide Brewing Co ● ●

SOUTHWEST DENVER

Brewability Lab ● ●

Downhill Brewing Co ●

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery ●

Black Sky Brewery ●

Downhill Brewing ● ●

Fiction Beer Co Chapter Two

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery ●

Chain Reaction Brewing Co ● _____________________________

Lady Justice Brewing

Lone Tree Brewing ● ●

LYONS

Sanitas Brewing II ●

Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria ●

MainStage Brewing - Lyons ●

FREDERICK

WESTMINSTER

Oskar Blues Grill & Brew - Lyons

Mirror Image Brewing Co ●

BJ’s ●

NEDERLAND

Frolic Brewing Co ●

Busey Brews ● ●

Kokopelli Beer Co ● ●

Knotted Root Brewing Co

Westminster Brewing Co ●

Very Nice Brewing ●

Sandlot Brewery Westbound & Down Brewing Co Wynkoop Brewing Co ●

DENVER SUBURBS ARVADA

LOHI / AURARIA

Denver Beer Co

Briar Common Brewery + Eatery ●

LUKI Brewery

Burns Family Artisan Ales

New Image Brewing ●

Degree Brewbup (at MSU) ●

Odyssey Beerwerks ● ●

Little Machine Beer ●

Resolute Brewing Tap & Cellar ●

Odell Brewing Sloan’s Lake ●

36 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

GOLDEN Barrels and Bottles Brewery ● Cannonball Creek Brewing Co ● Coda Brewing

Windfall Brewing Co

Gravity Brewing ● ● ● Mother Tucker Brewery ●

LIBATIONS LISTINGS _____________________________

ESTES PARK

WINDSOR

PAGOSA SPRINGS

CENTRAL CITY AREA

S. FRONT RANGE

Avant Garde Aleworks

High Hops Brewery ●

The Break Room Brewing Co

Estes Park Brewery ●

Mash Lab Brewing ●

Riff Raff Brewing ● ●

Dostal Alley Saloon & Gambling Emporium - Central City ●

Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co

Mighty River Brewing ● ●

The Post Chicken and Beer ●

Peculier Ales ● ● _____________________________

BierWerks Brewery - Woodland Park ● ● Black Forest Brewing Co - Black Forest ● Black Forest Brewing Co East - Peyton ● Crafty Canary Brewery - Walsenburg

Rock Cut Brewing Co

Florence Brewing - Florence

FORT COLLINS

Funky Town Brewing - Florissant ●

Anheuser-Busch

Manitou Brewing - Manitou Springs ●

BJ’s ●

Mountain Merman Brewing - La Veta ●

Breckenridge Brewery

Paradox Beer Co - Divide ●

Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing ●

World’s End Brewing Co - Cañon City

COLORADO SPRINGS Atrevida Beer Co ● Battle Mountain Brewing ● BJ’s ● Brass Brewing Co ● Bristol Brewing ● Cerberus Brewing Co ● Cogstone Brewing Co ● ● Colorado Mountain Brewery ● Dueces Wild Brewery ● Father & Sons Brewery ● FH Beerworks ● Fossil Craft Beer Co ● Goat Patch Brewing Co ● JAKs Brewing Co ● Local Relic Artisan Ales ● Lost Friend Brewing ● Mash Mechanix Brewing ● Metric Brewing ● Nano 108 Brewing Co ● OCC Brewing Peaks N Pines Brewing Co ● Phantom Canyon ● ●

CENTRAL COLORADO Elevation Beer Co - Poncha Springs ●

Colorado Boy Brewery

T-Road Brewing Company - Crestone

Floating Lotus Brewery

Very Nice Brewing Co - Black Hawk ●

EAGLE COUNTY Craftsman Brew Co- Edwards ● Eagle River Brewing Co - Gypsum ● Vail Brewing Co - Vail ● ●

EVERGREEN El Rancho Brewery ● ●

Two Mile Brewing Co - Leadville ●

SILVERTON

Evergreen Brewery ●

DC Oakes Brewhouse & Eatery ●

BUENA VISTA

Avalanche Brewing Co ●

Lariat Lodge Brewing ● ●

Equinox Brewing ●

Browns Canyon Brewing

Golden Block Brewery ●

Funkwerks

Eddyline Brewery ●

TELLURIDE

Base Camp Provisions ●

Gilded Goat Brewing Co ● Hello Brewing Co Horse & Dragon Brewing Co Intersect Brewing ● ●

FAIRPLAY

Smuggler’s Union Brewpub ●

Copper Club Brewing Co ●

Stronghouse Brew Pub

Suds Brothers Brewery ● ●

South Park Brewing Co ●

Telluride Brewing Co ● _____________________________

GEORGETOWN AREA

NORTHEAST

Cabin Creek Brewing - Georgetown ●

Jessup Farm Barrel House ●

SALIDA

Konstruct Brewing ●

Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub ●

Maxline Brewing ● ●

Salida Brewing Co

Mythmaker Brewing ●

Soulcraft Brewing ●

New Belgium Brewing Co ● ●

Tres Litros Beer Co ● _____________________________

Obstacle Brewing and Grill ● Odell Brewing Co ● ●

SOUTHWEST

Peculier Ales

Bottom Shelf Brewery - Bayfield ●

Pitchers Brewery ●

Dolores River Brewery - Dolores ● ●

Prost Brewing Co

Lake City Brewing Co - Lake City ●

Purpose Brewing

Mancos Brewing Co - Mancos ●

Rally King Brewing

Spare Keg Brewers - Creede

Ramskeller Brewery ●

Three Barrel Brewing Co - Del Norte ●

Salt Road Brewing

ALAMOSA

Stodgy Brewing Co ● ●

The Colorado Farm Brewery

Timnath Beerwerks Fort Collins

San Luis Valley Brewing ●

Verboten Brewing Co

Spare Keg Brewers

GREELEY

Red Swing Brewhouse

J. Fargo’s Dining & Microbrewery ●

Crabtree Brewing ● ●

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery ●

Main Street Brewery & Restaurant ●

Northern Colorado Brewhouse (at UNC)

Storybook Brewing ●

WildEdge Brewing Collective ●

Rule 105 Brewing Co ●

Trinity Brewing ●

Tightknit Brewing Co ● ●

Urban Animal Beer Co

WeldWerks Brewing Co ●

Voodoo Brewing Co ●

Wiley Roots Brewing Co ●

Wackadoo Brewing

Yetters Brewing

CORTEZ

DURANGO Anarchy Brewing Animas Brewing Co ● Carver Brewing Co ● Durango Beer and Ice Company ● ●

LOVELAND

Ska Brewing Co ● ●

Berthoud Brewing Co

Steamworks Brewing Co ●

PUEBLO

Big Beaver Brewing Co ●

Brues Alehouse Brewing Co ● ●

Big Thompson Brewery

Reservoir Brewing Co ●

Crooked Beech Brewing Co Grimm Brothers Brewhouse

FRUITA

HighSide Brewing

Red Leg Brewing ●

Shamrock Brewing ●

Paonia United Brewing Co ●

RIDGWAY

Zwei Brewing Co ● ●

Whistle Pig Brewing Co ● ●

Chrysalis Barrel Aged Beer

Craft Mountain Brewing Co - Bailey

Pikes Peak Brewing Co ● ●

Westfax Srpings

PAONIA

GUNNISON/CRESTED BUTTE The Eldo Brewpub & Venue ● ● High Alpine Brewing Co ● Irwin Brewing Co

The Horse and Frog - Holyoke ● Parts & Labor Brewing Co - Sterling ●

Guanella Pass Brewing - Georgetown, Empire

GLENWOOD SPRINGS AREA

Tumbleweed Brewing & Wine - Yuma ● _____________________________

Brewzone Rifle ●

NORTHWEST

Casey Brewing and Blending

Grand Adventure Brewing - Kremmling Never Summer Brewing Co - Granby

Down Valley Brewing - New Castle Glenwood Canyon Brew Pub ●

Smoking River Brewing Co - Meeker

GRAND JUNCTION

World’s End Brewpub - Grand Lake

Base Camp Beer Works

Yampa Valley Brewing Co - Hayden

Edgewater Brewery ●

Yampa Valley Taproom - Craig

Gemini Beer Co Kannah Creek Brewing Co ●

FRASER Camber Brewing Co Fraser River Beer Co Vicious Cycle Brewing ●

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Mountain Tap Brewery ● Storm Peak Brewing Co Yampa Valley Taproom

WINTER PARK

Mama Ree’s Pizza and Brewhouse ● ● Ramblebine Brewing Co ● The Rockslide Restaurant and Brewery ● Trail Life Brewing

IDAHO SPRINGS Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub ● Westbound & Down Brewing Co ●

PALISADE

Big Trout Brewing ● ● bigtroutbrewing.com 970.363.7362 50 Vasquez Rd Winter Park

Palisade Brewing Co ● ●

SILVERTHORNE AREA Angry James Brewing - Silverthorne Dillon Dam Brewery - Dillon ● ●

Hideaway Park Brewery

HighSide Brewing - Breckenridge, Frisco ● ●

The Noble Buck ● _____________________________

Outer Range Brewing Co - Frisco ●

I-70 CORRIDOR

Steep Brewing & Coffee - Keystone ●

ASPEN AREA

Pug Ryan’s Brewery - Dillon ● Syndicate Brewing Co - Silverthorne _____________________________

Walter’s Brewery & Taproom ● _____________________________

Loveland Aleworks ●

N. FRONT RANGE

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery ●

MONTROSE

Carbondale Beer Works - Aspen ●

Rock Coast Brewery ●

Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery

Capitol Creek Brewery - Basalt ●

Bulzomi Brewing - Eaton

Sky Bear Brewery and Pub ●

Horsefly Brewing Co ● ●

Mountain Heart Taproom - Basalt

Timnath Beerwerks - Timnath ●

Verboten Brewing Co

Pomona Brewing Co ●

Mountain Heart Brewing - Carbondale

Shelter Distilling & Brewing

Westy's Tap & Tavern - Aspen ●

Finkel & Garf Brewing Co

BRECKENRIDGE

New Planet Beer

BERTHOUD

WELLINGTON

Berthoud Brewing Co

Old Colorado Brewing ●

City Star Brewing ●

Sparge Brewing

Silver Basin Brewing

Aspen Brewing Co - Aspen ●

OURAY

Breckenridge Brewery & Pub ●

Colorado Boy Southwest Pub ●

Broken Compass Brewing

Ouray Brewery ●

HighSide Brewing

DISTRIBUTION ONLY Backacre Beermakers Ceria Brewing Dive Bar Brewing Co Mad Russian Brewing Co Primitive Beer Sleeping Giant Brewing Soul Squared Brewing

November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 37

DISTILLERIES

Blackhat Distillery - Colo. Springs

The Blue Beryl Winery - Palisade

CENTRAL MOUNTAINS

PLAINS

Deerhammer Distilling - Buena Vista ●

BookCliff Vineyards - Palisade ●

Aquila Cellars - Carbondale ●

Claremont Inn & Winery - Stratton ● Country Road Vines and Wines - Fort Morgan ● ●

DENVER/BOULDER

Distillery 291 - Colo. Springs

Carboy Winery - Palisade ●

52Eighty Distilling - Littleton

Buckel Family Wine - Crested Butte

Dune Valley Distillery - Mosca

Carlson Vineyards - Palisade

Abbott & Wallace - Longmont ●

Carboy Winery - Breckenridge ●

Meridiem Spirits - Elizabeth

Carlson Tasting Room - Grand Junction

Ballmer Peak Distillery - Lakewood ●

Snitching Lady Distillery - Fairplay ●

Centennial Cellars - Palisade

Continental Divide Winery Breckenridge, Fairplay ●

Spirits of the Rockies - Pueblo

Colorado Cellars Winery - Palisade ●

Bear Creek Distillery - Denver ● The Block Distilling Co - Denver ● Boulder Spirits by Vapor Distillery Boulder Branch & Barrel Distilling - Centennial Copper Sky Distillery - Longmont Deki Spirits - Lafayette

Woods High Mountain Distillery woodsdistillery.com 719.207.4315 144 W 1st Salida

Denver Distillery - Denver

Colorado Vintners - Palisade Colterris Winery - Palisade ● Deroco Cellars - Palisade ● ● Evolve Wines - Clifton ● ● Grande River Vineyards - Palisade ●

IndoVINO - Crested Butte Mountain Spirit Winery - Salida

DISTRIBUTION ONLY Bluejays Winery

Vino Salida Cellars - Poncha Springs ●

Fallen Mountain Wines

Winter Park Winery - Fraser

Settembre Cellars

Graystone Winery - Clifton

SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE

WESTERN SLOPE

Gubbini Winery - Palisade

Brush Hollow Winery - Penrose

Downslope Distilling - Centennial

Hermosa Vineyards - Palisade

Bugling Elk Vineyards - Penrose ●

Dry Land Distillers - Longmont

Archetype Distillery - Vail, Gypsum

Mafia Princess Winery - Grand Junction ●

Carbone Winery - Mosca ●

DV8 Distillery - Boulder ●

Breckenridge Distillery - Breckenridge●●

Maison la Belle Vie Winery - Palisade ●

Evergood Adventure Wines - Palmer Lake

The Family Jones Spirit House - Denver ●

Clarke & Co’s Distilling - Palisade ●

The Ordinary Fellow- Palisade

Fountain Creek Winery - Fountain ●

Gold Dirt Distillery - Rollinsville ●

Durango Craft Spirits - Durango

The Painted Vineyard - Palisade ●

Latigo Winery - Black Forest

Hogback Distillery - Boulder, Estes Park

Eagle River Whisky - Minturn

Peachfork Vineyards - Palisade

Legatum Cellars - Canon City

Red Fox Cellars - Palisade

Manitou Winery - Manitou Springs ●

Restoration Vineyards - Palisade ● ●

Pop’s Vineyard - Penrose ●

Sauvage Spectrum - Palisade ● ●

The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey - Canon City ●

Ironton Distillery - Denver ● Laws Whiskey House - Denver Leopold Bros - Denver Mad Rabbit Distillery - Westminster Mile High Spirits - Denver ● Molly Brown Spirits - Denver Mystic Mountain Distillery - Thornton Rising Sun Distillery - Denver Rocker Spirits - Littleton Spirit Hound Distillers - Denver, Lyons ● State 38 Distilling - Golden Stranahan’s - Denver Talnua Distillery - Arvada

410 Zerex St Fraser

Shiras Winery - Grand Junction ● Talon Winery - Palisade

Boco Cider - Boulder ● Brush Hollow Winery - Penrose Clear Fork Cider - Paonia Climb Hard Cider Co - Loveland Colorado Cider Co - Fort Collins, Lakewood ● EsoTerra Cider - Durango, Delores ● ●

Aquila Cellars - Denver

Haykin Family Cider - Aurora

Aspen Peak Winery & Bistro - Bailey ● ●

Locust Cider - Fort Collins, Lakewood ●

Attimo Wine - Denver

Old Mine Cider Co - Erie ●

Vines 79 Wine Barn - Palisade

Augustina’s Winery - Nederland

Red Fox Cellars - Palisade ●

Whitewater Hill Vineyards - Grand Junction

Balistreri Vineyards - Denver ●

Snow Capped Cider - Cedaredge

Bigsby’s Folly - Denver ●

St. Vrain Cidery - Longmont ●

WESTERN SLOPE

Blanchard Family Wines - Denver, Golden

Stem Ciders - Denver ● ●

5680' Vineyard - Paonia

Bonacquisti Wine Company - Denver ●

Stem Ciders Acreage- Lafayette ● ●

Idlewild Spirits Distillery- Winter Park ●

TWP Winery & Farmhouse - Clifton ●

KJ Wood Distillers - Ouray

Varaison Vineyards and Winery Palisade ●

Pullman Distillery - Frisco ●

Big B’s Fruit Co - Hotchkiss ● ●

Happy Hollow Hard Cider - Cedaredge

Two Swedes Glögg - Grand Junction

Peak Spirits - Hotchkiss

Apple Valley Cider Co - Penrose

Fenceline Cider - Mancos ● ●

Honey House Distillery - Durango

Peach Street Distillers - Palisade ●

CIDERIES 13° Brix Cider Bistro -Palisade ●

Allis Ranch Winery - Sedalia

Two Rivers Winery - Grand Junction ●

Montanya Distillers - Crested Butte

Wild Mountain Cellars

CENTRAL FRONT RANGE

Highlands Distillery - Grand Junction ●

Marble Distilling Co - Carbondale ●

Tumbleweed Brewing and Wine Company - Yuma ●

Vines at Vail Winery - Wolcott

10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits - Vail ●

Fraser Valley Distilling fraservalleydistilling.com 970.363.7792

Reds Wine Boutique - Sterling

Steamboat Winery - Steamboat Springs

Deviation Distilling - Denver

J & L Distilling Co - Boulder

Mummy Hill Winery - Holyoke

Tighe Brothers Distillery - Denver

Stoneyard Distillery - Dotsero, Glenwood Springs

Alfred Eames Cellars - Paonia ●

BookCliff Vineyards - Boulder ● ●

Summit Hard Cider - Fort Collins ●

Turnbuckle Distilling - Westminster

Storm King Distilling - Montrose

Azura Cellars - Paonia ●

Carboy Winery - Denver, Littleton ●

Talbott’s Cider Co - Palisade ● ●

NORTHERN COLORADO

Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge - Aspen

Berkeley Estate Cellars - Olathe

Colorado Sake Co. - Denver ● ●

Waldschänke Ciders - Denver ●

Telluride Distilling Co - Telluride

Wild Cider - Firestone ●

Black Bridge Winery - Paonia ●

Creekside Cellars - Evergreen ●

Coppermuse Distillery - Fort Collins ●

Woody Creek Distillers - Basalt

Chill Switch Wines - Cedaredge

Deep Roots Winery & Bistro - Denver ●●

Elevation 5003 Distillery - Fort Collins

DISTRIBUTION ONLY

Cottonwood Cellars - Olathe

The Infinite Monkey Theorem - Denver ●

Elkins Distilling Co - Estes Park

American Woman Spirit Co.

Jack Rabbit Hill - Hotchkiss

InVINtions - Greenwood Village

Alpenglow at the Granary - Hayden ●

Lanoue DuBois Winery - Montrose

Kingman Estates Winery - Denver ●

Antelope Ridge Mead - Colorado Springs

Mesa Winds Farm & Winery - Hotchkiss ●

Ladrón Cellars - Englewood

Brush Hollow Winery - Penrose

Mountain View Winery - Olathe

Purgatory Cellars Winery - Parker

Cloud City Modern Mead - Leadville

Peony Lane Wine - Paonia

Silver Vines Winery - Arvada, Boulder ● ●

Colorado Cellars Winery - Palisade ●

Qutori Wines - Paonia ●

Spero Winery - Denver

Dragon Meadery - Aurora

Stone Cottage Cellars - Paonia ●

Taboche Winery - Broomfield

Drekar Meadery - Colorado Springs

Stoney Mesa Winery - Cedaredge ●

Turquoise Mesa Winery - Broomfield

Honnibrook Meadery - Castle Rock ●

The Storm Cellar Winery - Hotchkiss ●

Vinnie Fera - Boulder

Hunters Moon Meadery - Severance

Williams Cellars - Cedaredge

Water 2 Wine - Littleton ●

Laughing Leprechaun Meadery Distribution Only

477 Distilling - Greeley ●

Feisty Spirits - Fort Collins

Anders’ Vodka

Gnebriated Gnome Distillery - Fort Collins

Arta Tequila

The Heart Distillery - Windsor ● Mobb Mountain Distillers - Fort Collins Mythology Distillery - Steamboat Springs

Conflagration Distilling Coyote Gold Margaritas Dirty Dill felene Vodka

MEADERIES

NOCO Distillery - Fort Collins

Kure’s Craft Beverage Co.

Old Elk Distillery - Fort Collins ●

Lasso Whiskey

Overland Trail Distillery - Sterling

Locke & Co Distilling

Seed & Spirit Distilling - Fort Collins

Red Rocks Spirits

FOUR CORNERS AREA

Spring 44 Distilling - Loveland

Tincup Whiskey

Durango Winery - Durango ● ●

NORTHERN FRONT RANGE

Meadery of the Rockies - Palisade

Syntax Distillery - Greeley ●

Tingala Spirits

Flying T Wine - Cortez

Alluvial Farm & Vineyards - Fort Collins

Meadkrieger - Loveland ● ●

Uncle Tim’s Cocktails

Four Leaves Winery - Durango ● ●

Bad Bitch Cellars - Eaton

Miracle Stag Meadery - Distribution Only

Vanjak Vodka

Fox Fire Farms - Ignacio ●

Blanchard Family Wines - Fort Collins ●

Queen Bee Brews - Denver

Western Medicine Spirits

Sauvage Spectrum - Ouray ●

Blendings Winery - Fort Collins

Redstone Meadery - Boulder

Sutcliffe Vineyards - Cortez ●

The OBC Wine Project - Fort Collins ●

Slaymaker Cellars - Idaho Springs

Yellow Car Country Wines - Cortez

Snowy Peaks Winery - Estes Park ● ●

Yellow Car Country Wines - Cortez ●

SOUTHERN COLORADO 1350 Distilling - Colo. Springs ● 1874 Distilling - Del Norte ● ● 3 Hundred Days of Shine - Monument ● Art of the Spirits - Colorado Springs

WINERIES

Axe and the Oak - Colo. Springs

GRAND JUNCTION AREA

Black Bear Distillery - Green Mtn Falls

Avant Vineyards - Palisade

38 ThirstColorado.com November-December 2024

The Wine Barrel - Parker ●

Sweet Heart Winery - Loveland ● Tamburi Wine - Fort Collins Ten Bears Winery - Laporte ●

Legends: A Meadery - Berthoud ●

AWARD-WINNING Dragon Meadery is a craft meadery that produces top-shelf meads from high quality, locally sourced honey.

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720-371-1970

2708 S Helena Way Aurora, CO 80013

DRAGONMEADERY.COM

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November-December 2024

ThirstColorado.com 39

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NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS – BEEF CUTS, BEEF JERKY, BEEF STICKS COLORADO FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS HOLIDAY GIFT BOXES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

ORDER ONLINE AT CENTENNIALCUTS.COM Visit Centennial Cuts Mercantile in Old Colorado City… or find our beef at any of the specialty stores listed online or…

Enjoy our products at any of our exceptional restaurant partners listed on our website