Thirst Magazine January-February 2019

SERVING UP THE COLORADO EXPERIENCE

Vol. 4, No. 2 January-February 2019

CHOPPER DROP REACHING THE PINNACLE OF SKIING

MONKEY BUSINESS

10 YEARS OF AGING AT URBAN WINERY

DOG DAYS

EXPLORING THE BACKCOUNTRY ON A SLED

A NEIGHBORHOOD ABOVE IT ALL

A NEIGHBORHOOD ABOVE IT ALL

A NEIGHBORHOOD ABOVE IT ALL

A NEIGHBORHOOD

ABOVE IT ALL

&

LIBATIONS BEYOND

Forward thinking in 2019 At Thirst Colorado, we’re all about devouring the Colorado experience as often as possible. You might say, “we love us some Colorful Colorado.”

A curiosity for our rugged, yet beautiful and delicate landscapes often inspires wanderlust as we work away on Thirst Colorado Magazine at our Westminster office.

Late in 2018, we found ourselves looking forward to exploring Colorado’s beauty in the new year. Below are a few locations that we plan to visit in 2019. We hope our aspirations inspire some new adventures of your own!

Designer Michele Garner – My family is planning to take a trip back to Crested Butte.

We took in nature’s display of wild flowers blooming last summer. We are going this fall to enjoy the beautiful backcountry’s changing colors.

Publisher Paul Johnson – I’m looking forward to exploring one of Colorado’s lesser-known archaeological sites, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, in southwest Colorado. This is a great out-of-bounds location to learn more about Colorado’s native cultures.

Editorial intern Lisa McIntyre – In 2019 I plan to adventure along the 486-mile Colorado Trail hiking, four-wheeling and discovering the highest breweries and distilleries in the state. The trail starts outside of Littleton, then travels southwest across eight mountain ranges toward Durango along the Continental Divide giving me the opportunity to hone my photography skills in the beautiful Colorado mountains.

Marketing manager Neill Pieper – Looking ahead to 2019, I would like to spend a few days checking out the Westcliffe area, hiking, biking and fly-fishing my way through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Editorial assistant Natasha Lovato – This year I want to travel to Creede to immerse myself in the arts and some of the best hikes in the state.

Editor Joe Ross – We hope to rally our family near Palisade this summer. The area offers a cornucopia of possibilities, including, hiking, biking, fishing and of course, great craft food and drink options.

Design manager Stacey Krull – We’re planning a road trip to the southwest to check out Mesa Verde. We might go down to the Sand Dunes on the way and we’ll get to see two national parks in one trip.

ADVISORY BOARD Jean Ditslear Owner, 300 Suns Brewing

Sean Smiley State 38 Distilling

Bess Dougherty Head Brewer, Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe and Brewery

Alan Laws Owner, Laws Whiskey House Charlie Sturdavant Owner, Golden City Brewery

Publisher Paul Johnson paul@thirstcolorado.com Associate Publisher & Editor Joe Ross joe@thirstcolorado.com Vice President of Sales Tod Cavey tod@thirstcolorado.com Design & Layout Michele Garner President & Founder Wilbur E. Flachman Marketing & Distribution Neill Pieper Editorial Assistant Natasha Lovato Editorial Intern Lisa McIntyre Contributors Katie Coakley, Will Coonradt, Steve Graham, Kyle Kirves, Dionne Roberts For advertising and editorial information, please contact Joe Ross at 303.428.9529 Ext. 227 or email joe@thirstcolorado.com Proud member of the Brewers Association and the Colorado Brewers Guild Thirst Colorado is produced by The Publishing House, a division of Colorado Word Works, Inc. 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

Cheers!

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

Thirst Colorado is published six times a year by The Publishing House, 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030. © The Publishing House, 2019. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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January-February 2019

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.

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THIRST COLORADO | January-February 2019

38

INTERSECTIONS

16 Strange Brew

How about a little kombucha in your beer?

20 New Eats

Food and beverages to try on Blake Street

22 Americana Music

12

Take a groovy ride with the River Arkansas

36

28 Untapped

Explore Colorado’s endless festivals and more

32 Prime Pairings

Try this savory and hearty Middle Eastern recipe at home

42 Art of Brewing

It’s all about keeping it rooted at Windsor brewery

Special 46 Valentine’s Advertising Section 48 Tales from the Lying Log

Finding a little religion deep in the Colorado backcountry

On the cover: Heli-skiing in the deep powder.

Photo courtesy Alterra Mountain Co./Canadian Mountain Holidays

22

20

52 Brewery, Cidery, Winery, Meadery & Distillery Guide We’ll help you find great drinks wherever you end up in Colorado

ADVENTURES

8 Heli-Skiing

Reach the pinnacle of skiing in Colorado

12 24 30

6 ThirstColorado.com

January-February 2019

Chaotic Wine

10 years of urban Denver wine

Local Filming

For your viewing pleasure, movies filmed around Colorado

Spirited past and present

Head to South Broadway for fresh gin and good times

36

Slingin’ Steel

Sip a beer and try your hand at axe throwing

38 Dog Sledding

Hold on! Hard-working huskies will take you for the ride of a lifetime

50

Montrose Museum

Founder launched museum of western artifacts as a child

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TAKING IT TO THE NEXT

J

ust when you think the altitude couldn’t get any higher and the shredding couldn’t get any better, it’s time for the ultimate outdoor experience. Lock in for the zenith of winter sports: heli-skiing. The powder is deep and the mountainside is empty. If you have the experience and a few extra bucks, buckle up for a guaranteed wild ride.

The opportunity to jump from a chopper onto the Colorado slopes first arose in the mid-1960s. That’s when Austrian-born mountaineer Hans Gmoser helped pioneer the sport with the help of a little-known adventure company named Canadian Mountain Holidays. CMH is now owned by Denver-based hospitality giant Alterra Mountain Co., which operates Steamboat, Winter Park and several other North American resorts.

Currently, Colorado offers a limited number of heli-skiing options.

Depending on the time of year and location, the ride to skiing nirvana will generally cost between $179 (for a limited experience) and $10,000 (for a deluxe package).

Photo: Alterra Mountain Co./Canadian Mountain Holidays

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January-February January-February2019 2019

LEVEL Colorado heli-skiing adventures await Â

By Natasha Lovato

January-February January-February 2019 2019

ThirstColorado.com 9

Photo: Jeff Cricco

First page: Alterra Mountain Co. will lift your spirits with backcountry adventures.

This page: Telluride Helitrax drops skiers for a day in the powder.

Following are a few jumping-off points: SILVERTON Heli-skiing or boarding with Silverton Mountain ski area offers the adrenaline rush of a single drop, or the luxury of a full, private experience for you and friends. Thrill-seekers can explore nearly 30,000 acres of terrain.

“It’s fun to come to Silverton because there’s no chain anything here,” said Jen Brill of Silverton Mountain. “Right away it’s a place you’ll find an adventure. Then you come out to Silverton Mountain, sign waivers, gear up and head out for the best day of your life.”

TELLURIDE For more than 35 years, Telluride Helitrax has specialized in heli-skiing and boarding trips for expert skiers and riders. The familyowned company of dedicated mountain connoisseurs excels in their devotion to mountain culture, safety and one-of-a-kind experiences. Whether you prefer a private or custom experience, you are guaranteed to discover the epitome of what Colorado has to

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January-February 2019

offer. Heidi Lauterbach, marketing specialist for Telluride Helitrax, highlighted the ways they’ve perfected the experience.

“The helicopter landing pad is directly outside of the office,” Lauterbach said.

“There is over 200 square miles of terrain and everyone gets about six runs totaling 10,000 to 14,000 vertical feet. At the end of the day, you become a tight-knit group, so we always celebrate the experience with cocktails and appetizers.”

“... gear up and head out for the best day of your life.”

– Jen Brill, Silverton Mountain Telluride Helitrax offers connections to Telluride via Aspen, Vail or Steamboat so the whole party can jump aboard a private, fixedwing plane that delivers you to and from the Helitrax front door.

DUNTON The Nomad Inc. adventure travel company based in Aspen invites you to hop on a private plane and fly into Telluride, where Helitrax will take over the transportation needed to access the backcountry. Fly into 200-square miles of pristine powder within minutes. After spending the day skiing the alpine basins of the beautiful San Juan Mountains, return to your own private cabin in the restored ghost town of Dunton for a vacation experience in its own league. Soak in the hot springs before your group meets at the saloon for a 5-star dinner made with locally sourced food. Kick back and enjoy the evening while sharing the day’s stories and sampling the extensive wine list. If that’s not enough, indulge in a complete spa treatment, massage and a yoga or Pilates class.

Colorado native Natasha Lovato will soon graduate from MSU Denver with a degree in Integrative Written Communication in the Arts.

OPEN UP YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

© 2018 Patagonia Brewing Co., Bohemian Pilsner Lager (Ale in TX), Fairfield, California. Brewed in USA.

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 11

10 YEARS OF CRAFT

Denver winery wild about changing the game Story and Photos by Neill Pieper

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January-February 2019

Above, Infinite Monkey Theorem owner Ben Parsons checks out the community garden at the RiNo winery. Opposite page, Parsons presents freshly pressed grape skins inside the winery.

I

n an industry where stereotypes have shaped the landscape, one Colorado business has shattered all preconceptions of a 21st century winery.

Exclusivity, age and location have long ruled the wine game. Stroll down most wine aisles and you might wish for an oenology degree to decipher the bottle-lined shelves.

Despite this status quo, when Ben Parsons opened The Infinite Monkey Theorem (IMT), he decided on a different approach. As Parsons puts it, “Our experiment presented a middle finger to the pretentiousness of the wine industry.” Ten years later, IMT has graduated from humble beginnings in a back alley of Denver’s Santa Fe District to prime River North Arts District digs, and expansions along the Front Range and into Texas.

Parsons began his wine career in London as a Bordeaux wine specialist. He cut his teeth selling wines that could cost thousands of British pounds. It was selling these “fancy” and, in his opinion, over-priced wines that pushed him to move to New Zealand and study winemaking.

He moved to Grand Junction in 2001, bringing with him a studied knowledge of both wine making and selling. Parsons worked at Canyon Wind Cellars from 2001 to 2005, and later sold wine for Sutcliffe Vineyards in

Cortez. His commute from Sutcliffe Vineyards to Denver prompted him to open a winery where “everybody lives.”

Bringing this idea to fruition, Parsons gathered investors and founded IMT in 2008.

The goal was to make the best wine possible with Colorado fruit, and to make wine relevant to those outside the sometimes snobbish wine community.

“Our experiment presented a middle finger to the pretentiousness of the wine industry.”

– Ben Parsons, Owner IMT was crafted to be diametrically opposed to establishment wineries. Wine on tap and in cans, chaotic Banksy-esque branding and an urban location all ran counterculture to tradition.

In its first year, IMT produced 2,000 cases of wine off North Santa Fe Drive.

Parsons traveled the country for used equipment to get the back-alley winery going.

IMT gained steam quickly by selling to

Table 6 and other Denver restaurants that wanted a local wine option.

Two years later, Parsons began a crusade that made wine history. In 2010, IMT began working with local canning experts at Ball Corp. Several months of testing with industry experts led to the launch of two canned wines. Fast forward to 2019, and IMT now distributes eight canned products in 42 states. And the initial 2,000 cases has grown to 5,000 cases of bottled wine, 4,000 kegs and 80,000 cases of cans.

Parsons points to Dale Katechis from Oskar Blues Brewery as the inspiration behind canning his wines. Oskar Blues launched a revolution in canned craft beer that transferred neatly to Parsons’ “wine for the ordinary person” model. The rest of the wine industry agrees; more than 200 wineries are now canning, according to Parsons.

As for the quality? Parsons says wine that is ready to be consumed early (i.e., un-aged) is better in a can. Wine in a can is about instant satisfaction and a single-serving portion. When you are out on the trail or just home from work, sometimes you just need one glass of wine. “It just makes sense,” says Parsons.

In 2012, IMT moved to Larimer Street. If you visit, the first thing you might notice is that IMT has a great garden but no grape vines.

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 13

Infinite Monkey Theorem owner Ben Parsons works inside the winery.

Parsons believes the lack of a vineyard is a strength, and it certainly doesn’t stop them from getting the grapes they want.

IMT uses 100-percent Colorado fruit in nine of its 10 wines. Parsons sources his grapes from Western Slope wineries he has worked with for more than 15 years.

During harvest season, Parsons samples fruit once a week on Colorado’s Western Slope from the plethora of vineyards selling quality grapes. After sampling, they run analysis on the desired grapes and then hand-harvest. The grapes are picked in the

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January-February 2019

evening and delivered the next morning at 6 a.m. to the RiNo winery.

It’s a painstaking process. “Making wine in Colorado is chaotic. It’s my job to make order out of chaos,” says Parsons.

Does it sound like you need a little chaos in your life? Well Parsons is making that easier. IMT is still growing, and recently expanded to Stapleton’s Stanley Marketplace and Fort Collins.

IMT also opened another winery in Austin, and a new taproom is in the works for Dallas’ Deep Ellum neighborhood.

When asked if he would ever consider moving closer to the source of the grapes, Parsons didn’t hesitate to say no. “That’s not us, we’re all about bringing wine into nontraditional areas.”

Check out the Infinite Monkey Theorem main tasting room at 3200 Larimer St., where you can find wine, food trucks and DJ’s on weekends.

Neill Pieper uses his considerable thirst for the craft beer scene to provide editorial, marketing and photography at Thirst Colorado.

STRANGE BREW

A FERMENTED MARRIAGE

New Image weds kombucha with sour beer style

Photo: Neill Pieper

By Steve Graham

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January-February 2019

N

ew Image Brewing doesn’t follow trends. Owner and head brewer Brandon Capps won’t make a red beer just because customers are asking for it. And he won’t flavor a beer with kombucha just because it’s flying off health-food store shelves.

On the other hand, Capps was very curious about the science of kombucha, a fermented, slightly effervescent tea drink.

The sour flavor and the fermentation science was a bigger draw than the popularity or the reported health benefits.

“There’s a lot of long-aged sour beer character in something with a month turnaround,” Capps said. “I thought ‘Is there a way we could harness the power of creating a long-aged sour profile in a short period of time and translate that to a beer that has a complex sour profile but isn’t ridiculously overpriced?’”

The result is the deep and balanced Dyad, a kombucha brett saison available on tap and in cans. The brew is also blended with other beers and enhanced with other flavors in the Olde Town Arvada taproom.

“Dyad is one of the simplest beers that we make,” Capps said. “It’s a base that we use for all kinds of stuff. We blend it into a lot of beers. We do all kinds of cool things with the Dyad itself.”

New Image started by making a sour brett beer and blending it with kombucha, but they now basically simultaneously brew a kombucha and a sour beer at the same time.

“We took a kombucha culture and isolated it down to its basic components,” Capps said. The brewers experimented with adding kombucha yeasts and bacteria at various steps and times in the brewing process. As a result, they can make a complex sour beer in about three weeks, allowing for a cheaper and more accessible saison than most on the market.

“Some people can gloss over what Dyad is because it’s too affordable,” Capps said.

“It really is a very complex, very special beer.”

Employee Kyle Rindahl pinpointed the resulting flavors.“Expect a clean lactic sourness, with huge notes of stone and tropical fruit,” he said.

“It represents the confluence of two ideologies, two industries and two products coming together and forming something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.”

– Brandon Capps, Owner and Head Brewer

Capps likened Dyad’s concept and the name to a marriage. “It represents the confluence of two ideologies, two industries and two products coming together and forming something that’s greater than the sum of its parts,” Capps said. “It’s like the way you take the qualities of two people and bring them together to form something that is stronger and more unique.”

Dyad is a logical evolution for Capps.

Unlike many brewers, his love of science came before his love of beer.

“I really had no interest in beer. I didn’t drink as a high schooler. I didn’t drink in college much,” he said.

But he landed his first industry job as a process engineer at Anheuser-Busch.

“I got kind of exposed to how scientific the brewing process was, and I thought that was super interesting. I also realized it was super artistic. That’s what got me into beer,” he said.

Shortly after graduating from college, he helped open a Pittsburgh brewery that is still operating. He said he was known for making beers that were ‘out there,’ including a Thanksgiving beer that he said had turkey, cranberry, Brussels sprouts, brown sugar and sweet potato flavors.

“I could do these really out-there profiles and they would always come out really balanced,” Capps said.

He brought his science and his balanced beers to Colorado in 2015, and started brewing at Funkwerks. The Fort Collins brewery makes plenty of sour beers, and wasn’t afraid to let Capps experiment on their equipment.

Dyad Style: Kombucha Brett Saison Brewery: New Image Brewing Location: Arvada ABV: 7.5 percent IBU: 0

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 17

STRANGE BREW (continued)

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January-February 2019

The following year, he opened the New Image brewery and taproom.

“We do forward-thinking hoppy beers and forward-thinking pseudo Belgian-esque sour profiles, and we have been unapologetically adherent to those specialties,” he said.

New Image launched in 2016, and plans to open a new brewhouse early in 2019, doubling brewing output to 10,000 barrels by the end of the year. The brewery opened at the same time as a handful of other Olde Town Arvada restaurants and bars, riding a wave of popularity for the western suburb.

Shortly after opening, Capps started a canning line. He said Dyad and his other unusual styles sell well in cans at liquor stores, where sour beer aficionados all over the region can find his beer.

“There’s more access to that niche consumer that really digs what we do in terms of trying to push the envelope here and there,” he said.

Some of those consumers are also hoarding their Dyad cans and aging them at home.

“It’s truly a live, mixed-culture sour ale and it really does improve with time in the package,” Capps said.

If you don’t have the self-control to age your own beer, New Image also sells a barrel-aged version of Dyad, as well as quarterly rotating seasonal variants in cans and the taproom. This year, New Image also plans to launch a series of small-batch variants available only in the taproom, starting with a sweeter, dessertoriented version to be tapped in February.

The current variant is the Blackberries and Cream Dyad, with lactose, vanilla and blackberry flavors added.

“If we were to put a blackberry pie in this beer, that’s what this emerged from,” Capps said.

He said he is glad his customers enjoy all variants of Dyad, regardless of their understanding of the complexity and science of the brew.

“Whether or not people really get that in full doesn’t matter to me because I know. It tastes great and people buy it, so that works for me,” Capps said.

Steve Graham is a freelance writer and former newspaper editor who likes taking his two young boys biking, hiking and brewery-hopping in northern Colorado.

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Pony Up TO THIS BLAKE STREET PUB FOR FUN FOOD AND DRINKS

By Dionne Roberts

P

ony Up is a hip new bar on Blake Street in Denver that brings a posh yet unpretentious option to the Ballpark neighborhood near Coors Field.

And, it’s built for both comfort and speed.

Co-owners Angela Neri and Sheamus Feeley have an impressive grasp of what’s trending in the food and beverage industries, and they stay involved in cooking, managing and serving. They have launched multiple past projects in Colorado and across the country.

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However, this is the first establishment under the Sheamus Feeley Hospitality Group umbrella, where they combine their knowledge, appreciation and experience.

Pony Up is contemporary and chic while still down-to-earth, with eye-catching cocktails, a French dip-focused menu and good times around the shuffleboard tables.

“It’s an extremely fun, energetic industry and neighborhood bar,” says Neri. “We care more that we get a drink in your hand fast and have an amazing staff that is going to be

extremely kind. You’re going to feel like you’re walking into your bar.”

And it really is all about the bar, which Neri rightfully calls “the showcase piece.”

The elongated, sleek stick winds down the deep, inset building, generously peppered with stools bathed in halo lighting from the glowing orb fixtures suspended above. A welllit, impressively organized back bar secures steps and handles for the bartenders to climb up and down efficiently, accessing a broad collection of local and exotic craft spirits.

Photos: REN Creativ

The drinks pay homage to tried-andtrue libations from the past, while also incorporating delicate twists, such as the Brown Butter Old Fashioned with added sweet and smoky notes, or a Paloma made with Peychaud’s Bitters for an unexpected nuance.

Pony Up appeals directly to neighborhood folks with great deals on $10 beer-and-shot specials that include: W.L. Weller Bourbon and a Stone IPA, Mezcal Unión and a Tecate or Fernet Branca (the bartender’s handshake) and a Montucky Cold Snack.

Tropical drinks with colorful, oversized garnishes and special “Tiki Nights” also invite a sense of whimsy and mod onto the menu and the calendar, vastly distinguishing them from the casual beer bars nearby.

“When you do a classic cocktail program, tiki is always going to be there,” says Neri.

“We like to do events for Colorado because there’s not a lot of tiki and it’s kind of a fun way to escape to go on vacation.”

Other escapes include an oversized painting of Neri’s French bulldog, Louis, dressed up as King Louis XIV by Denver muralist Patrick Kane McGregor; soughtafter Japanese fried chicken that Feeley says “every chef in town comes in and orders;” regional shoutouts on the classic cocktail menu; and playful French dip sandwiches such as The Frenchie, The Saigon and The Alameda Street Classic.

“It all flows together,” says Neri.

Feeley said he chose to highlight the “easyto-eat” juicy handhelds because they evoke trips he would take with his dad in Southern California to eat at Phillipe The Original, which claims to have invented the now-famous sandwiches more than a century ago.

“Being downtown, we wanted to do something approachable but not pedestrian,” says Feeley. “We just wanted to differentiate ourselves and offer something cool and unique.”

Although a sammy-based menu sounds somewhat simplistic, the orchestration of slow-cooked proteins, accompanied by an assortment of complimentary broths and freshly baked buns from Hinman’s Bakery in Denver, fortifies a satiating, unexpected and contemplative presentation of bar food.

“There’s no one that specializes in French dips and is doing variations on it,” says Feeley. “We wanted to play with nostalgia, make it delicious, make it approachable.”

The feel-good vibes radiate most literally through the bold, neon sign that jumps off the wall and has appropriately become Pony Up’s slogan: “Thank you for a real good time,” borrowed from the Grateful Dead track “Loose Lucy.”

“People recognize it instantly and connect with it,” says Neri. “The younger clientele thinks it’s extremely fun.”

Neri and Feeley urge patrons to find a saddle stool below the alluring, bright text to snap photos, relive pieces of history and new places through thoughtful cocktails. He hopes that guests can simply “capture the moment” and unwind within the inviting and eclectic retreat.

“We just want to drive as much value as possible for people in the city and in the industry,” says Feeley. “Create a place where everyone would feel comfortable and not take ourselves too seriously.”

Dionne Roberts is the editor of the Rocky Mountain Food Report, rockymountainfoodreport.com January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 21

SPREADING ROOTS

Photo: George L. Blosser

The River Arkansas draws members and influences from across Colorado

By Steve Graham

T

he Colorado River may be more famous, but the Arkansas River arguably offers a wider variety of Colorado sights and adventures. From its headwaters near Leadville, it rushes past epic fourteeners into Browns Canyon and the Royal Gorge before flowing through Pueblo and the eastern plains.

So it’s fitting that a band named The River Arkansas would pick up members and influences from all over the state. Mike Clark of Pueblo leads the band and writes the songs, and his bandmates live as far as Saguache, Boulder and Trinidad.

The group plays a mix of electric Southern rock and acoustic Americana, with an outdoorsy Colorado focus in Clark’s lyrics.

He writes about his intimate and poignant connections to rivers and trees, but doesn’t take himself too seriously. His work includes a jangly singalong called “Who Stole My Bike.”

The River Arkansas has hung together for more than four years now, but the band and the name were both something of an accident.

Clark had been in Haunted Windchimes, who played on “A Prairie Home Companion” and were becoming a local legend. He wanted to record a solo album named “The River Arkansas,” but the project turned into a band.

He had played regularly with Macon Terry,

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former bassist from Paper Bird, and they talked about a more formal collaboration.

“We’d always give a big old hug at the end of the night and say ‘man, we should start a band,’” Terry said. He joked that there was a geographic barrier to overcome.

“It didn’t make any sense because I lived in Denver and he lived in Colorado Springs.

But then he moved to Pueblo, which is farther away, so the attraction was greater,” Terry joked.

After about two years of jamming, Terry played bass on some tracks Clark was recording in Colorado Springs.

“We said, ‘man this is cool, let’s keep it going,’” Clark said. So they adopted the River Arkansas moniker and found three more bandmates.

The addition of drummer Robin Chestnut and violinist Rachel Silker was similarly accidental. They played in an early video and just stuck around as band members. The final permanent addition was piano player Benjamin Gallagher. Somehow, the ragtag group hangs together despite being spread across the state.

“It’s really hard,” Clark said. “No matter what we do, someone has to drive two hours. But it’s worth it. We’re doing good and enjoying it.”

The joy is evident in their live shows. With roots all over the state, they have played a huge variety of Colorado venues and festivals, and even launched their own River on the River festival in Buena Vista. They have also toured California and other western states.

I caught up with them last fall after their set of great country-fried dance tunes at a Fort Collins brewfest. It’s a testament to their live show that plenty of attendees stopped sampling beer long enough to listen — and dance.

All the band members admit to being a little jealous of their bandleader’s talent.

“Mike Clark can’t write a bad song,” said Chestnut.

Unlike many talented songwriters, Clark did not grow up playing music. He says he didn’t start playing music until he was 27 years old, but the songwriting came naturally — like the mighty Arkansas River.

“It just keeps coming. I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but it is flowing out of me,” Clark said.

Steve Graham is a freelance writer and former newspaper editor who likes taking his two young boys biking, hiking and brewery-hopping in northern Colorado.

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ThirstColorado.com 23

DO ORA H COL MR. SMIT

CENTENNIAL CELLULOID

11 Colorado locations in classic (and not-so-classic) films

By Natasha Lovato

P

24 ThirstColorado.com

©Jag_cz / Adobestock.com

lenty of Colorado scenery is nothing short of phenomenal. Hollywood likes to think so too, and has regularly featured the Centennial State on the big screen. Scenes with some of the most well-known names in the industry were filmed around the state, from Denver to Telluride.

Because of the diverse landscapes, Colorado has provided perfect filming locations no matter the setting of a movie. The 2016 film “Dear Eleanor” is about a cross-country road trip, but it was mostly filmed in Boulder County and Denver.

“They started filming in Niwot, which was supposed to be the Central Valley of California, and ended at the Paramount Theater, which was supposed to be New York, so filming here, you really have it all,” said Colorado Film Commissioner Donald Zuckerman.

The upcoming “Freak Power,” starring Bobby Kennedy III, is currently filming in Silverton, but until that movie hits the screen, revisit these Colorado-filmed scenes from movies and TV.

January-February 2019

Photos courtesy Colorado Film Office.

Left: Willie Nelson on set for “Where the Hell’s that Gold?”

Above: Kevin Bacon in “Cop Car.” Right: Jessica Alba on the set of “Dear Eleanor.”

San Luis Valley

Two outlaws, portrayed by Willie Nelson and Jack Elam, steal gold, then try to outrun various pursuers in the 1988 film “Where the Hell’s that Gold?” The men escape on a train that happens to be a mobile brothel and is loaded with dynamite. Filmed partially in Antonito in the San Luis Valley, it follows the classic Western road to adventure as the wanted men run from pursuing Indians, bandits and federal agents.

Longmont, Lyons, Fort Lupton and more

“Dear Eleanor” follows the story of two teenage girls as they travel across the U.S. in 1962, during the chaos of the Cuban missile crisis, in search of Eleanor Roosevelt. This 2016 Kevin Connolly film starring Liana Liberato, Isabelle Fuhrman, Josh Lucas and Jessica Alba was filmed entirely in Colorado throughout even the smallest of towns: Longmont, Niwot, Boulder, Lyons, Denver, Commerce City, Fort Lupton and Hygiene.

Glenwood Canyon

Fruita

Angelina Jolie climbed a rock face near Glenwood Springs — sort of. In the 2005 film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” Jolie and Brad Pitt’s characters discover they are undercover assassins hired to kill each other, so they must choose between their personal and professional obligations. The action-packed movie was filmed mostly in L.A., but additional locations include New York, Italy and Colorado. For one brief scene, Jolie climbed up a foam wall in a Hollywood studio and the scene was digitally blended into real footage of a stunning rock landscape in Glenwood Canyon. A longer Glenwood scene was cut out of the final film.

John Carpenter’s 1984 sci-fi romance “Starman” takes a spin through many small towns, including the Grand Valley town of Fruita. Jeff Bridges plays a humanoid alien responding to the gold phonograph record sent into space on the Voyager 2 space probe. He tries to make contact with Earth but the government shoots down his spacecraft, so he takes the form of a recently deceased man and enlists the man’s widow to drive him across the country and help him return to his home planet. One of their stops is the mountain-biking mecca of Fruita.

Bedrock

The 1991 comic western “City Slickers” stars Billy Crystal as a Manhattan native roped into a cattle drive across the West. Hijinks ensue, as he is clueless about horses and the cowboy life. The adventure begins in New Mexico and eventually reaches the heart of the Rockies on a 230-acre property a few miles west of Durango.

No, we’re not talking about the fictional home of Fred and Wilma Flintstone. With a population of 14 people, this real Colorado town near the Utah border is featured in “Thelma and Louise.” When Thelma (Geena Davis) is sexually assaulted, Louise (Susan Sarandon) shoots the man dead, and the ladies set off on an epic road trip to escape the lives they knew and the crimes they committed. Look out for Bedrock’s general store in the award-winning classic. Some footage is also shot in Unaweep Canyon near Grand Junction.

Durango

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ThirstColorado.com 25

Above photo courtesy of Walden: Filmed along Colorado’s Front Range, “Walden: Life in the Woods” is the 2017 western spin-off of Henry David Thoreau’s classic book, Walden. Directed by Alex Harvey, the transcendental story follows the lives of three characters as they discover their own spiritual epiphanies. At right, courtesy of Colorado Film Office: A mural in downtown Denver of Robin Williams as Mork from “Mork and Mindy.”

Fountain

In the 2015 film “Cop Car,” Kevin Bacon plays a small-town sheriff who sets out to find two kids who have taken his car on a joy ride.

It is mainly filmed in the director’s hometown of Fountain, with some extra scenes shot in nearby Colorado Springs.

Creede

“The Lone Ranger” may have been a forgettable Johnny Depp vehicle, but probably not to many in the small southern Colorado town of Creede, where several scenes were filmed. The production brought star power and big bucks to the town of 290 people. The town is also the supposed setting for a climactic scene in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” but it was actually filmed in Alberta.

Ouray, Ridgway, Montrose, Gunnison, Durango and Canon City

In John Wayne’s original version of “True Grit,” he portrays a U.S. Marshall who is traveling with a teenage girl and a Texas Ranger to find a murderer. The bulk of the movie was filmed across six different Colorado towns that stand in for Old West locations across Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The Coen Brothers remake was mainly shot in Texas and New Mexico.

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January-February 2019

Denver, Lakewood, Boulder and Genesee

While some of our small towns may still look like the Old West, our big cities can look downright futuristic, at least according to Woody Allen. His strange 1973 comedy “The Sleeper” takes place 200 years in the future, and is mainly filmed in the Denver metro area. It includes outdoor shots of the Table Mesa laboratory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder and a brief view of the Denver Botanic Gardens. The Mile Hi Church of Religious Science in Lakewood was turned into a futuristic McDonald’s for the movie. Perhaps the most iconic location is the Sculptured House, designed by architect Charles Deaton, a private home located on Genesee Mountain. Also known as the Spaceship House, it is a famous landmark visible from Interstate 70.

Telluride

In the 2012 drama “Darling Companion,” Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline play a married couple who are drifting apart. They travel to Telluride for their daughter’s wedding, lose their dog and rekindle their relationship. Park City, Utah, mostly stands in for Telluride, but some shots were filmed in the Colorado ski town. In turn, Telluride stands in for post-Civil War Wyoming in “The Hateful Eight.” Parts of “The Prestige” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” also were filmed in the picturesque ski town.

We also have a bonus Colorado location on the small screen.

Boulder

Still known as the Mork and Mindy house, a central Boulder home was featured in all four seasons of the 1978-1982 sitcom “Mork and Mindy,” starring Robin Williams and Pam Dawber. Just blocks away from the Pearl Street Mall, the home is a private residence also known as the McAllister House.

“The house from the show is located at 1619 Pine Street, just a few blocks away from the Pearl Street Mall,” said historic preservation planner Marcy Cameron. “This was also used in the show as Mindy’s actual address in Boulder.”

The same home was later used in the TV shows “Perfect Strangers” and “Family Matters.”

Colorado native Natasha Lovato will soon graduate from MSU Denver with a degree in Integrative Written Communication in the Arts.

©vitals / Adobestock.com

Where your next adventure waits

CRAFT BEER AND FOOD FOR THE MODERN ADVENTURE. SEND IT! Doors and kitchen open at 11, kitchen closes at 10, doors when the beer stops flowing!

207 Central Ave., Kremmling, CO 80459 (970) 724-9219

grandadventure.us

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 27

ESTES PARK WINTER FESTIVAL JANUARY 19-20 Estes Park

Celebrate the winter season at Estes Park’s annual festival weekend. Taste award-winning chili, sip a variety of beers, browse retail vendors, enjoy live entertainment and more. visitestespark.com

3RD ANNUAL MLK PLAY IN THE SNOW DAY JANUARY 21 St. Mary’s Glacier

Join Always Choose Adventures Colorado for a fun day in the snow on St. Mary’s Glacier. Pack up your warm layers, traction-built footwear, snacks, sunscreen, hats, gloves, skis, snowboards, snowshoes and kayaks (yes, kayaks).

Bring the dog, bring your kids, bring some cocoa and get ready for a good ol’ snow day. alwayschooseadventures.org

Photo courtesy of Glenn Ross Photography

DISENCHANTED! JANUARY 11- MARCH 31 BOULDER

Forget the princesses you think you know, and say hello to Disenchanted! at the Boulder Dinner Theatre. It’s a musical comedy-satire that throws the Grimm brothers the bird. The

bdtstage.com

style and experimental beers and explore beer and food pairings. Arrive early to learn from an array of industry experts. bigbeersfestival.com

JANUARY

X GAMES JANUARY 4-27 Aspen

The X Games return to Buttermilk Mountain for the world’s best action sports, music and festival experience — on snow. All sport competitions are free and open to the public. The event will host musical performances by Lil Wayne, Louis the Child, The Chainsmokers and Kygo, as they take the stage alongside talented winter athletes. aspensnowmass.com

WHIFFENPOOFS AT DU JANUARY 6 Denver

Every year, 14 senior Yale students are selected into the Whiffenpoofs, the world’s oldest and best known collegiate a cappella group.

Founded in 1909, the group includes its first female member. newmancenterpresents.com

BIG BEERS, BELGIANS AND BARLEYWINES JANUARY 10-12 Breckenridge

The perfect combination for a winter getaway: a world-class beer festival and the Colorado Rockies. Meet renowned brewmasters and brewery owners, taste hundreds of big, Belgian

28 ThirstColorado.com

original fairy tale princesses are none too happy with the exploitation they’ve suffered as they storm the castle in this comedic performance.

Disenchanted! features mature situations, so call a babysitter and order an Uber.

January-February 2019

WINTERSKOL FESTIVAL JANUARY 11-14 Aspen

Fireworks, live music, on-mountain competitions and a parade are all part of Aspen’s celebration of its unique Nordic lifestyle. The annual event involves local pubs, downtown Aspen businesses and the Aspen Ski Resort. Snow sculpting contests and the famous Soupskol soup-making contest are also part of the family-friendly event. aspenchamber.org

NATURA OBSCURA, AN IMMERSIVE ARTS EXPERIENCE JANUARY 11- APRIL 28 Englewood

Natura Obscura is a self-guided exploration through a surrealist, dreamlike forest that combines art, sculptures and the latest in virtual, augmented and digital technologies. Experience the wonder of a new form of art as you wander among the trees and woodland creatures. naturaobscura.org

WINTER BREW FEST JANUARY 25-26 Denver

The Winter Brew Fest celebrates craft beverages from around Colorado and beyond.

In addition to brews, you will experience live local music, food and vendors all while raising money for Swallow Hill Music — a non-profit organization that brings the joy of music to life. denverbrewfest.com

OURAY ICE FESTIVAL JANUARY 24-27 OURAY

Ice climbers, both novice and pro, travel from around the world to celebrate the growing sport of ice climbing. Festival attendees have the opportunity to demo the latest ice tools, apparel and gear. Watch

WINTERFEST JANUARY 25-27 Pagosa Springs

An activity-packed weekend for the whole family will be filled with a hot-air balloon ascension, sled races, a cross-country ski clinic, fat bike races, BB gun biathlon, a penguin plunge and much more. pagosachamber.com

ANNUAL SNOWDOWN JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 3 Durango

This Comic-Con themed cabin fever reliever jam packs more than 100 events into this five-day fest. A parade of lights, adults-only fashion shows, winter sports events and beer dunks are all on the agenda. durango.com

FEBRUARY

THE WIZARD OF OZ BY THE COLORADO BALLET FEBRUARY 1-3 Denver

Be a part of the fun with Dorothy and her friends as they journey to the Emerald City. Escape into the world of Oz with the Colorado Ballet’s magical experience. tickets.coloradoballet.org

the world’s best ice and mixed climbing talent battle for the prize. You can also check out 100 interactive and educational climbing clinics to accommodate every skill level, and enjoy nightly music, food, dance parties and silent auctions.

ourayicepark.com

Photo courtesy of Winterwondergrass

WINTERWONDERGRASS FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 22-24 STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

Vermont, California, Colorado — where there are mountains, there’s WinterWonderGrass. This grassroots festival gathers dozens of bluegrass,

CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD FEBRUARY 2 Grand Junction

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood is touring in support of its latest studio album, “Barefoot in the Head,” which stops at the historic Avalon Theatre. avalontheatregj.com

STEAMBOAT WINTER CARNIVAL FEBRUARY 6-10 Steamboat Springs

This celebration includes a variety of events that embrace the western heritage and highlights Steamboat’s winter sports. Beat cabin fever with horse-led ski rides, the Lighted Man at the Night Show Extravaganza, skiers jumping through fiery hoops and more. Celebrate 106 years of tradition as a reason for neighbors to gather and as an opportunity for everyone to experience a piece of the Ski Town USA history and tradition. steamboatchamber.com

roots and string bands, craft breweries, whiskeys, ciders, a kids zone, coffee, tea and local brands.

WWG is committed to sustainability, community and a fun time for all.

winterwondergrass.com

LOVELAND SWEETHEART FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 8-9 Loveland

Things just got sweeter for Valentine’s Day at the Loveland Sweetheart Festival. For more than 70 years, the city has embraced sweethearts near and far, and invited all types of lovers around the world to gather in downtown to celebrate the season of love for free. The event features families, couples, beer lovers, music lovers, chocolate lovers and more. loveland.org.

DENVER RESTAURANT WEEK FEBRUARY 22-MARCH 3 Denver

The 15th annual Denver Restaurant Week features the best dishes in the city. Enjoy tasty cuisine and even tastier deals. Hundreds of Denver’s top restaurants will offer multi-course dinners for $25, $35 or $45. This is a week you don’t want to miss. denver.org

ILLUMINATE SHOWCASE FEBRUARY 8 Montrose

Photo courtesy of Ouray Ice Park

The Montrose Pavilion hosts an evening dance spectacular. Under the spotlight, Weehawken Arts will showcase a selection of solos, duos and trios from upper-level dancers in ballet, jazz, creative dance and hip hop. weehawkenarts.yapsody.com - Compiled by Natasha Lovato

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ARCHETYPE DISTILLERY BRINGS ART DECO GLAM (AND GIN) TO BAKER NEIGHBORHOOD

By Katie Coakley

30 ThirstColorado.com

D

enver’s evolving. The past few years have seen record numbers of new residents and countless restaurants, bars, breweries and other businesses throw open their doors. But it’s less common for century-old buildings to get new life, especially one whose past is so … colorful.

Last February, Archetype Distillery opened the doors at 119 S. Broadway in Denver. Serving gin and vodka as well as house-made distillates, these artisans are delivering new life, one drink at a time, in a building that started as a silent movie house, The Webber Show, in 1917. The Webber was a popular destination for movie-goers, especially because it was the first theater in the city with air-conditioning. However, the crowds had changed by the late 1970s. The building was home to Kitty’s South, a video porn palace that closed its doors in 2007.

Fast forward to present day, where the building gleams with new vibrancy. The new owners refurbished and enhanced the façade to resemble the original 1917 Webber theater design, said Michael Chapyak, Archetype’s president and master distiller. The original walls, marquee and tower elements on the roof bring back the art deco feel from its heyday. The interior is open and spacious; exposed brick walls provide a nice contrast to the sleek, illuminated marble bar. A lofted second floor is the perfect space for private parties and there’s also a gallery space on the first floor that is available for boozy business meetings or other gatherings.

But the spirits are the star of this swanky space. Chapyak is distilling gin and vodka onsite in Vendome copper stills because that’s what he likes to drink.

“There are literally thousands of people trying for the whiskey market, so more power to them,” Chapyak said. “I didn’t want to ‘fake the funk’ on something that isn’t my thing.”

Unlike other outfits, though, Chapyak isn’t using potatoes or grains as a base for his tipples — he’s using grapes.

January-February 2019

“I decided on grapes as a base product because of the smoother profile, less intense burn and stand-alone quality,” Chapyak explained. “I wanted something that could be enjoyed on its own and in cocktails.”

Using grapes as a base might bring to mind grappa, the Italian digestif. Chapyak explained that while grappa is made from the “leftovers” of wine — the skins, seeds and stems, Archetype’s gin and vodka is made from the juice and fruit of the grapes. The result is, indeed, smoother and extremely enjoyable to sip. The gin recipe is also more mellow than other juniper-forward options. It was designed to have a rounder, less in-yourface flavor profile. In addition to these original spirits, Chapyak is also serving smoked

versions, which will most likely make their way into bottles soon.

House-made is the name of the game in the tasting room. In addition to crafting distillates in flavors ranging from mint and lavender to dill and Worcestershire, the artisans at Archetype are also making tonic in-house.

“We make our distillates to enhance our cocktail program and overall flavor profile choices,” Chapyak said. “They can be added to more complex cocktails or enjoyed as an option in our flight menu and traditional drinks. The clarified and concentrated flavors in pure spirit form give our drinks the elevated sensory experience we strive for.”

Belly up to the bar for an Archetype Tonic

& Lime or a Colfax, the bar’s version of a dirty martini made with olive distillate. Bring your crew to share a Kitty Galore, a nod in both name and drinking vessel to the building’s former tenant.

In a neighborhood that’s seen its fair share of history, Archetype Distillery is blending old-school glamour with forward-thinking flavors. Step into the tasting room and be transported into a bold new world — you’ll be glad you came.

Katie Coakley is a Denver-based freelance writer who focuses on craft beer and spirits, travel and outdoor adventures — the best stories combine all three. You can see her work at katiecoakley.com.

First page: Archetype visitors can sample a variety of spirits from the Angel’s Flight. Above: Archetype’s Archrival Gin includes a botanical pouch that reflects some of the gin’s ingredients.

Photos: Natasha Lovato January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 31

Prime Pairings Charred Onion Dip + Potato Chips Founded in 2003, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar offers an innovative menu based on memorable family favorites, reinterpreted with bold new flavors. Inspired by founder Chris Simms’ time spent with family in the Rocky Mountains, the restaurant imparts a laidback, outdoor lifestyle vibe. A culinary haven and community favorite, Lazy Dog is dedicated to creating a warm and inviting experience through handcrafted dishes and small-town hospitality. Known for their seasonally inspired offerings, as well as specialty cocktails and craft beers, they currently boast 29 locations throughout California, Colorado, Nevada, and Texas, with more on the way. For additional information about Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, visit lazydogrestaurants.com.

Ingredients ¼ cup olive oil 1 lb yellow onions, julienne cut 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

Pair with

½ oz white wine

Meyer Lemon Margarita

¼ cup green onions, root removed

This appetizer pairs great with the Meyer Lemon Margarita. The bartender tops the cocktail with fresh cilantro, which pairs nicely with the fresh thyme in the onion dip. Try a margarita with State 38 Distilling’s reposado, aka, The Young Ace.

1 tbsp olive oil 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream ¼ cup cream cheese ½ tsp thyme, freshly chopped 1 ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper, ground

Directions Cook the yellow onions with olive oil over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Do not burn and stir often.

Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add white wine and cook for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Toss the green onions with the olive oil and grill or broil over high heat until charred. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Add the cooked onions, green onions and the remaining ingredients into a food processer. Pulse and scrape down sides several times until the mixture is blended but still has some small pieces of onions left.

Chill completely before serving with a pile of crispy rosemary waffle chips.

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January-February 2019

Gabriel Caliendo has served as executive chef and principal of Lazy Dog since he helped found the concept in 2003. His decades of expertise in the culinary field set the stage for developing a menu that has earned critical and popular raves.

Caliendo can trace his culinary roots to his days spent at his family’s delicatessens.

As a youngster, he began developing his talents as a culinary artisan by weaving buffalo mozzarella from scratch, crushing and curing raw olives, and grinding and stuffing fresh and dry sausage. He worked for his parents’ operation until he was able to attain a work permit. At 14, he began his extensive culinary journey outside the family business.

Shakshouka I’m not sure what I enjoy more, eating this dish or saying its name: S-H-A-K-S-H-O-U-K-A. Regardless, your mouth will have fun doing both. This Middle Eastern tomato breakfast stew is a perfect meal for a cold winter morning.

Traditionally, the dish is cooked in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, go buy one. They cost about 20 bucks and will last a lifetime.

Conveniently, this dish only involves one pan. You don’t even need silverware because the pita is your mode of transportation. This recipe calls for feta cheese, because cheese makes everything better. To elevate the flavor profile, garnish the meal with fresh chopped tarragon and slices of gold cherry tomatoes.

The addition of feta, tarragon and fresh tomatoes help cut the powerful spice and acidity. If you want to break boundaries and put a little cultural appropriation in the mix, add some chorizo.

Note: the dish is not traditionally put in an oven, but I found that it melts the cheese and helps cook the eggs much more evenly.

Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon

3 cups crushed tomatoes

½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes

2 big cloves garlic, minced

2 lime wedges

1 yellow bell pepper, diced ½ onion cut into thin slices

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (omit if a heat weenie)

1 tbsp cumin

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp chili powder

Pita bread

1 tbsp paprika

½ cup feta

1 tbsp honey

4 eggs

1 tsp coriander

8 oz chorizo (optional)

My culinary path began to took shape years ago at a time when the ability to tell the doneness of cooked meat by touch was foreign to me. A sunnyside up egg was not in my repertoire, nor were any of my current cooking skills. With practice, patience and an open mind, I’ve begun to grasp the essence of cooking. I hope to enlighten, entertain and put forth recipes garnished with tips and tricks to help at-home cooks.

When Will Coonradt isn’t slinging French fare at Bistro Vendome in Denver, he can be found skating, indulging in culinary education or drinking a Rye Manhattan.

Pair with New Belgium Brewing Co.’s Brut IPA Mix up a quick beermosa using New Belgium’s Brut IPA, a perfect brunch beverage.

Directions Heat a cast iron skillet on medium and toss in the chorizo.

Typically, you should wait for the pan and the oil to be hot before adding ingredients, but this is one of the exceptions.

Once the meat is in the pan, proceed to organize and prepare your vegetables.

Add the vegetables to the cooked chorizo and sauté.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler function on your oven.

Once the vegetables are tender, add the spices and tomatoes to the skillet. Season with the lime, honey, salt and pepper. Taste your dish and adjust the spice level to your liking.

Roughly an inch above the stew, crack in the eggs, crumble the feta on top and place the skillet in the preheated broiler for roughly three minutes. Keep a close eye on the dish because a delicate egg can turn quickly at high internal oven temperatures.

Warm the pita in the oven, microwave, or, my personal favorite, over an open stovetop flame. Once the egg whites are set and the yolk is still runny, remove the skillet from the oven and garnish with the tarragon and tomatoes.

Tihana maachbrim shli (“enjoy my friends” in Hebrew).

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 33

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34 ThirstColorado.com

January-February 2019

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ThirstColorado.com 35

AXE THROWING FOR STRESS RELIEF?

By Kyle Kirves

By Kyle Kirves

DON’T KNOCK IT ’TIL YOU TRY IT

W

hat is it about an axe that looms large in the imagination? Sure, the flint knife was likely mankind’s earliest tool, but the axe wasn’t far behind.

The first axes date back some 2.5 million years, with simple round stones anchored in the crotch of forked sticks. From there, axes evolved into the stock-in-trade of Vikings, knights, a few executioners, and centuries of woodsmen. An axe is easily pictured in the hands of our pioneer forebears sweeping westward, clearing the vast woodlands of America. We all know what George Washington supposedly did to the cherry tree with his axe.

The next tale in the history of the axe is literally in your hands when you come to Downtown Art Gallery and Axe Room, or DAGAR (pronounced “dagger”). Owner Peter Lalor is eager to show your crew around the six axe-throwing cages in his rustic confines at 2000 Lawrence Street in Denver. Axe throwing, it seems, speaks to everyone.

“We have all kinds of groups,” Lalor says.

“Bachelor and bachelorette parties. Software shops using our space to kick off new

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January-February 2019

products. Brewery staff. We have a law firm who comes over practically every week. Date nights. You name it.”

When asked why he runs an axe-throwing room, Lalor suggests that it’s a fun, active, authentic stress-reliever — he enjoyed it, so he thought others would too. A fairly common activity in America’s neighbor to the north, axe-throwing is just now taking root in the United States.

“Enough people tried it in Canada that it got talked about and is now kind of exploding here,” Lalor says.

The DAGAR staff coaches each group on technique and developing good habits, so that each visit builds your skill incrementally.

Lalor and the DAGAR team spend as much time as it takes to coach you on both safety and skill so that your experience is rewarding and, to use Peter’s word, “therapeutic.”

Before the night’s end, your group of fellow throwers might compete against members of other cages in throwing competitions — which can get serious.

“It can get pretty loud. Trash-talking, the whole bit,” he says. “It’s fun, though. People

have a great, great time regardless of how athletic they might be when they walk in.”

That’s the good news: the learning curve to throw an axe — and do so safely — is relatively gentle. Turns out it is easier to hit a bullseye with an axe than with a dart or arrow.

And when the axe hits the sweet spot of the circular pine targets at cage’s end, the sound is not so much a comic book “THUNK!” but a hard whisper, and a very satisfying one at that.

Lalor, a native New Yorker, wanted more for his destination than a few axe-throwing cages for people to get their throw on.

Instead, he has a grander purpose and wants to use the cavernous space in downtown Denver to showcase unrepresented artists looking for a little “axsposure.”

“I’ve had artist friends who were unsigned who were just looking for that first place to hang,” Lalor says. “We have a large space here that would be friendly for local artists and would allow them to introduce their work to the public, whether they’re a student or someone doing it part-time, looking to make a career switch that wants art to be a bigger part of their professional life.”

Below: DAGAR owner Peter Lalor, left, and creative director Steve Johnson pose for a photo.

Opposite page: Participants try their hand at hitting the wooden bulls-eye with spinning axes.

Above: Axe-throwers await their turn.

Wait a second. Art and axes doesn’t sound like a natural combination. Yet it works.

The two share the same roof, yes, but not the same cage or stage — no art was harmed in the making of DAGAR. Lalor also knows that in Colorado, showing and selling art — hell, any business — goes down a lot easier with a little social lubricant. To that end, DAGAR recently received a beer and wine license, and a hand-picked selection of rotating beer and wine is available for breaks between sessions, or for walk-ins waiting for a cage.

The DAGAR website recently listed offerings from Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery, Platt Park Brewing Company, The Infinite Monkey

Theorem Urban Winery and Zuni Street Brewing Company.

Despite alcohol on site, safety is always paramount at DAGAR. Equating the safety protocols with those of a gun range, Lalor is quick to point out that injury is highly unlikely.

“We always have one staff person per cage. Always,” Lalor says.

Staff police the cages vigorously. Fun is in the making, but show signs of inebriation or horseplay and you’ll get axed — err, make that tossed.

“That’s what I want everyone to know before they come in here. Safety is our number one concern,” he says.

Follow the safety rules at DAGAR and you

have a far greater probability of coming down with tennis elbow on the local court than you do getting injured throwing an axe.

So, if you’re an urban lumberjack, wannabe Viking, or even just a frustrated bowler and you’re looking for a safe, fun spot to earn your chops, DAGAR is the place for you.

Kyle Kirves drinks beer, plays guitar, runs trails, and manages projects – all with varying degrees of success. While not a craftsman himself, he is quite content writing about the Colorado artisans who create such wonderful things and memorable experiences.

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ThirstColorado.com 37

MUSH MUSH MUSH! USH! M Photos courtesy of Good Times Adventures

Explore the backcountry this winter with the help of hard-working, huskies

By Kyle Kirves

“D

on’t ski? Don’t bother.” That’s an old saw you’ll hear about Colorado from folks whose acquaintance with the state is limited to family trips to Vail, televised travel shows, or flashy outside magazines. But you can have a howlin’ good time in the high country even if you don’t shred the slopes. Authentic winter adventure awaits in Summit County (and beyond) whispering through the pines on the runners of a dog sled, even if you’ve never mushed before.

“We consider ourselves pretty lucky to live in an area surrounded by such beauty and with so much to experience,” according to Good Times Adventures in Breckenridge.

“While our location is definitely out there, that’s exactly what makes it perfect for what we do.”

Good Times caters to all ages from 5 to 95, and trails range from flat tracks to rugged jaunts through the trees.

And the company likes to reassure the public that their dogs are people, too. “We work with one of the most respected ‘working

38 ThirstColorado.com

January-February 2019

dog’ kennels in the country, Snow Caps Sled Dogs,” Good Times reports. The dogs are treated well and enjoy racing around the backcountry. Good Times is home to 180 Siberian husky dogs – all born, bred, and trained on premises – and unlike a lot of professional athletes, they are all friendly, approachable, hard-working, and willing to pose for neck hugs and selfies. To keep them trim but ready, the dogs are fed a hearty meat soup, sometimes as much as four times daily.

Not surprisingly, the dogs have more stamina, strength, and ability than the mule teams they replaced in the late 1800s.

The Breckenridge-area tours are highly interactive experiences for guests as they wind their way through the peaceful Swan River Valley. Unlike some dogsled operations around the

country, Good Times provides a hands-on experience by letting guests drive the sleds.

Guides on snowmobiles lead the pack, providing a safe adventure.

Tours run December through March, and three teams with guides are on the trail from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It makes for an early start at Good Times Adventures, often as early as 5 a.m. so employees can get everything ready.

While you wait for your team, you can hang out in Good Times Adventures welcoming

lodge. Also, if you’ve forgotten something or maybe need a gear loan, they can fix you up.

Good Times Adventures also offers a summer program featuring tours on dog carts, meet and greets with the dogs, and a kennel tour at Snow Caps Sled Dogs.

In winter, each tour takes about an hour and it is spent entirely with the team. Riders do a six-person relay with guests switching off between being the musher, passenger, and riding with the guide on a sled behind the supporting snowmobile.

So, if you’re looking for a break or alternative to the slopes this winter, embrace your inner Yukon gold-rusher and consider running with the huskies. Going to the dogs never sounded like so much fun.

Kyle Kirves drinks beer, plays guitar, runs trails, and manages projects – all with varying degrees of success. While not a craftsman himself, he is quite content writing about the Colorado artisans who create such wonderful things and memorable experiences.

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 39

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ThirstColorado.com 41

ART OF BREWING

Crop-to-Can FARM TO TABLE

Windsor brewery grows its own hops, closing the loop on local craft beer

By Kyle Kirves

I

f that smug foodie friend drops another “farm-to-table” reference on you, consider coming back with “Have you tried cropto-can?”

Crop-to-can? Yeah, that’s right. It’s a phrase I’m coining right now to describe an agricultural renaissance going on in Colorado. Crop-to-can involves local farmers and ranchers raising or cultivating their own hops and other homegrown ingredients, brewing them up onsite in dedicated facilities, and then canning those concoctions for consumption across the country. Crop-tocan. Get it?

Is it new? Not really. But it is getting more notice by discriminating craft connoisseurs.

One local operation, High Hops Brewery in Windsor, exemplifies the end-to-end, closed loop process.

There’s something that appeals to craft fanatics about having as few hands as possible touching the produce before it gets to the glass. To borrow from the wine world, it preserves the terroir of the produce and creates a singular taste uncorrupted by

42 ThirstColorado.com

January-February 2019

lumping a bunch of varied hops together haphazardly.

“We were originally a hop farm,” says Zach Weakland, head brewer and production manager. “We grow at high altitude, but High Altitude Hops Brewery is kind of a mouthful.

So we just went with High Hops.”

Weakland said the Windsor-based operation is staffed by “outdoors-minded and agriculturally minded people.” The brewery is also part of a wider 15-acre operation that includes the Windsor Gardener garden center and the new Heart Distillery. As such, you might say that High Hops and its sister businesses are powered by the sun. So small wonder that Ol’ Sol figures prominently in

High Hops’ primary logo, which is a stylized rising sun powering the growth of a vibrant green hop cone. “The sun is a big part of who we are,” says Weakland.

Beyond the solar logo, High Hops labels have employed comic takes on natural and mystical elements.

“We want to relate our outdoor ethos to the beer but also the imagery and branding on it,” Weakland says. “The Power of Zeus for example, has a toad on it. We actually named the toad Zeus after the hop variety that grew in that part of our farm. The toad just kind of took up residence there. And now he’s on the can.”

Other cans take on a mythological bent, with two in particular serving as a kind of yinyang of art and beer styles. The Golden One, a pilsen-based ale with lemon verbena and other plants, features a floating Eastern philosopher in a state of meditative repose.

“In Eastern medicine, coriander, a key ingredient of The Golden One, can spark or inspire enlightenment,” Weakland says.

By contrast, The Dark One

milk stout can features a smirking hornheaded Greek satyr winking at you with stein raised.

“The names came from some late night ‘marketing’ conversations by the founders that turned a bit risqué,” Weakland says, laughing.

We’ll leave it to your imagination what those brainstorming sessions sounded like.

The High Hops crew has been doing more brainstorming lately, and the brewery’s current branding redesign will appear on shelves incrementally over the next few months.

There is a new focus on consistent branding that unites all of High Hops together while, hopefully, serving as a reminder of what life at High Hops is like.

“If you look at our brewery and our new can art, there’s a strong primary color palette

“In Eastern medicine, coriander, a key ingredient of the Golden One, can spark or inspire enlightenment” – Zach Weakland, head brewer

there, emphasizing the Front Range. We’ll be looking to mimic that on our new art,” Weakland said.

The desired effect is to bring home the sensation of visiting High Hops in person.

“Longs Peak really dominates our skyline,” Zach says, “And where we are is a large part of who we are. We have a great view of the range from the farm and the brewery and we want you to be able to take a little bit of that experience home with you.”

I could not have defined crop-to-can any better.

Kyle Kirves drinks beer, plays guitar, runs trails, and manages projects – all with varying degrees of success. While not a craftsman himself, he is quite content writing about the Colorado artisans who create such wonderful things and memorable experiences.

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 43

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ThirstColorado.com 47

TRUE TALES FROM THE LYING LOG

By Bufford T. Clapsaddle

T

he sun was at its pinnacle in the cloudless, azure-blue Colorado sky when Ben rode in adjacent to our campsite, dismounted and began tethering his string of pack mules to beetle-killed spruce trees.

Clapsaddle meandered over to assist.

He and Ben had crossed and shared trails a number of times in previous summers.

A third-generation rancher, like many of his fellow cattle punchers, he earned some extra cash dropping fisherpeople and hunters and returning later to pack them out of the mountains.

The previous week, Ben had transported a six-pack of Pennsylvania anglers up to Lower Island Lake in the Flattops Wilderness Area to tease the tarn’s abundant congregation of Cutthroat trout.

After drop-off, the Easterners elected to utilize two small inflatable rubber fishing rafts to

relocate their gear and establish camp on the green-treed, three-acre island in the southwest quadrant of the lake.

Now, the Dutch descendants were not visible and likely did not hear the hoofbeats of Ben’s animals.

So, our conversation escalated.

“What group of friends ya got in here this time, Clapsaddle?”

All college alumni pals, many whom had squatted on the Lying Log on several previous backcountry equine jaunts, including: • Two high-ranking Synod Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; • an assistant bishop; • head of the United States Prison Chaplains including all Protestant denominations and Roman Catholic orders; • retired college president; • high school dean and administrator; • and a retired clergyman.

Ben’s eyes darted toward the campsite. I believe his sun-browned ears even quivered (just a little bit).

“You have got to be _____ me!”

At the same time came one rubber raft from the island, skippered by a lone paddler.

The raft beached where Ben waited. A perplexing, non-angry, conversation evolved.

“Miscommunication?”

“Don’t matter,” Ben said, all the while glancing toward activities around our camp’s Lying Log. “Got to get back to the ranch tonight, so these guys are hustling to break camp. I’ll pack the string soon as they get their stuff ferried over here.”

The trout were starting to rise, feeding on low-flying, late-afternoon insects, and I grabbed my Eagle Claw and joined the Bishops on the shadow side of the lake.

Blessed with a solid hour of catch-andrelease action, we returned to camp to prepare

Bishops and clergy from throughout the United States, allowing their ecclesiastical collars a recess, enjoy another spaghetti night on the Lying Log. Primarily alumni from Wartburg College in Iowa, the Knight Riders have mounted up for 26 horseback fellowships since the mid 1970s.

48 ThirstColorado.com

January-February 2019

© Piotr Pawinski / Adobe Stock

for spaghetti night. Dinner cooked, I reached out to Ben and invited him to break bread with us.

“Thanks, but got to get to the ranch tonight, and these guys have to catch an airplane.”

We finished our meal and were preparing to clean dishes when Ben walked into camp.

“Got any of that spaghetti left?”

Turns out the boys on the island were not moving fast. Two more raft trips and the sun would be starting to set. Ben reconsidered, knowing most of the three-hour ride down the Middle Derby River trail would be in the dark and accepted the invitation to share the night with the Clergy.

The island angling crew set up a temporary camp 200 yards east, the mules were unsaddled and we had plenty of hands to hold ropes while the animals grazed before dark.

(Clapsaddle’s horses had been hobbled and feeding in a lower meadow, already tethered for the night.)

The campfire now at full radiance, Ben united with the Knight Riders on the lying log.

The topics of conversation were diverse and spirited, and friendly arguments about a plethora of societal subjects ensued deep into the night.

On occasion, Ben calmly contributed his hard-earned, experienced insights he had formulated over the decades.

And, the clergyman appreciated his comments. Especially they listened and nodded heads affirmed when Ben cogently related with example after example about how ranchers live their entire lives, day-afterday, night-after-night, putting their full trust in the word and works and grace of the Lord.

Ranchers have no control over issues that directly affect their livelihood – weather and animal reproduction being most prominent.

So, when one of the Bishops published his fourth book titled “Taking The Lead,” he devoted most of a chapter to Ben’s “commitment to faith.”

The Bishop concluded that chapter by noting: “Not certain, but it could be that I learned as much theology that night on the Lying Log as I did while in the seminary.”

(Post Script: None of us were surprised that Ben was up as dawn approached, and had the Pennsylvanians and possessions on their mounts before the Clapsaddle camp tugged on our Wranglers.)

C

lapsaddle’s acquaintance with Ben’s accumulated wisdom occurred about 10 years prior to his Lying Log pithy contribution.

Because of a trailhead improvement project by the U.S. Forest Service, we were required to park our horse trailers and trucks on the side of a narrow, graveled road high on a mesa above the Colorado River basin … not ideal for packing, but we made it work.

Upon return from a newspaper publisher’s pack-in, Clapsaddle was immersed in unsaddling, securing gear and neglected to inform a participant wrangler the order for loading horses in the trailers.

All-the-while a rancher with a weather-stained Stetson rested in his wellbroke-in F-250 waiting for the road to clear.

Soon it was – except for the two-horse, side-by-side trailer, and a wrangler unsuccessfully attempting to butt-rope a sometimes-cantankerous Blue Roan mare into the last available hauling compartment.

In the haste, Clapsaddle had omitted instructions regarding the mare’s phobia.

The 250 now had an open road and approached the scene.

“You boys want some help loading? Just close that gate, tie her to it with plenty of rope. Drive the truck at a medium trot. That’s my ranch about two miles and seven switchbacks down there in the Valley.

I’ll follow and honk the horn if she looks like she might stumble.”

The wrangler drove about 6-7 miles an hour … downhill losing about 2,000 feet in altitude.

As I approached with another truck and trailer, Ben had the horse untied, and the left gate open.

Ol’ Cinnamon shot into that empty trailer slot faster than a prairie dog eluding a hungry coyote.

In the future, that stubborn (but very, very smart) hoss never hesitated jumping into any horse transportation.

She always peeked though, to determine if Ben’s Ford pickup was nearby.

Bufford T. Clapsaddle (aka Wilbur Flachman) is a retired newspaper and magazine publisher who has guided hundreds of horse pack trips into the Rocky Mountains for family, friends and business associates during the past 45 years. Majority of his tales are revealed only at timberline.

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 49

HISTORIAN DISPLAYS THE AMERICAN WEST IN MONTROSE MUSEUM Story and Photo by Lisa McIntyre

T

he smell of musty leather and aged wood hung in the air of Richard Fike’s office.

The 78-year-old founder and director of the Museum of the Mountain West welcomed European tourists to his Montrose-based replica of an 1880s western town, his life-long ambition accomplished.

Fike’s journey to opening the multi-building museum and his fascination with historic artifacts began at age 4. He was captivated by an 1898 clock he found while living with his family in Skagway, Alaska. They moved to Valparaiso, Neb., a few years later, where his father was a paleontologist with the University of Nebraska. He remembers packing the clock and dragging it to Nebraska.

His early intrigue with excavation ultimately led him to a career in archaeology. “We had a pet rabbit,” he chuckled. “I couldn’t wait for the rabbit to die.” When it finally died, his mother buried it in the backyard. He dug it up against his mother’s wishes, then took every bone and tried to put it together like his father, the paleontologist, would have done.

His deep curiosity with historic and unusual

50 ThirstColorado.com

January-February 2019

pieces continued, and by age 8, Fike had opened his first “museum” in the guest room of their home, featuring the catalogued items he had collected. Those items and many more are currently on display at the Museum of the Mountain West, just east of Montrose on U.S. Highway 50.

It was during a family vacation to see the ancient ruins at Mesa Verde National Park that Fike, at the ripe old age of 12, would make a big decision that he would fulfill over a lifetime.

“That was it,” he said. “I wanted to be an archaeologist.”

He pursued his passion through college and wound up working in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian Institution. His career eventually brought him back to the western U.S. where he served 29 years before retiring as state archeologist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for both the states of Utah and Colorado.

With more free time, Fike set out to create his museum, which began with a false start in Ridgway. He purchased seven historic buildings but his struggle with the town officials forced him to relocate the buildings to

Montrose. It turned out to be a good move.

According to TripAdvisor, the Museum of the Mountain West is now the number one tourist destination in Montrose County, bringing people in from all 50 states and 41 countries.

The museum is set up like a fictitious Old West town, complete with preserved buildings from ghost towns, such as a barber shop and a saloon. Thousands of artifacts, including a pair of Butch Cassidy’s chaps, are part of the collection.

The museum is now a non-profit, supported by the City of Montrose, volunteers and donors. However, like he’s done since childhood, Fike continues to collect and donate items to the museum in order to help preserve the history of the mountain west. For more information, check out the museumofthemountainwest.org.

Lisa McIntyre is a recent graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Social Documentary. She seeks to illuminate the human experience through oral, written and photographic storytelling.

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Thirsty Monk ● ● monkpub.com 828.254.5450 1604 E 17th Ave Denver

Wynkoop Brewing Co ● wynkoop.com 303.297.2700 1634 18th St Denver

MILE HI/AURARIA Briar Common Brewery + Eatery ● Burns Family Artisan Ales Cervecería Colorado ● ● Denver Beer Co ● ● Little Machine Beer ● Seedstock Brewery ● ● Strange Craft Beer Co ● ● Tivoli Brewing ● Wit’s End Brewing Co Zuni St. Brewing Co ● NORTHEAST DENVER

Blue Tile Brewing bluetilebrewing.com 720.242.8384

1609 E 58th Ave Unit G Denver

Brewability Lab J. Moe’s Brew Pub ●

NORTHWEST DENVER Amalgam Brewing

Bruz Beers ● bruzbeers.com 303.650.2337 1675 W 67th Ave Denver

Call to Arms Brewing Co ● De Steeg Brewing Diebolt Brewing Co ● ● The Empourium Brewing Co Factotum Brewhouse FlyteCo Brewing Goldspot Brewing Co ● ● Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe + Brewery ● Hogshead Brewery ● Lady Justice Brewing Oasis Brewing Co

Prost Brewing Co ● prostbrewing.com 303.729.1175 2540 19th St Denver

Vine Street Pub & Brewery ●

DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Tom’s Urban Diner and Tivoli Brewing ● FIVE POINTS Liberati Osteria and Oenobeers ● Spangalang Brewery Woods Boss Brewing LODO Denver Chophouse ● Great Divide Brewing Co ● ● Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery ● Rock Bottom Denver ● Sandlot Brewery

RINO 10 Barrel Brewing Co ● ● 14er Brewing Beryl’s Beer Co Bierstadt Lagerhaus ● Black Shirt Brewing Co ● ● Blue Moon Brewing Co ● ● Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project Epic Brewing Co ● Great Divide Brewing Co ● ● Mockery Brewing ● New Belgium - The Woods at the Source Odell Brewing Co Our Mutual Friend Ratio Beerworks ● ● River North Brewery

SOUTHEAST DENVER Bull and Bush Brewery ● ●

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

®

Copper Kettle Brewing Co ● Fermaentra ● Jade Mountain Brewing ●

SOUTHWEST DENVER Black Sky Brewery ● ● Chain Reaction Brewing Co ● Crazy Mountain Brewing Co ● ● The Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project ● Renegade Brewing Co WHEAT RIDGE/EDGEWATER/ LAKEWOOD Brewery Rickoli ● Colorado Plus Brew Pub ● ● Great Frontier Brewing Co Green Mountain Beer Co Ironworks Brewery & Pub ● Joyride Brewing Co ● Landlocked Ales Westfax Brewing Co DURANGO AREA Animas Brewing Co ● Bottom Shelf Brewery ● BREW Pub & Kitchen ● Carver Brewing Co ● Dolores River Brewery ● ● J. Fargo’s Family Dining & Micro Brewery ● Main Street Brewery & Restaurant ● Mancos Brewing Co ●

Ska Brewing Co ● ● skabrewing.com 970.247.5792 225 Girard St Durango

Steamworks Brewing Co ● WildEdge Brewing Collective

EAGLE COUNTY 7 Hermits Brewing Co ● Bonfire Brewing ● Gore Range Brewery ● Vail Brewing Co ● ● ENGLEWOOD AREA The Brew on Broadway ● ● C.B. & Potts Denver Tech ● Dead Hippie Brewing Peak View Brewing Co ESTES PARK Estes Park Brewery ● Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co Rock Cut Brewing Co FAIRPLAY South Park Brewing Co ● FORT COLLINS AREA Anheuser-Busch BJ’s ● Black Bottle Brewery ●

TILLERY & CIDERY LINEUP Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing ● DC Oakes Brewhouse & Eatery ● Envy Brewing Equinox Brewing ● Freedonia Brewing Funkwerks Gilded Goat Brewing Co Horse & Dragon Brewing Co Intersect Brewing Jessup Farm Barrel House ● Mash Lab Brewing Maxline Brewing McClellan’s Brewing Co ● ● New Belgium Brewing Co ● ● Odell Brewing Co ● ● Old Colorado Brewing Co Pitchers Brewery ●

Prost Brewing Co prostbrewing.com 970.484.2421

321 Old Firehouse Alley Fort Collins

Purpose Brewing Rally King Brewing Ramskeller Brewery ● Red Truck Beer Snowbank Brewing Soul Squared Brewing Co Timnath Beerwerks Zwei Brewing Co ● ●

FRUITA Copper Club Brewing Co ● Suds Brothers Brewery ● ● GLENWOOD SPRINGS/ CARBONDALE/ASPEN Aspen Brewing Co ● Capitol Creek Brewery ● Carbondale Beer Works ● Casey Brewing and Blending Glenwood Canyon Brew Pub ● Roaring Fork Beer Co ● GOLDEN Barrels and Bottles Brewery ● Cannonball Creek Brewing Co ● Coda Brewing Coors Brewing Co Golden City Brewery ●

Holidaily Brewing Co Holidailybrewing.com 303.278.BEER 801 Brickyard Cir., Golden

Mountain Toad Brewing ● New Terrain Brewing

GRAND JUNCTION AREA 4 B’s Brewery ● ● Dented Face Brewing Co Edgewater Brewery ● Kannah Creek Brewing Co ● Palisade Brewing Co ● ● The Rockslide Restaurant and Brewery ● GREELEY AREA Brix Taphouse and Brewery ● ● Broken Plow Brewery ● Crabtree Brewing ● ●

G5 Brew Pub ● Grand Lake’s 16th Street Tavern ● ● Green Earth Brewing High Hops Brewery ● ● Mighty River Brewing Co Rocky Mountain Taphouse ● WeldWerks Brewing Co Wiley Roots Brewing Co ●

DAHO SPRINGS/EVERGREEN/ CENTRAL CITY/GEORGETOWN Dostal Alley Saloon & Gambling Emporium ● El Rancho Brewing Co ● Evergreen Taphouse & Brewery ● Guanella Pass Brewing Co Lariat Lodge Brewing Co ● ● Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub ● Westbound & Down Brewing Co ● KREMMLING

Grand Adventure Brewing Co ● grandadventure.us 970.724.9219 207 Central Ave Kremmling

LAKE CITY Lake City Brewing LITTLETON AREA 38 State Brewing ● ● Blue Spruce Brewing Co Boggy Draw Brewery Breckenridge Brewery ● Coal Mine Ave. Brewing Co Jackass Hill Brewery ● Living the Dream Brewing Co Locavore Beer Works Saint Patricks Brewing Co LONGMONT 300 Suns Brewing ● Bootstrap Brewing Brewmented Collision Brewing Grossen Bart Brewery ● ● Highland Lake Brewing Co Left Hand Brewing Co ● Oskar Blues Brewing ● Outworld Brewing Primitive Beer Pumphouse Brewery ● Shoes and Brews Wibby Brewing ● ● LOVELAND/BERTHOUD Berthoud Brewing Co Big Beaver Brewing Co ● Big Thompson Brewery Buckhorn Brewers City Star Brewing ● Crow Hop Brewing Drätz Brewing Co Grimm Brothers Brewhouse Loveland Aleworks Rock Bottom ● Rock Coast Brewery Tilted Barrel Brewpub Verboten Brewing Co Veteran Brothers Brewing Co ●

MONUMENT Pikes Peak Brewing Co ● ● NORTHEAST COLORADO Parts & Labor Brewing Co Tumbleweed Brewing Co NORTHGLENN/THORNTON Mother Tucker Brewery Periodic Brewing ● Satire Brewing Co PAGOSA SPRINGS/ DEL NORTE/ALAMOSA The Colorado Farm Brewery Pagosa Brewing Co ● Riff Raff Brewing ● ● San Luis Valley Brewing ● Square Peg Brewerks Three Barrel Brewing Co ● PAONIA Chrysalis Barrel Aged Beer Paonia United Brewing Co PARKER Barnett and Son Brewing Co ● ● Downhill Brewing Co ● Los Dos Potrillos Mexican Restaurant y Cerveceria ● Welcome Home Brewing PUEBLO AREA Brues Alehouse Brewing Co ● ● PDub Brewing Co Shamrock Brewing ● Walter’s Brewery & Taproom SALIDA/BUENA VISTA/ CRESTONE/LEADVILLE Crestone Brewing Co ● Eddyline Restaurant and Brewing Co ● Elevation Beer Co ● Moonlight Pizza and Brewpub ● Periodic Brewing Soulcraft Brewing GUNNISON/CRESTED BUTTE Elk Ave Brewing Co ● ● High Alpine Brewing Co ● Irwin Brewing Co SOUTHWEST COLORADO Avalanche Brewing Co ● Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery● Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery ● Golden Block Brewery ● Horsefly Brewing Co ● ● Ouray Brewery ● Ourayle House Brewery Red Mountain Brewing ● Smuggler’s Brewpub ● Telluride Brewing Co Two Rascals Brewing Co STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Butcherknife Brewing Co Mahogany Ridge Brewery & Grill ● Mountain Tap Brewery ● Storm Peak Brewing Co Yampa Valley Brewing Co SUMMIT COUNTY Angry James Brewing Co

The Baker’s Brewery ● Breckenridge Brewery & Pub ● Broken Compass Brewing Dillon Dam Brewery ● ● HighSide Brewing ● ● Outer Range Brewing Co ● Pug Ryan’s Brewery ● Syndicate Brewing Co

TRINIDAD/WALSENBURG Crafty Canary Brewery Dodgeton Creek Brewing Co WINTER PARK AREA Hideaway Park Brewery Never Summer Brewing Co The Peak Bistro & Brewery ● DISTRIBUTION ONLY AC Golden Brewing Co Acidulous Brewing Co Amalgam Brewing Atom Brewing Co Black Sheep Brewery Burgundian Brewing Divebar Brewing Co Donovan Brewing Co Gemini Beer Co Good River Beer Idylwilde Brewing New Planet Beer Sleeping Giant Brewing Uhl’s Brewing Co

DISTILLERIES DENVER/BOULDER 12 Point Distillery - Lafayette Altitude Spirits, Inc. - Boulder Anders’ Vodka - Parker Archetype Distillery - Denver Arta Tequila - Englewood Art of the Spirits Colorado Whiskey - Denver Bear Creek Distillery - Denver The Block Distilling Co - Denver Broken Arrow Spirits - Centennial Denver Distillery - Denver Deviant Spirits - Boulder Deviation Distilling - Denver Devil’s Head Distillery - Englewood Downslope Distilling - Englewood Elwood Distilling - Boulder The Family Jones Spirit House Denver ● Geek Spirits - Boulder

Golden Moon Distillery goldenmoondistillery.com 303.993.7174 412 Violet St. Golden

Golden Moon Speakeasy goldenmoonspeak.com 720.638.1155 1111 Miner’s Alley Golden

Hogback Distillery - Wheat Ridge J & L Distilling Co - Boulder Ironton Distillery - Denver Laws Whiskey House - Denver

Leopold Bros - Northeast Denver Local Distilling - Golden Mad Rabbit Distillery - Westminster Mile High Spirits - Lodo Mythology Distillery - Denver ● Rising Sun Distillery - Denver Rocker Spirits - Littleton Santa Fe Spirits - Littleton Ski Bum Rum Distillery - Golden

Spirit Hound Distillers spirithounds.com 303.823.5696 4196 Ute Hwy Lyons

State 38 Distilling - Golden Stranahan’s - South Denver Strongwater Spirits & Botanicals - Denver Talnua Distillery - Arvada Tighe Brothers Distillery - Denver Vapor Distillery - Boulder Weaver’s Spirits - Parker Whistling Hare - Westminster ●

NORTHERN COLORADO Anvil Distillery - Longmont Big Fat Pastor - Loveland Black Canyon Distillery - Longmont Bouck Brothers Whiskey - Idaho Springs Coyote Gold Margaritas - Fort Collins Coppermuse Distillery - Fort Collins Dry Land Distillers - Longmont Elevation 5003 Distillery - Fort Collins Elkins Distilling Co - Estes Park Feisty Spirits - Fort Collins The Heart Distillery - Windsor Longtucky Spirits - Longmont Mobb Mountain Distillers - Fort Collins NOCO Distillery - Fort Collins Old Elk Distillery - Fort Collins Old Town Distilling - Fort Collins Still Cellars - Longmont Spring 44 Distilling - Loveland Steamboat Whiskey Co - Steamboat Springs● Syntax Spirits - Greeley Tower 56 Distillery - Greeley SOUTHERN COLORADO 3 Hundred Days of Shine - Monument 1350 Distilling - Colo. Springs

Axe and the Oak axeandtheoak.com 719.660.1624 1604 S Cascade Ave Colorado Springs

Black Bear Distillery - Green Mountain Falls Cockpit Craft Distillery - Colo.

Springs Colorado Gold - Colorado Springs Deerhammer Distilling Co - Buena Vista Distillery 291 - Colo. Springs Lee Spirits - Colo. Springs Meridiem Spirits - Elizabeth Mystic Mountain Distillery - Larkspur Sand Creek Distillery - Hugo

January-February 2019

ThirstColorado.com 53

Sangre Distilleries - Westcliffe Spirits of the Rockies - Pueblo Wood’s High Mountain Distillery - Salida

WESTERN SLOPE 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co - Vail 39 North Spirits - Eagle 808 Distillery - Eagle

Breckenridge Distillery ● breckenridgedistillery.com 970.547.9759 1925 Airport Rd Breckenridge

Coal Creek Distillery - Crested Butte Durango Craft Spirits - Durango Highlands Distillery - Grand Junction Honey House Distillery - Durango Idlewild Spirits - Winter Park KJ Wood Distillers - Ouray Marble Distilling Co - Carbondale ● Montanya Distillers - Crested Butte Peach Street Distillers - Palisade Peak Spirits - Hotchkiss Stoneyard Distillery - Dotsero Storm King Distilling - Montrose Telluride Distilling Co - Telluride Woodshed Distilling - Pagosa Springs Woody Creek Distillers - Basalt

WINERIES GRAND JUNCTION AREA Avant Vineyards - Palisade Carlson Vineyards - Palisade Colorado Cellars Winery - Palisade Colterris Winery - Palisade DeBeque Canyon Winery - Palisade Desert Sun Vineyards - Grand Junction Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery - Palisade Grande River Vineyards - Palisade

Graystone Winery - Clifton Gubbini Winery - Palisade Hermosa Vineyards - Palisade Maison la Belle Vie Winery & Amy’s Courtyard - Palisade Mesa Park Vineyards - Palisade Peachfork Orchards and Vineyards - Palisade Plum Creek Cellars - Palisade Ptarmigan Vineyards - Grand Junction Ram’s Point Winery - Grand Junction Red Fox Cellars - Palisade Reeder Mesa Vineyards Whitewater St. Kathryn Cellars Winery & Gift Shop - Palisade Summit Cellars - Palisade Talon Winery - Palisade Two Rivers Winery - Grand Junction Two Swedes Glögg - Grand Junction Varaison Vineyards and Winery Palisade Whitewater Hill Vineyards - Grand Junction

CENTRAL WEST AREA 5680′ - Paonia Alfred Eames Cellars at Puesta del Sol Vineyards - Paonia Azura Cellars - Paonia Black Bridge Winery - Paonia Evening Grace Vineyards - Hotchkiss Leroux Creek Vineyards - Hotchkiss Mesa Winds Farm and Winery Hotchkiss Stone Cottage Cellars - Paonia DELTA & MONTROSE COUNTIES Chill Switch Wine - Cedaredge Cottonwood Cellars/The Olathe Winery - Olathe Garrett Estates Cellars - Olathe Jack Rabbit Hill - Hotchkiss Mountain View Winery - Olathe Stoney Mesa Winery - Cedaredge Winery at Cedars Farm - Cedaredge

CENTRAL FRONT RANGE Allis Ranch Winery - Sedalia Aspen Peak Cellars - Bailey Balistreri Vineyards - Denver Bigsby’s Folly - Denver Black Arts Cellars - Littleton Bonacquisti Wine Company - Denver Carboy Winery - Littleton Creekside Cellars - Evergreen Gaijin 24886 Sake - Denver Golden City Winery - Golden Golden Valley Winery - Denver InVINtions, A Creative Winery Greenwood Village Kingman Estates Winery - Denver Ladrón Cellars - Englewood Leap of Faith Winery - Wheat Ridge Point Blank Winery - Centennial Purgatory Cellars Winery - Parker Ryker’s Cellars - Denver Silver Vines Winery - Arvada Spero Winery - Denver The Infinite Monkey Theorem Denver The Wine Barrel - Parker Vino Passarelli - Lakewood Water 2 Wine - Centennial

Waters Edge Winery - Centennial What We Love, The Winery - Boulder Wild Women Winery - Denver Wine & Whey - Denver

NORTHERN FRONT RANGE Augustina’s Winery - Nederland Bad Bitch Cellars - Eaton Blue Mountain Vineyards - Berthoud Blue Skies Winery - Fort Collins BookCliff Vineyards - Boulder Decadent Saint - Boulder River Garden Winery - Fort Lupton Settembre Cellars - Boulder Snowy Peaks Winery - Estes Park Stonebridge Farm Winery Longmont Sweet Heart Winery - Loveland Ten Bears Winery - Laporte Turquoise Mesa Winery - Broomfield Viewpoint Wines - Boulder Vintage Handcrafted Wines - Fort Collins CENTRAL MOUNTAIN Buckel Family Wine - Crested Butte Continental Divide Winery Breckenridge Monkshood Cellars - Minturn Vines at Vail Winery - Wolcott Winter Park Winery - Fraser PLAINS Claremont Inn & Winery - Stratton Mummy Hill Winery - Holyoke Reds Wine Boutique - Sterling FOUR CORNERS Flying T Wine - Cortez Four Leaves Winery - Durango Fox Fire Farms - Ignacio Guy Drew Vineyards - Cortez Pleasant View Vineyards - Pleasant View Sutcliffe Vineyards - Cortez

CIDERIES Apple Valley Cider Co applevalleycider.com 103 Broadway #13 Penrose

Artisan Craft Cellars - Westminster Big B’s Juices and Hard Cider Hotchkiss Branch Out Cider - Fort Collins C Squared Ciders - Denver ● Clear Fork Cider - Denver Climb Hard Cider Co - Loveland Colorado Cider Co - Denver Colorado Common Cider - Colo.

Springs Colorado Plus Cidery - Golden Golden City Winery - Golden Haykin Family Cider - Aurora The Ice Cave Cider House Monument Old Mine Cidery & Brewpub - Erie Scrumpy’s Hard Cider - Fort Collins Snow Capped Cider - Cedaredge St. Vrain Cidery - Longmont Stem Ciders - Denver ● ● Stem Ciders Acreage- Lafayette ● ● Summit Hard Cider - Fort Collins Talbott’s Cider Co - Palisade Teal Cider - Dolores Waldschänke Ciders - Denver Wild Cider - Firestone

MEADERIES Black Forest Meadery - Colorado Springs Colorado Honey Wine - Distribution Only Dragon Meadery - Aurora Hunters Moon Meadery - Severance Meadery of the Rockies - Palisade Medovina - Niwot Miracle Stag Meadery - Loveland Queen Bee Brews - Denver Redstone Meadery - Boulder

BARISTA OWNED AND OPERATED

2017 Colorado Whiskey Distillery of the year

Dedicated to building community by way of coffee.

Come enjoy a craft cocktail, food & live music at the Whiskey House.

WWW.LOYALCOFFEE.CO LOYALCOFFEE

719.660.1624

1604. S. Cascade Ave. Colorado Springs 80905

54 ThirstColorado.com

SOUTH FRONT RANGE Byers Cellars - Cripple Creek D’Vine Wine - Manitou Springs Evergood Elixirs - Palmer Lake Le Fuselier Winery at Spring Creek Vineyards - Canon City Legatum Cellars - Canon City Mountain Spirit Winery, Ltd. - Salida Sette Dolori - Black Forest Songbird Cellars - Beulah The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Canon City The Winery at Pikes Peak - Cascade Vino Colorado Winery - Colorado Springs Vino Salida Wine Cellars - Poncha Springs

January-February 2019

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