Boulder Spirits to Lingering in Denver

I go on a lot of wine country trips, but my Colorado adventure is based on spirits. On day two it was time to get to some serious sampling of what the area had to offer in food and drinks, but first I had some mountains to check out.

After a good night’s sleep in my beautifully decorated room at Hotel Boulderado, Kim from Boulder’s visitor’s Bureau picked me up and we headed up to Chautauqua Park. It was a clear and warm day and she told me about this beautiful place as we walked the trail. I honestly could have spent the day in the fresh Rocky Mountain air, but I had a job to do and the first course of business was at Boulder Distillery & Clear Spirit Company.

Boulder Distillery is just a bit bigger than most garages, yet you would not believe all the spirits that come out of there. They are most known for their 303 Vodka which is “infused” on the premises with seasonal ingredients. The Colorado liquor laws actually allow for distilleries to not only serve samples, but to act as bars, with cocktail menus and events. This has been taken to the limit at 303 – in a very good way.

First, we have the infused vodkas. On my visit, the choices were Vanilla, Peach, Raspberry Cucumber, Pickle, Strawberry and Olive. I sampled a bit of them all and could certainly tell the difference between these freshly infused libations (with organic fruit) and flavored vodkas in bottle. I was encouraged to try some of the cocktails and before I knew it there was a Pickletini in front of me. Yes, pickle infused vodka with pickle juice and pickles.

When it comes to pickles, I can take them or leave them. Honestly, I stared at the drink for a few minutes with no desire to taste it, but I was encouraged by the knowledge that it was a best seller around here and I have to say it was delicious!  I think I’m still a gin girl, though, and there was someone there to take care of that too. It seems Rob’s Mountain Gin shares this same space and his Formula No. 11 has an ingredient known publically as “angel’s tears” (I will never tell) that really makes it an outstanding product. (For those who like the darker spirits, Boulder Distillery also makes 303 Whiskey, aged in French Oak.)

My last stop in Boulder was at Salt Bistro and it was quite a food and drink extravaganza. Kim and I were joined by the restaurant’s public relations rep, Kuvy, Beverage Manager Evan Faber and my friend Jackie, who works at nearby Babolat. We were quite a large group, but we didn’t have to worry about running out of food as it looked like they brought out everything on the menu! The theme was as I saw it on this trip – fresh and local, with lots of fruits and vegetables.

Before we knew it, the table was filled to the brim with such treats as Quinoa Fritters; Tomato Salad with Mint; Vegetable Tasting (with the best soft polenta I’ve had); Duck Confit Salad (perfectly cooked); Peach Flatbread; and Fried Polenta with honey.

As good as the food was at Salt, I was most impressed with the drink options. Stoddard came up with an ingenious idea: Pick your glass size, add your favorite liquor; chose a flavor; and pick a style.  Patrons are actually given a menu to mark off their choices in each category. I had two small ones – a Gin & Blackberry Martini and a Rum, Mango & White Wine Sangria.

Elysia from Colorado Tourism drove me back to Denver. I had a few hours back at the hotel to try to get my ailing computer to function (and work up an appetite) before Elysia picked me up for dinner. It’s not often you get to have dinner in a mortiuary, or even a former one. That’s exactly what Linger is. It’s a large restaurant with great views of Denver in the home of the former Olinger Mortiary. The restaurant plays on that theme throughout, with everything from menus that look like charts to business cards that look like body tags.

Elysia is a vegetarian and I always welcome meatless nights, so we decided to fill the table with small plates. Linger divides their dishes into the areas the dishes originated and we picked an assortment that covered the bases: Meze Plate with Smokey Eggplant Spread  & Naan from Africa; Saag Paneer Fries with Rhubarb Ketchup & Spinach Puree and Masala Dosa from Southwest Asia; Carrot & Lentil Kofie with Tahini Yogurt wrapped in Lettuce from Eurasia (my favorite); and Cold Peanut Noodles from Asia.

To go with our food, we had Linger’s Bar Manager Anika Zappe mix us up a few specialties from her seasonal cocktail menu. I enjoyed the Pueblo Chili Flip and Elysia had The Last Sunset, with a Colorado Coffee to finish off.

We ended the day on a perfect note, with a freshly made cobbler with Colorado peaches, topped with homemade vanilla ice cream. It was time to call it a night because there were still more spirits to check out in the morning.

Welcome to Colorado

I’ve been trying to remember how long it’s been since I’ve been to Colorado. I don’t think I’ve been there as an adult, but my memories from childhood are definitely good ones.

My family and I frequently drove around the country and though we took various routes so we could see as much as possible, I seem to remember that we always went through Colorado. I know the mountains are beautiful and the air fresh and clean, but I was racking my brain for awhile trying to figure out why it was my father always made Colorado a must stop. Then, I arrived and it hit me the minute I saw it. Coors beer.

You see, years ago, you couldn’t get Coors in New York. It was only available “west of the Rockies” and the Rockies were in Colorado. As much as my dad loved to drive through the Rockies, he also loved a good beer once in awhile and that’s why our yearly cross-country trip would almost always include Colorado!

Beer was only a small consideration in my trip to Colorado. The big draw was actual spirits. The state is still known for its craft breweries (and its Coors), but it’s now becoming known as the home of more than two dozen distilleries, with more coming . I had tasted a bit at the Colorado Harvest event in New York a few weeks ago, but I was excited about coming to Boulder and Denver to check out much more.

The day finally arrived and it started bright and early with a 6:00 am flight to Denver. Elysia, who represents Colorado Tourism, picked me up for the quick ride to Boulder. It reminded me a bit of the college town I lived in, but it had the added bonus of mountain views. After a quick and healthy lunch at Mode Market, Elysia and I headed to the Hotel Boulderado, a Victorian beauty I was looking forward to exploring later on, before we were off to The Bitter Bar with Kim Farrin of the Boulder CVB.

The Bitter Bar is the perfect showcase for Colorado Spirits as bartender (don’t call him “mixologist”) Mark Stoddard loves to mix it up with artisan finds. He’s also a fan of using alternatives to citrus so we hit it off immediately when he presented me with a selection of cocktails using everything from Cap Rock Gin (Hotckiss, CO) to Leopold Brothers Maraschino Liqueur (Denver, CO) that weren't going to make me itch. I also was able to finally taste Sombra, a Mezcal owned by master sommelier and Boulder resident Richard Betts.

I could have talked to Mark and the other bartenders at The Bitter Bar for hours about cocktails and ingredients. Before I saw (and tasted) what they could do, I was amazed to find out – in this small Colorado town – that three of these bartenders had one competitions all over the world, including the Cocktail Cup in New Zealand.

Elysia needed to get back to Denver, but Kim and I walked around Boulder for awhile, taking in the exceptionally warm weather. It’s definitely a foodie town and we must have looked at a dozen places I would have loved to eat before we settled in at The Med.

We had a great selection of Tapas made with fresh local ingredients, including Homemade Zucchini Bread with Concord Grape, Peaches, Kiwi and Peppered Boursin; Wild Boar and Goat Cheddar Cheese Empanadas with Tzatziki; and Crisp Polenta with Midnight Blue Cheese and Sherry Black Pepper Honey. Everything was delicious and we barely had room to left to share a yummy Chocolate Almond Tower with Caramel and Ganache.

Kim and I walked back to the Hotel Boulderado through the Pedestrian Mall, where people were shopping, strolling and enjoying the lovely evening. I was ready to put my first great day in Colorado to bed, and get ready for four more to come.