The DSTILL Showcase: A Recap

Nearly 40 distilleries from Colorado and across the US were represented at this year’s DSTILL Showcase. From tasty hemp vodkas to yummy flavored moonshines, unique cocktails and food pairings, there was plenty for all to enjoy!

I sipped on and actually enjoyed more spirits than I thought possible. From the delicious and easy sipping gin from Angvil (Longmont, CO) to the Peach Brandy from Peach Street Distillers (Palisade, CO), I was impressed.

As far as sipping liquor, I stick to whiskey and bourbon. However, I was surprised to try so many other spirits that had great flavor. I am not much of a gin person but I was very impressed with the gin from Angvil Distillery. I also tried another gin from Dry Town (Fort Collins, CO) that was nice and even better in the Edible Beats cocktail, which had gin, beet shrub, pineapple juice, lime juice, and a vibrant color!

For pairing with the spirits and cocktails there were many food stations throughout the event as well as an area with two pig roasts and cheese fondue! The Chimayo Chile Jack Cheese Fondue was delicious and could be consumed via pretzel bread, pumpernickel bread, broccoli, zucchini, and more.

When we first arrived we were taken back by the many distilleries present. There were three separate rooms, all filled with yummy distilleries to visit.

We started out the evening with the boozy shakes, obviously! 🙂 Little Man Ice Cream had a few flavors that could be topped with a Lee Spirits Cocoa Flavored Gin shot. Their Salted Oreo was outstanding!

Deerhammer is a distillery in downtown Buena Vista. We were up there recently but unable to stop by so I was very thrilled to see them present. The whiskey went pleasantly well with the Dead Dog Chocolate samples.

Another one of the tasty samples was this Bourbon & Amaro Pie that was paired with a Cold Brew Double Shot by Wednesdays Pie and Green Russel, respectively. The drink had Peach Street Bourbon, Amaro, Pablo’s Cold Brew, Pistachio & Almond Milk, and Tonka Bean. It was a delicious dessert combo indeed!

Near to this little treat was these Italian wraps from Bar Dough. The wrap was nice and thick and doughy; it seemed to be more like their pizza dough, which was very tasty!

The reason I found these little wraps was someone had recommended this OMG Becky cocktail. I don’t go crazy for pumpkin like some and I almost wanted to be embarrassed for loving this drink but it was so amazing! It was like a white Russian, which I love, but with a hint of pumpkin. This cocktail is made with the Pumpkin King and Arrosta Coffee Liqueurs from Vapor Distillery (Boulder, CO) and half and half.

There were plenty of cocktails and not enough time! A couple other cocktails I found unique and enjoyable was the Green Chile Moscow Mule from Blank and Booth (Denver, CO) and the Red Pepper Puree Rye Vodka drink from Bear Distillery (Denver, CO). Their Hatch Green Chile Whiskey was fabulous in a Moscow Mule if you like a little bit of a kick! The cocktail from Bear had red pepper puree and basil. It was a tasty cocktail that I thought would be a great pairing with food. It was quite refreshing and easy to drink.

The Red Pepper Puree Cocktail may have even been a good combo with the the sunflower risotto from Vital Root. The risotto had oyster mushrooms and pea pesto. It was very good and I need to get over to Vital Root soon! They have the same owners as Root Down, which is one of my favorite restaurants 🙂

There are a few more spririts I would like to recognize. The Oro Rum from Montaya Distillers (Crested Butte, CO) was very nice. Also, 3 Hundred Days of Shine (Monument, CO) brought their fun flavored moonshines. I tried the Centennial Wheat, which I found to be very easy to sip. Others tried the Apple Pie moonshine and raved about it. I would like to visit this distillery – the distillers were listing off all kinds of intriguing combinations of moonshines and cocktails they make!

Peach Street Distillers has been a favorite ever since I first visited their distillery in Palisade, CO a few years back. They make many delicious libations with the Peach Brandy being one of them. I also tried their Amaro Liqueur, which is a bitter one. My brother thought this would be great in a Black Manhattan as the substitute for sweet vermouth 🙂

The 2016 DSTILL Showcase was definitely a success! I got to taste many new spirits and it opened me up to some that I would not typically gravitate towards. I plan on keeping an eye out for a few of these yummy distilleries!

Cheers!