Off the Grid: Alternative Energy Systems Give Small Producers and Unique Story to Tell
Alternative energy isn’t just piece of New York’s Sundog Ciders’ story—it’s more or less the company’s reason for being. In 2004, when Sundog Solar in the Hudson River Valley (127 miles north of New York City) began installing panels for homes and businesses, many of its customers were the family-owned apple orchards that dot the valley. In 2014, Sundog owner Jody Rael decided to pursue his long-time interest by setting up a cidery in the solar company facility. Since the building had been converted from a paper mill and had already updated with solar panels for electricity, solar setups for hot water and air conditioning, and a heating system that runs on used vegetable oil, Sundog didn’t need to worry about energy efficiency.
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Getting the Most out of Outerbike Crested Butte
You’ve spent the past few months reading reams of reviews, poring over geometry charts, and comparing build sheets. Your budget is set, all you need to do now is line up test rides. If there was only some way you could ride a bunch of bikes from different brands back-to-back on the same awesome trails to make your decision…
Well friend, you’re in luck! Just such an event exists: Outerbike. New for 2017, Outerbike is adding a summer event to the calendar in Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado, August 18-20.
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GSN Original Cocktail: The Powderkeg
Looking for a fantastic tiki-style rum drink to chill with this summer? The Powderkeg will blow your socks off! Featuring three rums, Campari and bitters, this drink is an explosion in your mouth.
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The 5 Best Colorado Ski Resorts That Aren't Aspen or Vail
You don't have to book a trip to Aspen or Vail to enjoy one of Colorado's best ski resorts — after all, the Centennial State is home to the largest collection of peaks that exceed 14,000 feet in the lower 48.
Colorado's snow-capped mountains are crisscrossed by an intricate network of trails, and are home to a number of excellent ski resorts. Serious skiers and should consider venturing to award-winning terrain parks in southwest Colorado, while families will love a former mining town that has been transformed into a laid-back mountain destination. Vertical drops, views above treeline, and a world class après ski scene, these are five of the best Colorado ski resorts you may not have heard of — yet.
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Montanya Distillers Goes Big
The sustainability minded Crested Butte rum producer has its sights set on Europe.
BY TYRA SUTAK | JULY 12, 2017
When Montanya Distillers, a 100 percent wind-powdered, rum-only distillery, first opened in the tiny mountain town of Silverton in 2008, it was one of only five craft distilleries in Colorado, and rum was one of the most under-appreciated spirits in the craft beverage market. Fast forward nearly a decade and a move to Crested Butte later, and Montanya rum is one of Western Colorado’s most popular craft spirits—it’s even starting to gain traction overseas. The fast-growing distillery picked up the USA Rum of the Year award at the Berlin International Spirits Competition in May for its Montanya Oro light rum. Now, with the help of an overseas distribution partner, it’s currently sending its mountain-inspired rum to seven countries in Europe, in addition to 42 states in the U.S.
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Why Rum?
Check out the latest from Artisan Spirit Magazine here!
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12 things you’ll only understand if you’ve been to Colorado
IN COLORADO, we don’t spend much time discussing which nightclub has the best chance of rubbing shoulders with big-name celebrities. In fact, to most of us, the word “celebrity” brings to mind only two things: 1) an old Denver bowling alley our parents still talk about, and 2) John Elway. Here in the Centennial State, we prioritize adventure and craft culture. Maybe it’s the 14,000-foot peaks or the locally made spirits, but our priorities are a bit different.
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Montanya Rum – Aged with love, distilled with perfection
Montanya Distillers is nestled high in the Rocky Mountains at 9000 ft. in the charming town of Crested Butte, Colorado. Their high alpine location makes great sense for making rum, since the altitude positively affects almost every aspect of fermenting, distilling and aging rum and they heat their building with their stills. Their non-GMO sugar cane comes from family farmers in Louisiana, who grow and mill for us. The water comes from one of the purest spring and snowmelt charged aquifers in the USA. The Montanya Rums are made by hand, from scratch, in a very traditional way using alembic copper pot stills from Portugal.
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Smart Sips: Adrift’s Macadamia Nut Chi-Chi
Colorado may be landlocked, but island-inspired Adrift Tiki Bar in the Speer neighborhood manages to deliver a slice of beachside heaven. That’s especially true now that the serene enclosed patio is open for the season, with its brilliant hula dancer mural (by Denver graffiti artist Jolt), grass-hut awnings, and piping-hot lava rock fire pit. Nothing pairs better with patios than cocktails, and you’ll definitely want to soak up the warm weather with Adrift’s macadamia nut chi-chi in hand.
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MEET THE MAKER: KAREN HOSKIN, CO-FOUNDER OF MONTANYA RUM
The spirits industry is only starting to catch up when it comes to addressing the issues posed by climate change, so when I heard about a 100 percent wind-powered rum distillery I wanted to know more, especially when I learned that the rum distillery was in Colorado of all places.
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5 Women Who Quit Their Jobs to Make Booze
Leaving a desk job behind to open your own business, go back to school, or make any other dramatic career change is a fantasy nearly everyone has. For most, these dreams will never be realized, but there are some who do manage to successfully remake their livelihoods—in fact, it’s a common story in the distilling industry.
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Outbreaks Meets Crested Butte
No self-respecting mountain biker has ever needed an excuse to tackle the miles upon miles of singletrack sweetness that is Crested Butte, Colorado. Now there’s even more reason to load up the roof rack and make the pilgrimage: The premier mountain biking demo event in North America is coming to Crested Butte this summer when the famed Outerbike festival summer goes down here August 18-20, 2017. If you aren’t yet familiar with the phenomenon that is Outerbike, get ready to be blown away.
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The 20 Best Mountain Towns in America
When the lifts shut down in America’s mountain towns, out come the flip-flops, microbrews, and inner tubes. For a real recharge this summer, spend some time at altitude.
(Photo Credit: itsaberglund.com)
Park City, Utah
The outside world may associate Park City with glitz – the Sundance Film Festival, luxe ski resorts, restaurants helmed by big name chefs – but ask locals what they love most and it's sure to be the trails. The hills that surround town hold an unprecedented 400 miles of loops, networks, and connector trails for hiking, trail running, or biking. Best of all, the easy-to-access trails virtually bring the Wasatch Range to you and then drop you off back by quirky Main Street.
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INSIDE INDIE SPIRITS EXPO 2017
Making spirits sounds like a glamorous job, but people find out pretty quickly it’s often a harder career to maintain than most regular desk gigs. Aside from actually creating the juice that goes into the bottle and running an operation with all kinds of daily challenges, one of the hardest parts of producing a whiskey, gin, vodka, brandy, rum, liqueur or agave distillate is finding a way to showcase it and build brand awareness. For the past 11 years, Dave Schmier has been providing independent brands a means of exhibiting their products at the Indie Spirits Expo, which takes place in New York, Chicago and Las Vegas. As the founder of Orange V Vodka and Redemption Whiskey, Dave is intimately familiar with the inner workings of brand building.
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Montanya Distillers Named U.S. Rum of the Year
Award recognizes Montanya as the U.S. rum to watch in Europe.
has named Montanya Distillers’ Oro rum 2017 USA Rum of the Year. Montanya is a craft rum distillery out of Crested Butte, Colo. that uses old-world artisan traditions, combining science with art.
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Montanya Distillers Named USA Rum of the Year by the Berlin International Spirits Competition
Crested Butte, Colo., May 10, 2017 – The Berlin International Spirits Competition has named Montanya Distillers’ Oro rum 2017 USA Rum of the Year. Montanya is a craft rum distillery out of Crested Butte, Colo. that uses old-world artisan traditions, combining science with art. Its Oro rum is distilled from raw Louisiana sugarcane and aged for 12 months in an American Oak Barrel, which previously aged Colorado Whiskey. Montanya’s rum uses only four natural American ingredients: non-GMO sugar cane, mountain spring water, yeast, and a touch of caramelized Rocky Mountain honey. Oro has hints of caramel, black pepper, chocolate, red chili, vanilla, and coffee. Unlike many dark aged rums, Oro never receives molasses caramel or artificial colorings/flavorings.
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Montanya Distillers Named USA Rum of the Year
The Berlin International Spirits Competition has named Montanya Distillers’ Oro rum 2017 USA Rum of the Year. Montanya is a craft rum distillery out of Crested Butte, Colo. that uses old-world artisan traditions, combining science with art. Its Oro rum is distilled from raw Louisiana sugarcane and aged for 12 months in an American Oak Barrel, which previously aged Colorado Whiskey. Montanya’s rum uses only four natural American ingredients: non-GMO sugar cane, mountain spring water, yeast, and a touch of caramelized Rocky Mountain honey. Oro has hints of caramel, black pepper, chocolate, red chili, vanilla, and coffee. Unlike many dark aged rums, Oro never receives molasses caramel or artificial colorings/flavorings.
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@MONTANYARUM WANTS TO SEE MORE #DIVERSITY IN CRAFT SPIRITS
Karen Hoskins of Montanya Distillers shares her thoughts on diversity and equal opportunity in craft distilling.
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Boulder’s Moovers and Shakers Names “Best Cocktail” in Mixologist Showdown
Boulder’s reputation for having a competitive restaurant scene provides us with so many opportunities to experience good-spirited, albeit heated competition. Movers and Shakers, a competition focused on naming ‘Boulder’s Best Cocktail,’ has been influential in ranking some of our city’s best since 2013. This year, Montanya’s Plantino Rum was the spirit inspiration for Boulder’s best mixologists to create the most coveted drink, and thus, bar program, a huge point of distinction in such a competitive market. Each competitor also provided a ‘bite’ inspired by their cocktail and this year’s spirit. Creativity, presentation and balance were all under scrutiny from judges and citizens alike, and once again, Boulder’s best mixologists showed their ability to surprise and delight while competing at the highest level.
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