Try this if you are thirsty for a different kind of travel experience.
For those who love to lace up their hiking boots and hit the mountain trails, Colorado is one state with plenty to choose from. It’s most famous for its majestic Rocky Mountains and the abundance of outdoor recreation they provide. But for anyone planning a summer trip to the Colorado Rockies, there’s a trail of a different sort worth also noting — one you don’t need any special gear to tackle. Just a thirst for adventure.
The Colorado Spirits Trail, launched by the Colorado Distilleries Guild earlier this year, provides a road map to 52 distilleries across the state. Initially conceived by Dawn Nudell Richardson, owner of the Rising Sun Distillery in Denver, this isn’t your average boozy list. It’s a truly spirited trail along which you’ll find the likes of gin made with hops and “sugarshine,” a moonshine made with sugar and tomato paste. As for Richardson, her specialties are an organic chile whiskey and a lavender-hibiscus liqueur made with locally grown ingredients. “There are a lot of creative things being made here,” she says. “I feel like we have the opportunity to put ourselves on the map, like Napa Valley did with wine.”
The Colorado Spirits Trail is not just a travel guide, either. It’s an amazing race of sorts. With the map, you’ll find a passport page to be stamped at each destination. After visiting 10, you’ll get a free T-shirt. If you’re one of the first 24 to visit them all, you’ll receive a signed bottle from each of the participating distilleries to fully stock your own bar. coloradospiritstrail.com
