Colorado has earned major recognition in the craft beer industry, but the state’s distillery scene is absolutely toast-worthy as well. Here are two options for groups who like their sips a little more spirited and venues a little more memorable.
The Oxford Hotel in Denver’s Lower Downtown district has a long-standing relationship with Laws Whiskey House of Denver. The distillery crafted a special 1891 label whiskey for the hotel four years ago to celebrate the property’s 130th anniversary, and The Oxford still sells bottles of the whiskey and pours it nightly at the complimentary Bourbon Hour held in the lobby. For groups, a guided one-hour distillery tour of Laws Whiskey House is followed by a tasting in the Whiskey Church that features wooden pews and two-story Gothic windows. Planners can book the upstairs cocktail lounge for private gatherings of up to 50 people or full buyouts for up to 100.
Spirit Hound Distillers has been crafting award-winning spirits from its Lyons distillery since 2012, and today produces bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, rum, and liqueurs. Not only can the liquid deliciousness be sampled at Spirit Hounds’ Lyons tasting room and Denver cocktail lounge, but event space also is available. In Lyons, the distillery has two spaces: The Back Yard, which holds up to 100 attendees, and The Woods Bar, which hosts a maximum of 35 (or 80 when combined with the adjacent patio). In Denver, a buyout of the lounge accommodates up to 100, while the on-site Aspen Grove and The Still Room are ideal spaces for smaller groups of up to 10 and 20, respectively. For a special touch, planners can book a cocktail class during which attendees make two cocktails and taste the included spirits, or a spirit/whiskey class for learning about and sampling five spirits.
