Locals and tourists who have enjoyed a tipple from Mythology Distillery while in Steamboat Springs can now grab a drink straight from the source.
This summer, Mythology relocated from its longtime home in Denver to the mountain town where it operates a new, larger production facility and a cocktail bar with additional amenities. Meanwhile, Lyons-based liquor purveyor Spirit Hound Distillers is coming down from altitude and taking over Mythology’s former home in the Mile High City.
Thirsty yet? Here are the details of both new tasting rooms so you can plan your next happy hour.
Mythology Distillery (Steamboat Springs)
Founder and president Scott Yeates has lived in Steamboat Springs since 2017, so moving his distillery there was a natural fit. However, the new space also affords Mythology room to grow.
The company, known for its original whiskeys and gins, now boasts a 5,000-square-foot building that houses both the distillery and cocktail bar, a 5,000-square-foot rackhouse for aging whiskeys and plenty of outdoor space in the so-called “whiskey garden” to host guests and, occasionally, live music. Yeates is also preparing to up the fun factor by installing several kid- and adult-friendly slides outside.
Cocktail options include several iterations of the Old Fashioned and gin-and-tonic, and the bar also serves local craft beer and wine. In the coming months, Mythology will also open a restaurant onsite called Asian Soup Dumplings, inspired by Yeates’ and his wife’s travels to Southeast Asia.
“We love the food and the flavor profiles over there,” Yeates said. “Steamboat is lacking in both Asian food and soup dumplings.”
Starting in August, Mythology will offer guided tours of its production facility ($25), complete with spirit samples. Additionally, it plans to run a shuttle from downtown Steamboat Springs and the ski resort to its property north of town near the airport.
The company’s growth is not limited to its footprint. Mythology currently produces about 12,000 cases a year, Yeates said. With the new facility, it could do 10 times that.
“We’re not in the position where we want to do 100,000 cases a year, but in the next year we’ll probably double production and I have a five-year plan to ramp up to 40,000 to 50,000 cases a year,” he said.
Part of that plan includes branching into non-alcoholic spirits, such as gin, that showcase Colorado edibles and botanicals. Yeates hopes to launch that line next summer.
Mythology Distillery, 2875 Elk River Road in Steamboat Springs. 970-594-4511. mythologydistillery.com.
Spirit Hound Distillers (Denver)
In the 12 years since it opened in Lyons, Spirit Hound Distillers has remained a relatively small operation. But with construction underway to expand its production facility in the mountains and a new tasting room preparing to open in Denver, growth is clearly among the company’s top priorities this year.
And it couldn’t come at a more apt time. In 2022, judges at the London Spirits Competition rated Spirit Hounds’ flagship Straight Malt Whisky, made exclusively with Colorado-grown grain, as the best in the world.
Drinkers can try that and other house-made liquors in cocktails or flights at the 3,200-square-foot Highlands tasting room, slated to open Aug. 4. In addition to hosting live music and trivia, bartenders will also teach mixology classes and patrons will be able to purchase small bites such as charcuterie, said Abby Robertson, chief commercialization officer.
Robertson said Spirit Hound had been looking to expand “for a long time,” but it wasn’t until they found the spot in west Highland that a space felt like a fit. That’s due in no small part to the neighborhood feel.
“What we love about the Highlands is it has such a fun passion for local not only food, but also it has some breweries and distilleries,” Robertson said. “We love that it wasn’t a busy downtown spot, but a neighborhood spot.”
The new tasting room is just the first step in bringing Spirit Hound’s libations to a wider audience, she added.
“Right now, we only distribute in Colorado and we just launched an e-commerce platform so you can order our spirits and have them delivered to your house,” she said. “We’re also going to be expanding (distribution) into neighboring states shortly.”
Spirit Hound Distillers, 3622 Tejon St. in Denver. spirithounds.com.
