A sampling of Colorado libations: Located in Littleton using fresh Colorado ingredients, Rocker’s high-octane offerings will put a tiger in your tank.[/caption]

One thing I’ve noticed about Central City over the years is that the people are friendly and they know how to have fun.

From Madam Lou Bunch Day to The Great Central City Beer Festival in August to Tommyknockers ringing in the Christmas holidays, gaming is but one of your options. Taking in an opera or just strolling along the cobblestoned Main Street and checking out historic buildings is an enjoyable experience that immerses you in the past.

On Saturday, June 29, the 10th Annual Stills in the Hills offered up more good times. Beginning at noon, the band Aoxomoxoa played nothing but Grateful Dead tunes including “Friend of the Devil” and “Sugaree.” Antique automobiles added to the ambiance.

On the other end of Main Street, local legend Jimmy Lewis and his band performed for VIPs who had paid $20 extra to enter the event an hour earlier than other ticket holders. Not only did they get an exclusive front row seat for Lewis’ great music, VIPs were treated to delicious food and an open bar.

At 1:00, everyone was allowed in. Of course, if you want to have a really good time you need people, and there were plenty of them. Sampling libations from numerous craft distillers hailing from Colorado, the potent potables were served in a small commemorative mug received at the door.

Pacing oneself throughout the afternoon was recommended in order to taste as many different liquors and liqueurs as possible without getting too schnockered. Chocolate milk shots at Colorado Vodka Company’s booth was the logical place to start before moving on to the hard stuff.

Cranking things up a notch, Spirit Hound Distillers from Lyons has won several awards over the years, including a gold medal at the 2024 Denver International Spirits Competition for their Café Colorado Coffee Liqueur. They incorporate Rocky Mountain snowmelt water, hand-picked juniper berries from the St. Vrain Valley for their gin, and honey sourced from a neighboring apiary. Their creations are flavorful and go down smooth.

At the Rick Thomas Distillery, located in Black Hawk, their corn whiskey and vodka are manufactured in copper stills purchased from Scotland. The same style of still has been used for hundreds of years and brings Old World authenticity. Based in Castle Rock, Mystic Mountain Distillery’s Outlaw Whiskey White Peach and Peanut Butter Cup varieties are tasty blends out of the ordinary.

Molly Brown Spirits in Denver is as bold and unapologetic as its namesake. The High Rye and Spiced Bourbons are favorite staples that facilitate social gatherings. If you are prepared for a stronger kick that could survive the sinking of the Titanic, try the 125-proof cask strength Single Barrel Select Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Based in Littleton, the Rocker Spirits display was hard to miss. As they poured drinks out of an old pickup truck through the folded-down windshield that made a convenient bar, flames shot out of the truck’s skyward-pointing exhaust pipes that represented their spirits’ potency. The mash they use to distill their bourbon consists of 70% corn and 30% wheat. The wheat is grown in Burlington and Loveland. Their rum has a distinctive molasses overtone with a hint of oak, vanilla, and tropical fruit.

The distilleries mentioned above represent a fraction of those at Stills in the Hills. It would take decades to sample all of their products at the rate of one day a year. As this was merely the second time I’ve attended the popular event, more research is warranted next year.

In Central City: Down the hatch. [/caption]

Don’t let the labels scare you.[/caption]