Gin · Colorado
Gin Distilleries in Colorado
Tour 5 gin distilleries in Colorado. Each offers visits, tastings or experiences you can book directly — including Wood's High Mountain Distillery, Dry Land Distillers, Bear Creek Distillery.
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About gin distilleries in Colorado
Few places have leaned into gin with as much character as Colorado. The state's distillers work at altitude, with clean mountain water and a pantry of botanicals that grows wild on their doorstep: Rocky Mountain juniper, alpine wildflowers, pine and fir tips, rose hips and high-desert herbs. The result is a style of gin that feels rooted in place rather than imported from London. At Dry Land Distillers in Longmont the focus is on native Colorado plants, while Mythology Distillery in Denver's LoHi neighbourhood treats foraging as part of its identity. Up in the mountains, Deerhammer in Buena Vista and Wood's High Mountain Distillery in Salida fold their gin into a wider grain-to-glass programme, and Denver's Bear Creek Distillery batches its spirits one run at a time. Tasting gin here is less about a single house style and more about how each maker interprets the same rugged landscape. Expect bright juniper, resinous pine notes and an almost herbal, sometimes floral lift that you simply won't find in flatter, milder climates.
What makes Gin here special
Colorado gin is shaped by terroir as much as recipe. Distillers have ready access to native juniper, sagebrush, pinon pine, Douglas-fir tips and a long list of mountain wildflowers, and many of them harvest or grow these ingredients themselves. Dry Land Distillers built its reputation on gin made with native Colorado botanicals such as elderberry, bee balm and rose hips, an approach that swaps the usual imported spice route for something distinctly Western. Mythology Distillery leans into a forager's sensibility, drawing inspiration from plants found around the region. Deerhammer takes a different angle again with a Dutch-style gin that nods to genever traditions. The thread running through all of them is a willingness to let the surrounding landscape into the still, so a Colorado gin often reads greener, more piney and more herbal than a classic London Dry.
What to expect from a Gin tasting
A gin flight in Colorado usually starts with the distillery's flagship, then fans out across more experimental expressions. Because so many of these producers are grain-to-glass, staff can talk you through the base spirit as well as the botanical bill, and you'll often taste the gin neat before trying it stretched with tonic so the botanicals can open up. At mountain distilleries such as Wood's High Mountain in Salida or Deerhammer in Buena Vista, the tasting tends to be relaxed and conversational, frequently sitting alongside whiskey and other spirits in the line-up. In Denver, Bear Creek and Mythology offer a more urban tasting-room feel, with cocktails on hand to show how the gin performs in a glass. Don't be surprised if the pour is heavy on pine, citrus and savoury herbs rather than sweet florals.
Best for…
Colorado gin suits drinkers who want something with a sense of place and a bit of backbone. If you love resinous, juniper-forward styles or you're curious about pine and fir botanicals, the mountain distilleries will reward you. Travellers combining a tasting with a day outdoors should aim for Buena Vista or Salida, where Deerhammer and Wood's High Mountain sit close to hiking, rafting and the Collegiate Peaks. If you'd rather stay urban, Denver's Bear Creek and the foraging-led Mythology make an easy pairing with a city visit, while Dry Land in Longmont is the natural choice for anyone who wants to taste gin built entirely from native plants.
Frequently asked
- What makes Colorado gin different from other American gin?
- The biggest factor is the landscape. Colorado distillers have direct access to native botanicals like Rocky Mountain juniper, pine and fir tips, sagebrush and mountain wildflowers, and many harvest them locally. Combined with high-altitude distilling and clean mountain water, this tends to produce gins that are greener, more piney and more herbal than a typical London Dry.
- Which Colorado distilleries focus most on gin?
- Dry Land Distillers in Longmont is known for gin made with native Colorado botanicals, and Mythology Distillery in Denver has a strong foraging-led identity. Deerhammer in Buena Vista makes a Dutch-style gin, while Bear Creek in Denver and Wood's High Mountain in Salida include gin within broader grain-to-glass ranges.
- Do I need to book a gin tasting in advance?
- It varies by distillery and season. Urban tasting rooms in Denver often welcome walk-ins, but mountain distilleries and busy weekends can fill up. It's always worth checking the distillery's hours and booking policy before you travel, especially if you want a guided tour rather than just a tasting.
- Can I tour the distillery as well as taste the gin?
- Many Colorado gin producers are grain-to-glass operations and offer tours that walk you through the whole process, from base spirit to botanical infusion. Tour availability differs between sites, so confirm directly with the distillery if a behind-the-scenes look matters to you.
- Is Colorado gin good for cocktails or better neat?
- Both work, but the piney, herbal character really shines in a gin and tonic or a classic martini, where the botanicals have room to open up. Tasting rooms will usually let you try the gin neat first and then in a simple serve so you can judge for yourself.
- Are these distilleries family-friendly or 21-plus only?
- Policies differ. Some Colorado distilleries have relaxed, family-welcoming tasting rooms, while others are strictly for adults of legal drinking age. If you're travelling with younger people, check each distillery's policy ahead of your visit.
- What else is worth doing near the mountain gin distilleries?
- Buena Vista and Salida, home to Deerhammer and Wood's High Mountain, sit in prime outdoor country, with hiking, whitewater rafting and the Collegiate Peaks close by. A gin tasting pairs naturally with a day spent outdoors before settling into the tasting room.