Home of American High Mountain Rum
A thriving rum scene has emerged in Colorado’s high elevation. From the mile-high city of Denver to ski resorts and Red Rocks Amphitheatre this outdoor capital has a rum adventure waiting for you.
Colorado is mountainous in the west and southwest and then gives way to the eastern plains – not suited to growing sugarcane. The towering Southern Rocky Mountains and southwest canyons and buttes in the Colorado Plateau regions experience harsh mountain and dry climates, in contrast to the eastern Great Plains, which has flat, fertile land with a semi-arid climate. Despite this, Colorado has a vibrant craft distilling scene.
Molasses is often sourced from Louisiana by distilleries, but the innovative spirit of Colorado distillers shines through in their unique rums. Karen Hoskin, the founder of Montanya Rum, helped pioneer the evolution of modern American rum and put Colorado-made rum on the map.
Nowadays, their spirit is enjoyed far beyond mountain time. Many Coloradan distillers make a range of spirits that includes rum, so not always rum-focussed this guide highlights what’s out there as a rum lover. In this high-elevation rum adventure, we travel across the state from the west to the east.
Middle Rocky Mountains
Part of the largest mountain system in North America, the Western Slope is roughly one-third of the state that lies west of the Continental Divide. The Painted Wall at Black Canyon of Gunnison and Crested Butte are some of the famous places to explore world-famous ski resorts, state parks, natural springs, lakes, rivers, trails, and rum distilleries.
Shelter Distilling
Shelter Distilling from Mammoth Lakes has opened a new production home in Montrose with state-of-the-art equipment to produce their spirits range including rum.
Stormrider Rum is distilled from molasses and fermented with Belgian yeast. Aged Stormrider Rum is aged for 14 months in a High Sierra Whiskey Barrel. Shelter Palo Santo Stormrider Rum is made with dark brown sugar and pure alpine snowmelt from the rugged High Sierra granite mountains and finished on Palo Santo Wood.
Next to the San Juan Mountains, Shelter Distilling’s new location at the Montrose Colorado Regional Airport offers a convenient bar restaurant stop for rum enthusiasts at Colorado’s fastest-growing airport.
Find out more on Shelter Distilling
Montanya Distillers
Montanya has been making rum in Colorado since 2008. In Crested Butte, they ferment, distill, and age all of the rum in the mountains at 9,000ft elevation. The High Mountain rum starts with Louisiana Sugarcane, a blend of unrefined cane sugar and blackstrap molasses. Mountain snowmelt water source contributes to the character. Ageing all happens in Laws Whiskey House Colorado Bourbon barrels. A B-Corp-certified rum distillery, they take pride in being a force for good for the environment and are women-founded and led.
The range includes; Platino a white rum aged for 1 year in a Laws Colorado Bourbon barrel and then charcoal-filtered. Oro is a gold rum that is aged 2 years in a Laws Colorado Bourbon barrel. Exclusiva has a double maturation ageing for 3 years in Laws Colorado Bourbon barrels, then finishes in Colorado wine barrels. Valentia also has double maturation; aged 4 years in Laws Colorado Bourbon barrels, and finished in Colorado rye whiskey barrels.
Released in 2024; Pineapple Habanero Rum is made from infused Platino Rum with fresh pineapples and habaneros. There’s also the new Montanya bitters line made with Platino Rum as its base. Flavours include Cherry Black Pepper, Cucumber Jalapeno, Pineapple Habanero, Grapefruit, and Citrus. They welcome all visitors, you can book a distillery tour, and enjoy delicious craft cocktails, rum tastings, and small plates in their tasting room Tuesday – Sunday 3pm-9pm.
Find out more on Montanya Distillers
Breckenridge Distillery
The “world’s highest distillery” was founded in 2008 and is most widely known for bourbon whiskey, but it does make rum. Breckenridge Spiced Rum is made with turbinado sugars and dark molasses, mashed and distilled in-house. It is aged in Breckenridge Bourbon casks and finished with selected roots, spices, and dried fruits. It’s available from their website and shipped within Colorado.
For whiskey lovers, Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish is aged in their Colorado Rum casks. Breckenridge Bourbon soaks up the charm of their own aged Colorado rum casks and is available nationally. The latest release is Breckenridge Jamaican rum cask finish whiskey which is available at Breckenridge tasting rooms and will soon be allocated nationally.
The rum is only available in Colorado, you can visit the distillery for a tour and tasting. They have a retail shop, the main street tasting room, and a restaurant where you can enjoy a tropical cocktail for après.
Find out more on Breckenridge Distillery
Mythology Distillery
Started by three Colorado natives inspired by an Alaska backcountry ski trip in 2016. On the outskirts of Steamboat Springs, Mythology specializes in whiskey and distilling gins, vodka, and rum in small batches. Influenced by the meeting of rivers the distillery is a destination at the ski resort right next to the airport.
Feather Jester Silver Rum is made with pure panela (dehydrated cane juice) sugarcane from Colombia and a double-pitch yeast, using a wild Belgian yeast strain to produce a rum with tropical fruity ester. They then distill a molasses-based rum and blend the two to add additional rum character. You’ll find the rum locally and at the distillery bar in rum cocktails. Mythology’s cocktail bar, restaurant, and whiskey garden is where locals and visitors come together. They host live music, movie nights, campfire storytelling, and many more events at the Steamboat campus.
Find out more on Mythology Distillery
Northern Front Range
Stretching north-south between Casper, Wyoming, and Pueblo, Colorado, along the Interstate 25 corridor. Situated at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills north of Denver, this region has breathtaking scenery and a variety of outdoor activities.
CopperMuse Distillery
It all started when two engineering freshmen met in the fall of 1988 at CSU. Not only did Jason and Heather fall in love, but they also developed a fondness for the excellent local beer and homebrews. They completed their degrees, married, pursued engineering careers, and eventually started a family. After a couple of decades of corporate life, Jason started getting the itch to create something different and unique. Love of local beer and passion for wine eventually led Jason to try distilled spirits. A fateful Colorado craft gin captured Jason’s interest and sparked the idea to open his own craft distillery in Fort Collins – and CopperMuse opened for business in April 2014.
CopperMuse currently produces 4 award-winning rums: Silver, Gold, Spiced, and Pineapple. Each rum is made with equal amounts of blackstrap molasses and cane sugar. The whiskey barrel-aged Gold & Spiced Rums harness the golden mellowing magic of American oak to create truly spectacular rums on par with fine whiskey. The Pineapple Rum is 100% infused with sun-ripened pineapples for over 3 weeks to make the perfect ingredient for your favourite Tiki cocktails. CopperMuse rum can be found at liquor stores, restaurants, and bars throughout the state and beyond.
Find out more on CopperMuse Distillery
NOCO Distillery
Sebastien Gavillet and Leif Jensen founded NOCO Distillery in Fort Collins in 2016. NoCo means Northern Colorado, at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where they have a source of pristine alpine water. The rum range is made using 4 different types of molasses; Organic Cane, Black Pearl Select, Caribbean Fancy, and Black Pearl Dark molasses. The rum has a long fermentation of 203 weeks at cooler temperatures, using different yeasts for each type of sugar/molasses.
It’s then distilled three times on small hand-crafted American-made copper stills. Black Pearl Select Clear Rum is pot distilled. Aged Organic Cane Rum is aged in bourbon barrels. Aged Dark Rum uses Caribbean fancy molasses, Black Pearl Select, and Black Pearl Dark. Then matured for over 2 years in small 5-gallon barrels.
Aged Organic Cane Rum is Port Barrel finished, first aged in ex-bourbon or port barrels, and cut with Rocky Mountain water. The distillery has a speakeasy tasting room where you can visit and taste the rums in cocktails.
Find out more on NOCO Distillery
The Family Jones Distillery
The distillery was started by Paul Tamburello and Rob Masters producing spirits in Loveland in 2016. Shortly after, Family Jones opened its spirit house in 2017. Whiskey is their focus and they partner with local farmers in the San Luis Valley using regenerative farming techniques. Rob, the head distiller is an industry veteran who co-founded the Colorado Distillers Guild.
Mo Jones is their white rum which is slowly fermented using a wine-specific yeast, Mo Jones achieves a natural balance between the fruity flavours from an untraditional fermentation style and its molasses base. Double pot-distilled for maximum concentration of flavours. The distillery also has three house spirits Distillery, Tasting Room, and Spirit House, with the latter temporarily closed in Fall 2024 for upgrades. Tours & Tastings are on Saturdays at 2pm.
Find out more on The Family Jones Distillery
OACIS Distilling
Started in the Fall of 2024, this small distillery was set up by Chad Douglass to connect with the community as a maker, experiment, and bring awareness to conservation techniques and Colorado’s interest in rum.
Currently producing one product, the Brulée Sugar Rum, they plan an aged 100% molasses rum in the future. The Brulée Sugar Rum wash starts with organic non-GMO cane sugar and unsulphured sugarcane molasses. The cane sugar is caramelized hence the Brulée.
After distillation, half of the batch is pressure-aged with medium-toast oak chips. Modern techniques but with a commitment to conservation, utilizing 20% stillage and all the yeast solids feed the next fermentation, with minimal waste. Water is recirculated to reduce water waste and the printed aluminum bottle reduces weight and is 100% recyclable. OACIS Brulée Sugar Rum rum is widely available in the towns of Loveland, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Windsor. They plan to grow and expand into a new location with tasting rooms and tours in the future.
Find out more on OACIS Distilling
Spirit Hound Distillers
Spirit Hound Distillers began production in 2012 and have a line of spirits; whiskey, vodka, gin, liqueur, and rum. Mountain Bum Rum is a 50/50 mix of Fancy Grade (less ash) Caribbean molasses and cane sugar. It’s fermented using a dry yeast that was originally cultivated from Caribbean rum distillers. Mountain Bum Rum is distilled two times in the same homemade pot stills that make their whiskies, with the hearts coming out of the Spirits Still at right around 151 Proof. The rum is aged in their used malt whisky barrels for a year or two.
They always have rum available in their tasting rooms, as well as in stores throughout Colorado. They welcome visitors either at the Lyons Distillery tasting room or the Denver tasting room on 36th and Tejon Street.
Find out more on Spirit Hound Distillers
Abbott & Wallace Distilling
Named after the founders, Abbott & Wallace is a grain-to-glass distillery in Longmont that opened in 2017. Infusing longstanding tradition and modern exploration to craft spirits that are ready for adventure, they work with Colorado farmers for grains and source Florida organic molasses for the rum.
The rum is made with 75% Florida Organic molasses and 25% cane sugar. They utilize wild yeast culture and lactobacillus in a long cool fermentation to imitate Caribbean high-ester rum. For ageing, they use a combination of new oak and used whiskey barrels for a blend of fresh char and mellow whiskey notes. The base Silver Rum is perfect for fruity cocktails while the aged rum shines in a spirit-forward expression.
Abbott & Wallace Distilling in downtown Longmont is open Tuesday – Sunday for tours, tastings, and cocktails. You can enjoy a rum at their tasting room and cocktail lounge cocktail bar which hosts live music and a weekly events program.
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Dry Land Distillers
Started in Longmont by friends in 2018, Dry Land Distillers Pure Cane Rum is made from 100% raw cane sugar and raw sugarcane sourced from local families in Louisiana and Florida. They ferment directly on the crushed cane and age in either used whiskey barrels or virgin charred American oak barrels to limited-release holiday rum each November.
The rum is distilled using hand-fabricated traditional copper stills, and they do a single run in the spirit still to retain the complex vegetal notes from the raw cane. Careful use of barrels to build flavour, they typically bottle their aged rum at a higher proof. Dry Land Distillers is one of the most sustainable American distilleries and released the first Regenerative Organic Certified 100% Straight Malted Rye in the U.S.
Dry Land Distillers cocktail lounge in downtown Longmont where the distillery makes every ingredient in their cocktails on site. The menu rotates seasonally, menu specials every other week, walk-in tours are welcome, and they are open Wed – Sun from 4 – 10 pm. You can also enjoy Dry Land Spirits at top restaurants including The Wolf’s Tailor, Bruto, Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails, the Populus Hotel, and Trailborn Rocky Mountains.
Find out more Dry Land Distillers
The Heart Distillery
Founded by Pat and Amanda Weakland in 2018 under the same roof as High Hops Brewery and The Windsor Gardener in Windsor. Their newest release is Don John Rum, named in honour of their grandfather, Don John. This premium rum is made with a blend of 50/50 cane sugar and molasses. It’s aged in their own bourbon barrels and finished in Amburana wood, creating a rich and memorable flavour. Like all their spirits, Don John Rum reflects the family’s dedication to quality and craftsmanship.
In addition to Don John Rum, they produce a silver rum and a sugar beet rum, made with locally sourced sugar beets. The Silver Rum is already available in liquor stores throughout Colorado’s front range and in Wyoming, and Don John Rum will be available starting in early November.
You can also taste all three rums in their tasting room located inside a tropical greenhouse, where they run two other family businesses: The Windsor Gardener and High Hops Brewery. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience to sip rum surrounded by lush plants.
Find out more on The Heart Distillery
Syntax Distillery and Cocktail Bar
In Greeley, you’ll find Syntax Distillery, one of the few distilleries in Colorado when it opened in 2010. Each batch of Syntax Heavy Rum starts with 100% American dark cane molasses blended with Rocky Mountain white water. It’s then fermented and distilled on handmade column stills for a clean, smooth flavour.
The rum is then aged in a whiskey barrel and they add a touch of the same dark molasses. The unaged version of Heavy Rum is Syntax Powder White Rum. Tours are by appointment only and you can try their rums on their signature cocktail menu at the Cocktail Bar which is open Wednesday to Sunday and they have numerous live events.
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Turnbuckle Distilling
Formerly known as Whistling Hare Distillery, is a family-owned and operated distillery founded in 2015 and located in Westminster. The craft small-batch distillery in the Colorado foothills specialises in bourbon and rye whiskies, gin, and rum. Turnbuckle Distilling Rum is Wine Barrel Finished. The rum is made from evaporated cane juice and premium molasses. Aged in a bourbon cask before finishing it in a red wine barrel.
Turnbuckle is building a new production facility and restaurant in the foothills west of Littleton, minutes from Red Rocks. With a winter 2025 opening date, the new facility will be handy for Red Rocks concerts. The new location will have a state-of-the-art production and barrelling space, locally-inspired dining, casual bar and tasting room, and exclusive events and tasting opportunities. In the meantime, visit their tasting room in Westminster.
Find out more on Turnbuckle Distilling
The Mile High City
Denver’s elevation is a result of its location on the western edge of the High Plains. Colorado’s warm days and cool nights help shape its identity. Queen City of the Plains is your gateway to the Rockies.
Bear Creek Distillery
Opened in 2014 by high school friends selling silver rum and rye vodka in Denver, they now specialize in a range of spirits. Bear Creek Silver Rum is distilled from a wash of organic evaporated cane juice one batch at a time using a copper hybrid pot still and then chill filtered.
Bear Creek Cask Strength Rum is unique and available for a limited time. It starts with maturing the Silver Rum in once-used bourbon barrels at 120 proof. Once matured and out of the cask, it is immediately bottled resulting in a high-proof rum with bourbon character and a smooth finish.
You can book a tour or visit the neighbourhood tasting room which serves seasonal cocktails.
Find out more on Bear Creek Distillery
Ballmer Peak Distillery
Eric and Austin from Phoenix Arizona opened Ballmer Peak Distillery in late 2019. Ballmer Peak Distillery has 2 locations, one in Sheridan and the other in Green Mountain 10 minutes away. In 2020, they started with vodka, Australian-inspired gin, the rum range, and unaged light whiskey.
Ballmer Peak Silver Rum is twice pot-distilled from pure molasses fermentation. Ballmer Peak Spiced Rum uses the silver rum base and is distilled once more through a basket of spices. Szechuan peppercorns, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and mace create a peppery spiced rum. Ballmer Peak Golden Rum is the silver rum base aged in new charred oak.
As Lakewood’s only distillery, they have a tasting room to enjoy rum, gin, and whiskey. Try their signature cocktails and rum at Sheridan or the cozy Green Mountain tasting rooms. Open 7 days a week, there are weekly events like Tiki Tuesday and a food truck schedule.
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Denver Distillery
Denver Distillery in the historic Baker neighbourhood has been making rum from scratch since before opening its doors in 2018. It starts with 100% Black Pearl Select molasses, a unique blend that creates a buttery and bold fermentation profile. Using long open-air fermentation in cypress fermenters, an in-house dunder, and double pot-still distillation in a handmade copper pot still with a thump keg.
Currently, Denver Distillery offers Silver and Dark Rum both bottled at 45% abv. The Dark Rum is lightly oaked and blended with less than 2% Colorado raw honey. Its Navy Strength Spiced Rum is inspired by a pineapple upside-down cake. A Distiller’s Reserve Overproof Rum is released in extremely limited and is aged a minimum of 3 years in smaller spent-bourbon barrels. Denver Distillery is scheduled to release its first Overproof Bottled in Bond Dunder Rum aged a minimum of 4 years in spent 4-Grain Bourbon barrels by November of 2024. Lastly, they distill a column-rum as the base of the floral Gin.
Tours can be booked online and run seven days a week. You’ll experience the distilling process from start to finish and can purchase Denver Distillery spirits state-wide or at the distillery in the heart of Denver.
Find out more on Denver Distillery
Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse
Distilling since 2018, woman-owned Ironton produces whiskeys, gin, vodka, rum, and aquavit. Named after a lost, but not forgotten mining town in southern Colorado and the 19th century ‘Ironton Addition’ of Denver that is now known as the RiNo Arts District today.
Ironton Platinum Rum is distilled on custom hybrid copper stills from Panela; a pure, unrefined sugar cane from Colombia. A longer fermentation gives the yeast time to create a fruity flavour. Ironton Barrel Aged Rum is the Aged Platinum Rum distilled from Panela sugarcane and aged in Ironton Bourbon barrels. Their whiskeys are aged in Number 2 Char 53-gallon new American oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years which are then used to age the Platinum Rum.
You can try the rum at their tasting room with a cocktail. There’s Angel’s Share Pizza Kitchen, tours and you can pick up a bottle. The distillery hosts events and has a dog-friendly patio and outdoor garden area.
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Mile High Spirits
Established in 2011 by Wyn Ferrell, Chase Campbell, and Joe von Felt. They set out to make clear spirits, they have evolved to produce whiskey and aged spirits. Peg Leg Colorado White Rum is made from demerara raw cane sugar and distilled on a German copper pot still and cut with filtered Rocky Mountain water.
Distillery tours must be booked but show you how the spirits are made, with guided backstage access to the production area and hand-built wooden rickhouse, and tastings are included. They host cocktail classes, and private events and make local craft cocktails at the tasting room bar
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Rocker Spirits
Rocker Spirits is a micro-distillery and whiskey bar located in Littleton since 2016. Rocker rum is made from sugar cane molasses. Distilled in a continuous column still. Aged 6 years in used whiskey barrels and proofed at 86 for bottling with no additional sugar, flavours, or carbon filtering. The bottle is inspired by a 1930s oil can and built on the ethos of American industrial design. You can visit the distillery and try their rum cocktails Wed-Thurs: 4-10pm. Fri-Sat: 4-11pm
Find out more on Rocker Spirits
Downslope Distilling
The small-scale craft distillery started in 2009 in Englewood near Centennial Airport and Cherry Creek State Park. The distillery makes a range of spirits including rum. The Downslope Silver Rum is made with unrefined, pressed, and dried sugar cane. Distilled on a double diamond still, and the rum is slow carbon filtered to achieve a light body.
Downslope Spiced Rum is infused with 19 different spices in a unique cold infusion process. Using 100% natural ingredients. Downslope Double Vanilla Rum is infused with a combination of Tahitian and Madagascar vanilla beans. They offer free distillery tours and options for tastings. There’s a Distilling School where you can have a hands-on 3-day workshop at the distillery tasting room.
Find out more on Downslope Distilling
Pikes Peak Region
Home to the second-largest city in Colorado, and Garden of the Gods, a true geological wonder 300 million years in the making.
1350 Distilling
In East Downtown Colorado Springs, 1350 Distilling is a veteran, teacher, and women-owned craft distillery. The 1350 name pays tribute to the 13 stripes and 50 stars of the Star-spangled Banner. They distill vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey. Bluejacket Rum is distilled from Louisiana molasses and Colorado sugar beets. As with all their spirits, they use fresh Colorado Rocky Mountain water in fermentation and proofing.
Fleet Admirals’ Aged Rum is made with Louisiana molasses and Colorado sugar beets mash as the Blue Jacket Rum and distilled in the one-of-a-kind Rocket Still, producing a clear and funky rum. They immediately store the ambrosia in their spent Code Four and Guardian Bourbon barrels for a minimum of 6 months to age. The barrels previously stored 120-proof, 99% corn bourbons for 3 years.
They offer weekly tours and special events. At the Taste Lounge you can sample spirits, have a rum cocktail, and buy a bottle to go. The patio has a great view of the Front Range.
Find out more on 1350 Distilling
Blackhat Distillery
In Colorado Springs the distillery was saved by three business partners back in 2019. The black hat name is inspired by people of innovation, rebellion, or influence who wear these hats. The distillery produces brandy, agave spirits, and rums.
Royals and Rebels Young Barrel Aged Rum is a sugarcane and molasses rum based on the Cuban tradition using all of the sugar stalk. Island Rum is a Jamaican Style Rum. They bottle Robb’s Red Rumm, a Caribbean rum started by a Colorado couple. You can visit the distillery but tours need to be booked in advance. They have a tasting room to enjoy rum in Colorado Springs, it’s open Tuesday-Friday and they host regular events.
Find out more on Blackhat Distillery
Good to Know: Many of these distilleries make whiskey first or offer a wide range of spirits – but they distill rum in Colorado, so they’re worth checking out to broaden your horizons in rum. Beyond a regular visit to Colorado, rum lovers can now discover their favourite spirit in some unexpected places and explore off-the-beaten-path to local distilleries and bars.
Where to Enjoy Rum in Colorado
In addition to the distilleries’ tasting room bars mentioned, here’s a list of must-visit bars for rum lovers visiting Colorado – whether it’s ski resort Hot Buttered Rum or downtown Tiki cocktail.
Denver: Adrift Tiki Bar, Cuba Cuba Cafe & Bar, Cafe Brazil, The Electric Cure, Hell or High Water Tiki Bar, Death & Co Denver, Finn’s Manor (pictured), Run For The Roses, The Nearby Bar
Boulder: Jungle
Breckenridge: Castaways Cove
Colorado Springs: Shrunken Head Tiki, The Rabbit Hole, Principal’s Office, Shame & Regret, Rendezvous Cigar & Cocktail Lounge
Grand Lake: One Love Rum Kitchen
Longmont: Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant & Bar
Loveland: Da Big Kahuna Tiki Bar & Grill, Door 222, Loveland Tap & Tavern
Where will your next Rocky Mountains vacation take you?
For more general travel advice on Colorado Tourism
For the full list and travel planning use our Colorado Rum Map
Thanks to the brands for contributing to this article, and permission to use their images. Other image credits to Canva Pro, and user contributions.
