Ear to the ground

“The only reason they have the fog machines is so you can’t see that there’s nobody in there.”

– Downtown reveler remarking on the newest addition to Durango’s late-night party scene

Top of the Montanya

Rocky Mountain rum is garnering international acclaim. Montanya Rum, the microdistillery in Silverton, will vie for the honor of “Best Rum in North America” at this weekend’s Rumfest in the United Kingdom. The Rumfest offers the only internationally recognized awards for rum brands from across the globe.

Silverton may seem like the unlikeliest of locales for a rum distillery, but Karen and Brice Hoskin had a vision. Early in 2008, the pair set up the Montanya distillery in the old Explorer’s Club on Blair Street. They promptly got to work making two rums – Platino White and Oro Dark. Both of Montanya’s rums are made from sugar cane, aged in American oak, and distilled with an Alembic copper pot still. These creations are a far cry from your standard Myers and Bacardi. The Platino is coconut-husk charcoal filtered, and the Oro is fermented with champagne yeast.

As anyone who’s enjoyed a Thai Boxer cocktail at Montanya knows, the recipe is working. Montanya has already picked up a slew of awards for its efforts, earned the respect of rum connoisseur Ed Hamilton and will reach for the golden ring this weekend at Rumfest.

Set over two days in London, the fourth annual festival will take visitors, aficionados and judges on a whistle-stop tour of the world’s most amazing rums. And when the buzzes settle on Monday, Montanya will learn if it has earned the laurel of “Best Rum in North America.”

For more information, visit www.rumfest.co.uk.

A walk down Peach St.

Local spirits are prospering throughout Southwest Colorado. Peach Street Distillers, Ska Brewing’s side project, recently celebrated its fifth birthday.

The company is centered in Palisade because of the town’s fruit and wine production. Peach Street now produces Goat Vodka, Jack and Jenny Peach Brandy, Jackelope Gin and Colorado Straight Bourbon. The biggest challenge in getting off the ground for Peach Street was getting the booze into stores and onto shelves.

“It was pretty tough going into liquor stores cold calling,” explained co-owner Rory Donovan. But the company believes in the project and is taking a “conquer the world one bottle at a time approach.”

Fellow owner and Ska partner Bill Graham is enjoying his kindergarten years with Peach Street. “We’re way young, we’re 5-year-olds man, like we’re still wrestling around and tumbling,” he said.