Wine and Spirits Travel

The Colorado Tourism Board had scheduled Thursday as my free day to explore and I did just that, taking in as much of Denver as I could and spending some time at the biggest beer festival in the world. It had been a total coincidence that I ended up in Denver (with an unscheduled day) at the start of the Great American Beer Festival . The truth is, everyone knows about all of the breweries in Colorado and I was there to write about the spirits. There was also one other little detail…. I don’t drink beer. It’s not that I haven’t tried. An unfortunate incident years ago left me unable to even let it get to my lips. I’m working on it (anyone know a good hypnotist?), but despite the fact that I’m not a brew fan, I wasn’t going to miss a chance to check out the Great American Beer Festival, dubbed by everyone I know as the greatest in the world. Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director for the BrewersAssociation , took me around the convention center before the festival even s

My third day in Colorado  was spent tasting a multitude of spirits -- and enjoying more of the state's farm fresh food. I was picked up in the morning by JoAnne Carrelli-Stevenson, who is in charge of the Colorado Distillers Guild . We had a nice talk on our ride through Denver to Leopold Brothers about the growing distilling industry in Colorado , a state which now has 250 beverage producers. She also filled me in on the Great American Beer Festival, which happened to be starting the next day in Denver. I was thinking that I may just have to stop by there, but first it was spirits time. The tour at Leopold Brothers had already started as there was a group of distributors from Kansas I was joining. Todd Leopold took us through the fermentation and distillation process, and into both the bottling and barreling rooms.  This company is one of the few that distribute their products out of state and it’s quite a complex production center as they make a huge variety of prod

I go on a lot of wine country trips, but my Colorado adventure is based on spirits. On day two it was time to get to some serious sampling of what the area had to offer in food and drinks, but first I had some mountains to check out. After a good night’s sleep in my beautifully decorated room at Hotel Boulderado , Kim from Boulder’s visitor’s Bureau picked me up and we headed up to Chautauqua Park . It was a clear and warm day and she told me about this beautiful place as we walked the trail. I honestly could have spent the day in the fresh Rocky Mountain air, but I had a job to do and the first course of business was at Boulder Distillery & Clear Spirit Company. Boulder Distillery is just a bit bigger than most garages, yet you would not believe all the spirits that come out of there. They are most known for their 303 Vodka which is “infused” on the premises with seasonal ingredients. The Colorado liquor laws actually allow for distilleries to not only serve sample

I’ve been trying to remember how long it’s been since I’ve been to Colorado . I don’t think I’ve been there as an adult, but my memories from childhood are definitely good ones. My family and I frequently drove around the country and though we took various routes so we could see as much as possible, I seem to remember that we always went through Colorado. I know the mountains are beautiful and the air fresh and clean, but I was racking my brain for awhile trying to figure out why it was my father always made Colorado a must stop. Then, I arrived and it hit me the minute I saw it. Coors beer. You see, years ago, you couldn’t get Coors in New York. It was only available “west of the Rockies” and the Rockies were in Colorado. As much as my dad loved to drive through the Rockies, he also loved a good beer once in awhile and that’s why our yearly cross-country trip would almost always include Colorado! Beer was only a small consideration in my trip to Colorado. The big dra

It had been quite a week as my friend Lisa and I started in Indianapolis and then went on to Cedar Falls. We had discovered a new spa ( Evan Todd ), a new fruit (pawpaws) and a new beer ( Rockmill Brewery ), but nothing quite prepared us for what we would see when we arrived in Chicago. We had another great breakfast (homemade quiche and blueberry muffins) at the Inn at Cedar Falls before saying goodbye to Hocking Hills and hitting the road. It was a long drive to Chicago, but there was something quite exciting waiting on the other end. I had snagged an exclusive invitation to the Grand Opening of Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse at the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue. I have been to celebrity events before and although this one was a bit more sports oriented in its attendees, it felt more celebratory than any I had seen. As the valet opened the door to my Santa Fe, the cameras started snapping us walking down the red carpet as if we were the stars of the evening! Th

One of the major reasons I decided to go to the Inn at Cedar Falls at this time was because it is paw paw season and this Inn has found many ways to take advantage of this tropical fruit grown in Ohio. (Yes, you read that right: tropical fruit in Ohio.)  I learned a bit about the antioxidant properties of the paw paw from Spa Director Randall Wellman before my massage , but I had yet to taste any. I was excited to learn that my friend Lisa and I would get to taste paw paws as well as cook with them during our time with Chef Anthony Schultz. Everything we had to eat at the Inn at Cedar Falls was delicious so I felt confident with Chef Schultz, who had previously worked at Eon in the Hamptons, not far from where I had grown up. As much as I love to cook I decided that I would get better notes and pictures as the observer so Lisa got to do the actual preparation. First, we learned about the paw paw. It really is a tropical fruit, the most northern tropical fruit you will find.

I woke up fairly early a bit confused. My morning wake up is always a look at the email on my IPhone and I stunned to find it not on my night table until I remembered where I was. I was in a cabin at the Inn at Cedar Falls with no cell phone or internet, but that was alright since we had some fun things to do. My friend Lisa and I went up to the Inn's restaurant and helped ourselves to some yogurt and fruit (breakfast is included for all guests). The waitress tempted us with French Toast Stuffed with Raspberry Cream Cheese and we were glad she did. Next, we headed on a tour of the property with Stephanie. Along the way we saw everything from a butterfly in one of the many flowers, to herb, vegetable and fruit gardens. The newest addition to the property is a Rooftop Garden, complete with a swing and a beautiful view of the Hocking Hills area. In addition to the cabins where we were staying, the property has 12 cottages and Inn accommodations. The cabins and cottage

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you probably know that I'm more likely to be found at five star resorts than a five tent camping ground.  I've written a few pieces on glamping, but I never really understood the appeal -- until I arrived at the Inn at Cedar Falls . I'm sure everyone has their own idea of roughing it. For me, it was a cabin with no phone (cell or landline), no television and no Internet, located acres away from other accommodations. It actually had everything we really needed -- two bedrooms, a kitchen with a dining area, a living room and a porch complete with swing. It was cozy and complete, but definitely rustic. I soon realized that the lack of electronic amenities was the only part of the Inn at Cedar Falls that didn't compare with what I was used t. After we quickly unpacked, Lisa and I headed up to the restaurant, dodging a deer along the way. The restaurant was stunning, with a combination of woodsy and country charm. I had bee