Wine and Spirits Travel

It was day two of my press trip with SpringHill Suites Downtown Denver and Infinite Monkey Theorem Wine . We had tasted and paired the wine on day one , and now it was time to check out some more food and beer. Our schedule didn’t start until 9:30 a.m. so we got to sleep in a bit, which was much needed after the late night. We got started by all meeting for breakfast. The SpringHill Suites offers a nice hot breakfast to begin with, and the chef from the Degree restaurant next door brought us some scones and treats to go with it. After breakfast, we all piled back into our limousine to hit some of the breweries of Denver in the nearby LoDo and RiNo Art District. Even though I don’t drink beer, the tours were fun and informative as we went through Wynkoop Brewery, Falling Rock Tap House, and Epic Brewing. We then went back to the SpringHill Suites to say goodbye. Most of the group was heading home, but I decided to stay another day.

My press trip invitation from Zimmerman Public Relations was very different than any I had received, but it definitely peaked my interest. The trip was a collaboration between SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown  and Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery. It was only two days long and it sounded like a lot of fun, so I cleared my schedule. I was one of the first to arrive in Denver, a city I hadn’t visited in a few years . It had been a while since I’ve stayed at a SpringHill Suites and this one was even nicer than I had remembered. The lobby was very warm and welcoming, as was the staff. I would learn that the staff here was especially friendly as they were all students from the Hospitality School at the Metropolitan State University. The school was right next door and there was a very unique partnership between this SpringHill and Metropolitan. Not only did the hotel employee many students, but profits from the hotel also went into scholarships at the school. T

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

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