The Bolder Life: I Dream in Triple Berry

Everyone has a local watering hole.

A place where they can show up after not showering for two days—wearing stretchy pants, a holey t-shirt and muddy hiking boots. A place where the bartenders know your full name, drink order, birth date, and how many drinks you can handle before it’s time to switch you to water. It’s your favorite place.

Luckily for us Boulder County folks, our local watering holes are making their own drinks—literally. Our favorite hang outs are brewing up nationally acclaimed craft beers and award-winning wines—and serving them fresh from the source in their packed taprooms and tasting rooms, decorated with plenty of medals and awards to validate their successes.

But what if (heaven forbid), you’re not a beer drinker? And what if you’re kind of picky about wine?

Then I just found the perfect place for you.

The Boulder Distillery and Clear Spirit Company is still a rookie in the BoCo beverage scene, but their uniquely crafted gin, potato whiskey and potato vodkas are steamrolling their way into liquor stores and restaurants all over Colorado. I’m sure you’ve seen the “303” logo on the side of those refreshingly clear bottles filled with some of the most potent alcohol smells to ever make contact with your nostrils. You may have seen their products used in local mixology competitions. If you spent your New Year’s Eve at BMoCA, chances are you were sipping on a deliciously crisp, 303 Vodka and soda with a fresh squeeze of lime. But if you haven’t been to the 303 Tasting Room, then you have no idea the level of awesomeness that these guys are putting out.

Tucked at the back of one of the strangest business/industrial parks in Boulder, the Boulder Distillery finds itself in good company, with neighbors like the Green Guru and Boulder Ice Cream. In a building painted an interesting shade of Oscar the Grouch Green, a giant “303” logo designates the entrance to the quirky tasting room, filled with comfy couches, one TV for watching sports, a partition made of random doors, and a plethora of other odd knick-knacks decorating everything from the walls to the ceiling. In the summer, guests can take advantage of the make-shift outdoor patio the faces the Goose Creek Bike Path. On sunny days, the Distillery opens their huge garage door giving their indoor guests a taste of the beautiful weather. Dogs are welcome and the occasional food truck can be found parked outside.

At the bar, you’ll find a very knowledgeable mixologist, several infused vodkas and a list of popular drink recipes that you can choose from. The Boulder Creek martini is made with olive-infused vodka. The Pickletini is just the right amount of pickle-y—and the Vootbeer, topped with a healthy dollop of whipped cream, will hold up conversation as you savor the sweet tasting drink and try to the find the appropriate words to explain the deliciousness of the drink to your friends.

But at night, when I lay down to go to sleep, I dream of the Triple Berry. A crisp, smooth vodka infused with three different kinds of berries, a little bit of happiness and just the right amount of danger. Pick up a bottle of any of the infused vodkas during your visit, or purchase a regular bottle of vodka, whiskey or gin—if it happens to be in stock. With products as drinkable as the ones coming out of this local distillery, it’s no wonder they are consistently flying off the shelves.

The Boulder Distillery and Clear Spirit Company is located at 2500 47^th St., Suite 10 in Boulder, CO. Click here for Tasting Room Hours. Click here for a list of upcoming 303 Events. And click here for a list of tasty 303 Vodka recipes that you can make at home.