For active groups with an appetite, Colorado is one of the best destinations for pairing scenic attractions with an abundance of culinary options, including an array of restaurants, foodie tours, cooking classes, breweries, wineries and more.
“Colorado is known for its natural beauty and outdoor adventure, and we encourage groups to work up an appetite outdoors and get a taste of our equally stunning culinary scene,” said Cathy Ritter, director of the Colorado Tourism Office. “Colorado’s unpretentious, diverse and creative chefs, array of award-winning craft libations, rich agricultural offerings and commitment to food sustainability are putting the state on the culinary map.”
The popular TV show Top Chef has taken notice and will film its entire new season in Colorado, to air this fall, according to Ritter, who added it’s the ideal locale for the show’s first visit to the Rocky Mountains.
“We cannot wait for viewers to experience the scenic beauty, hospitality and vibrancy of some of our thriving culinary destinations, including the Mile High City of Denver, Boulder and Telluride,” she said.
In the meantime, following are some great group-friendly ideas from a seemingly endless lineup of edible possibilities throughout Colorado.
Denver
Denver is leading the charge on an interesting culinary trend: the modern-day food hall.
According to Rachel Benedick, vice president of sales and services for Visit Denver, they are often large spaces in interesting neighborhoods, some with great city views, and they can accommodate group events.
Among the city’s food halls are The Source, which features one of Denver’s top restaurants, Acorn, as well as a bakery and beer-tasting room; Avanti F&B, which features several international eateries; and the newly opened Denver Central Market, where groups will find vendors selling everything from fresh fish to ice cream.
Denver is also a top beer city, where groups will find Coors Brewery as well as many purveyors of microbrews.
“Groups can take advantage of our concentration of craft breweries by setting out on the self-guided Denver Beer Trail,” said Benedick, who added wine lovers in the group can check out Infinite Monkey Theorem, an urban winery. “And Stranahan’s Whiskey is one of Denver’s top distilleries, offering tours, tastings and even bottling opportunities.”
Colorado Springs
The craft scene is flourishing in Colorado Springs at venues like 3 Hundred Days of Shine, a name that highlights both the distillery’s production of moonshine and the region’s ample sunshine.
“Discover delicious Western Sippin’ moonshine at the base of the Colorado Rocky Mountains,” said Chelsy Offutt, director of communications for the Colorado Springs CVB. “Groups can tour the distillery before trying flavors like apple pie, peach cobbler and Colorado honey.”
During an outing with Rocky Mountain Food Tours, groups will learn a bit about Colorado Springs as they visit five downtown culinary destinations for cocktails and nibbles.
Groups can also enjoy a meal at Till, a new restaurant with a farm-inspired open kitchen that’s committed to supporting local food, and cooking classes at The Broadmoor, which can be customized for groups of all sizes.
According to chef David Patterson, Cloud Camp, a Wilderness Experience at The Broadmoor, offers the daily “Chef’s Cooking Club,” a hands-on meal preparation that’s popular with groups.
Boulder
Boulder is home to the 30-year-old Boulder County Farmers Markets, which according to Mary Ann Mahoney, executive director of the Boulder CVB, is a great place to send groups for a truly local experience.
The Food Lab, which opened downtown last year, offers custom cooking classes.
“It’s the perfect spot to have an intimate group experience in a modern setting,” said Mahoney, and added hands-on classes and demonstration classes that allow for more networking are available. “You can even do an Iron Chef-like battle.”
During the Coffee & Chocolate tour with Local Table Tours, groups will taste sweets and local brews.
“You’ll taste truffles from an amazing shop on the historic west end of Pearl Street, Piece, Love & Chocolate,” Mahoney explained. “Try a truffle from their Colorado Spirits collection—they have beer-, liquor- and wine-infused fillings from local producers.”
Fort Collins
Local Table Tours also operates in Fort Collins, and during one popular tour attendees will taste waffles, gourmet coffee and chocolate at purveyors like Nuance Chocolate.
“All three stops will leave the group with a greater appreciation of the craft aspect behind the food but also allow for interaction with the ‘makers’ and fellow attendees,” said Katy Schneider, director of marketing for Visit Fort Collins.
PageBreak
The company also offers Old Town culinary tours.
Also in Fort Collins, considered the state’s Craft Beer Capital—70 percent of Colorado’s microbrews are made here—groups can plan on a fun outing with Beer & Bike Tours, during which they will stop at three breweries and learn local history.
And at the Cooking Studio Fort Collins, according to Schneider, classes are designed to engage team members from preparation through enjoying the finished product.
Estes Park
Located nearby Rocky Mountain National Park is YMCA of the Rockies, where an on-site banquet chef facilitates cooking classes for groups, according to Chris Sheehan, food services director.
“Yoga Journal retreat participants were interested in clean eating, and vegetarian and vegan cooking,” he cited as an example. “Learning good cooking techniques was a great enhancement for retreat participants who were here to immerse themselves in a healthy-living culture.”
Grand Junction
In Grand Junction, the epicenter of agritourism for Colorado, groups can enjoy a visit to Sprigs & Sprouts lavender farm, which offers olive oil and balsamic vinegar tastings and a lavender tour, according to Mistalynn Meyeraan, marketing and public relations director for the Grand Junction VCB.
“Grand Junction is known for many things, including being Colorado’s Wine Country,” Meyeraan said, and added several wineries host groups, including Colterris Winery and Two Rivers Winery, which offers private five-course wine-pairing meals inside a French-inspired chateau. “The red-rock canyons of Colorado National Monument is the backdrop.”
Located in historic downtown Grand Junction, the group-friendly Rockslide Restaurant & Brewery crafts beers on-site and uses locally grown products in its menu.
Mountain Resorts
Neighbors Aspen and Snowmass share easy access to each other’s culinary delights, including teambuilding events at the Cooking School of Aspen, which Melissa Wisenbaker, public relations manager for the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, said are entertaining, informative and affordable.
Located just outside of Aspen in Basalt is Woody Creek Distillers, a purveyor of craft vodka, rye whiskey and gin, and a leader in the farm-to-bottle trend, according to Wisenbaker.
“Following a tour, guests can enjoy cocktails in the tasting room, which is also available to book for events and parties,” she added.
Blazing Adventures, based out of Snowmass, offers a culinary teambuilding event that mingles the area’s scenic surroundings and its culinary scene.
According to Alan Palmer, group sales director for Snowmass Tourism, the experience begins with a visit to the famed Maroon Bells, where a picnic is served, and ends at the Cooking School of Aspen for a Spanish tapas cooking class and wine-tasting challenge.
Snowmass is home to many group-friendly restaurants, including Monte at The Westin Snowmass Resort and Eight K at Viceroy Snowmass.
“They both have gorgeous private dining rooms featuring contemporary mountain decor,” Palmer said. “Either location will happily offer customized menus.”
Among the lineup of microbreweries and distilleries where groups can hold events and enjoy tastings in Vail are Vail Brewing Company, and 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit; and group-friendly restaurants include Sweet Basil, a longstanding favorite that accommodates private dining.
Kim Brussow, director of sales for Visit Vail Valley, added that hands-on cooking classes and demonstrations at Larkspur Restaurant are great for teambuilding, and Vail Valley Food Tours offers brew hops and more.
At the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa, according to Tom Puntel, the property’s director of sales, marketing and events, there is a display section adjacent to the ballroom that’s perfect for cooking classes and teambuilding events.
“Examples of cooking classes are making pizzas and throwing the dough in the air, carving and filleting fish, and trimming and learning how to cook steak,” Puntel said, adding that teambuilding options include creating the best cupcake.
Liquid assets in Breckenridge include Continental Divide Winery, which offers wine-blending classes and also opened a new tasting room in 2016. Meanwhile, the Breckenridge Distillery opened in 2016 after an 8,000-square-foot expansion.
The project included adding a large barrel house that will accommodate events with up to 200 people, and a new restaurant space with a kitchen that features an open chef’s tasting bar.
“Guests can expect bold flavors paired with spirit flights and, of course, a killer cocktail menu,” said Donna Hori, director of sales for the Breckenridge Tourism Office.
Two tasty options in Steamboat Springs are Butcherknife Brewing Co., which according to Maren McCutchan, public relations manager for the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, offers tours and has a large tap room that is well-suited for groups, and Laundry Restaurant, which specializes in shared plates.
“Your group will enjoy trying a few new and exotic combinations for a memorable experience, including fun pickled items and creative infusions from the bar,” McCutchan said.
