Local Products We Love

Fill your eyes, cup, and belly—western Colorado style. Beer gear for your Color Sunday adventures. Scents and sights that bring the outdoors in. Festive flavors for quiet evenings and happy gatherings alike.

WOOLY WAX CANDLES

Her curiosity about the connections between scent and emotion/memory inspired Rachel Woolcott, a chef of 20+ years, to create candles that release meaningful scents. A changing selection of pre-made candles includes those inspired by Woolcott’s own fond memories. Her Bermese Teakwood candle, for example, combines wood, leather, and scotch aromas that remind her of sneaking into her father’s study as a child. Woolcott will make customized candles with your individual smell and memory pairings, too. All are hand-poured in small batches and made from soy and other natural ingredients.

Based in Denver, Wooly Wax Candles utilizes Colorado ingredients whenever possible. “I think it’s pretty cool to capture the oil out of my surroundings and use it in candle making,” Woolcott says. She forages and steam-distills Western Slope ingredients like prickly pear blossom, rabbitbrush, Utah juniper, and pinyon pine. It’s a time-consuming process, so candles made with these ingredients are available in very limited quantities.

For autumn, Woolcott recommends her current Cardamom| Sandalwood and Petitgrain | Vetiver combinations. “Both are rich and bright,” she says. Customers can shop current inventory and place custom orders at woolywaxcandles.com.

KANNAH CREEK

OKTOBERFEST + GROWLER

When you hike in Colorado, you should have a summit beer. When it is fall, that beer should be a seasonal favorite like Oktoberfest from Kannah Creek Brewing Company, available ontap at their two Grand Junction locations. Because their customers are a loyal and rather adventurous bunch, KCBC offers a Hydro Flask growler complete with brewery insignia. This double-wall-insulated, airtight vessel keeps 64 ounces of microbrewed goodness ice-cold and bubbly for 24 hours. BPA- and phthalatefree, the stainless steel growlers are $55 — and fill-ups are just $10 each. Get yours at Edgewater Brewery, 905 Struthers Ave., or Kannah Creek Brewing Company, 1960 N. 12th Street.

ZESTY MOOSE GOURMET BLENDS

Add some local flavor to your falltime feasts and parties with all-natural, Colorado-proud deliciousness from the Zesty Moose. To spice up an autumn happy hour, simmer one of their mulling blends with local cider or wine. Both the Autumn Apple and Winterberry blends come in a steeping bag with whole spices and dried fruits — no added sugar. Stock up for the holiday season, too, with Lemon Rosemary Brine or Whiskey Bourbon Smoked Brine and Classic Bread Stuffing Starter.

These are just a tiny sampling of all The Zesty Moose has to offer. Shop their huge variety of seasonings, rubs, oils, vinegars, dips, handmade pasta, and more at 449 Colorado Ave. in Grand Junction, or online at thezestymoose.com.

MusicalMud MUGS AND MORE

Mulled drinks are even better when sipped from a piece of handmade art. Inspired by the trees famous for their gorgeous autumn gold, MusicalMud Studios creates ceramic mugs with the cracks, eyes, and contrast found in aspen tree bark. Palisade artist Lori Raper creates the bark-like texture using a technique that stretches clay from the inside out. It is also the source of her motto. “True growth happens from the inside out.” The “Aspen Pots” series features a variety of functional and decorative pieces — including lamps, vases,and lidded vessels. To shop the eStore or place a custom order, visit musicalmud.com.