Attention all Crested Butte locals. Your favorite local rum distillery, Montanya Rum, is moving locations. But don’t worry, it’s just two doors up the road.

“I’m most excited about driving rum appreciation,” shares Karen Hoskin, the founder, owner and CEO of Montanya Distillers.

Hoskin’s love of rum has stood the test of time. She was first exposed to the spirit on a trip to Goa, India where she tried their “pride and joy rum” — Old Monk. “It started a love affair with me and that spirit,” she says.

In 2008, Hoskin decided to make a career change, and the rum industry has been better for it ever since. In fact, Montanya rums have won almost every major award in the spirits world, including Craft Distillery of the Year.

And yet, with all this love and focus on rum, Montanya Distillers in Crested Butte has almost become more famous for the incredible food they serve. The wait time to get in for food, which was sometimes hours long, drew the focus away from tasting the product Hoskin worked so hard perfecting.

“We don’t do anything half-assed. We did too good a job and became really well-known for our delicious food,” Hoskin laughs. “But I’m a rum distiller, not a restauranteur. When people walk in the door, I want their experience to be about Montanya rum.”

With the new location, Hoskin plans to remove the dining option and focus solely on her passion — the rum. “We’re almost forging a path backwards,” Hoskin admits. But in doing so, she hopes to create a better, more intimate experience for customers.

The distillery will continue to offer one to two new cocktails a week, in addition to old staples like the Maharaja — a local favorite.

The size of the distillery will triple in size to accommodate different tour group sizes. There will be a reservation model for those tours that are customizable for each party. A group of 12 or a group of two, a two-part extensive tour or a simple sit down at the bar, the experience is yours to plan. The Montanya team will take care of the rest. Hoskin plans to train her staff to know more about the company, rum and the rum industry to ensure they can inform customers as thoroughly as possible.

The space itself is “gorgeous,” Hoskin reveals. “It’s inspired by my travels around the world — my ode to them.”

There will also be a 16-piece art instillation by Judith Graham, who Hoskin has collaborated with since 2001. Graham’s work was also featured at Montanya’s previous Silverton location.

With a maximum capacity of 32, Hoskin hopes to foster a calm, intimate environment with exceptional service to develop a higher level of rum tasting. “I’m really working hard to develop a rum experience,” she emphasizes.

The doors to the new space opened on December 15, 2021.

montanyarum.com

204 Elk Avenue

Crested Butte, CO 81224

Originally published in the Winter 2021-22 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Montanya Gets A New Rum Tasting Room