Flowing through the center of town, the Uncompaghre River is the lifeblood of Montrose. Families picnic on its shores at Riverbottom Park, people recreate up and down its waters and trails extend in both directions for the near entirety of town.

Despite this, however, no one had thought to build a bar overlooking the river. Until now.

Shelter Distilling is a new 14,000-square foot distillery, brewery and restaurant on the shores of the Uncompaghre. New is perhaps a misleading term, however, as Shelter is hardly new to the game.

Shelter began in Mammoth Lakes, California in 2016. Following years of continued success, the owners looked to expand operations and found a new home at the Colorado Outdoors complex in Montrose.

Co-founder and master distiller Jason Senior knows the facility will allow the company to expand not only their current volume, but also the scope of their products. Already the breadth of Shelter has ballooned to include a brewing program, including a line of canned beer and cocktails that will be distributed throughout Colorado and California.

Senior is also excited about what the local Colorado culture will bring to the brand. Shelter is already known for a steadfast dedication to California products, including grain, wild crafted botanicals and even California grown agave.

“Oh yeah, we already have a barrel of Olathe sweet corn in the barrel room,” says Senior, referencing one of the Colorado-centric products he already has in the pipeline. Colorado grown botanicals, including local piñon pine that he gathered on Buckhorn Road will star in a new batch of the company’s Pinyon Gin. They also are sourcing malt from Root Shoot in eastern Colorado.

Beyond production, the new facility sports a full restaurant, bar and spacious outdoor seating. Overlooking the river, with yard games like bocce ball, as well as local music both inside and out, the space caters to extended hanging out time.

The restaurant also has local leanings, like locally raised elk in the carpaccio and bison in the burgers. The food is elevated, but also reflects much of what people have come to expect from Montrose — wild game, sweet corn and, of course, tacos.

“What you see is what you get in Montrose,” adds Senior. And that counts for a lot with a company that is trying to grow into something bigger. Shelter has been catering to California tastes for some time, but having an entirely new demographic is exciting.

For brewer John Morris, that means stepping out of the mold of what the California fans would expect. “I can put stuff on tap here that I wouldn’t even imagine putting in Mammoth,” he says.

It’s liberating for operations at Shelter, but it’s also liberating for Montrose. Senior adds that there is “huge potential, for both us and for Montrose.”

Sporting hip cocktails, an expansive menu and space to breathe along the river, it’s bringing new life to a vital artery that has brought so much life to the region.

Originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Shelter Distilling: Pouring New Life To The Montrose Riverside