Celebrating Peaches!

Happy National Peach Month, everyone! We are very lucky to live in an area that has, arguably, the best peaches in the country, which means there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate this month. Pretty much everyone in Colorado knows that Palisade is famous for peaches! If we take a moment to channel Forrest Gump, during the peach season in Palisade you can find whole peaches, canned peaches, peach cobbler mix, peach crisp mix, peach salsa, peach jalapeño jelly, peach flavored balsamic vinegar, peach beer, peach wine, and peach spirits. As we gear up for peach season, let’s take a moment to explore the local peach-infused beverages.

Monumental Beer Works is currently pouring their “plunge milkshake ipa”, which is a hazy and creamy IPA brewed with pure peach and vanilla. Fresh juicy peach greets the palette, while the vanilla smooths out and sweetens the finish. Very much like a peach creamsicle! Bonus fact about this beer is that 10% of sales are donated to COPMOBA (Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association) to help support mountain bike trail maintenance here in the Grand Valley, including trails like the “Palisade Plunge” (hence the beer’s name…).

When it comes to peach cider, Talbott’s Cider Co. has got you covered. Their Summer Sunset Peach Cider is perfect for the hot summer days here on the West Slope. Taking their signature cider blend and adding Palisade Peaches, this tasty beverage is not too sweet, and at 6% ABV it’s not too much to handle in the heat.

On the spirits side, the aptly named Peach Street Distillers offers up their Colorado Straight Peach Infused Bourbon. Admittedly, we haven’t had the pleasure of trying this one yet, but the description from Peach Street’s website sounds delish: “Our classic Colorado Straight bourbon aged 3 years and transferred to a Peach Brandy barrel loaded with dried Palisade Peaches.” This would make for a very unique bourbon mule and pair very nicely with Peach Street’s famous guacamole!

Being in the heart of peach territory, it’s no surprise that the wineries of Palisade have a plethora of potent peach potables to partake in! Perhaps the elder statesman when it comes to peach wine, Carlson Vineyards has been making a wine solely out of peaches for 30 years - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! In fact, their Palisade Peach was a double-gold medalist in the 2015 Colorado Governor’s Cup. Their Palisade Peach is also the base for a delicious peach cocktail that is very refreshing on a hot day! Red Fox Cellars is now offering up their 2021 Freestone Sparkling Peach. Aged in rye whiskey barrels, this fruit wine delivers a dry mouthfeel with a mild tartness and light vanilla notes.

With all of these great beverage options around town, there's no question your July will be just "Peachy"! Cheers everyone!