Wood's High Mountain Distillery

What a cool vibe! Loved hanging out at the bar! Gingi and Amanda were the best! The gin is fantastic and we are traveling home with some! 😊

This place fits the vibe of the town of Salida just perfectly. Their spirits incorporate cherry-smoked barley, adding an interesting smokiness, depending on the particular liquor. They make interesting cocktails. The bar is a friendly, chill place. A perfect spot for conversation with friends.

Continues to serve the best cocktails in Salida. The bartenders like a challenge. Share thoughts on flavors and they’ll navigate the menu for you. They do both the traditional and the unconventional well. Piña Colada on a hot summer day made with gin? It’s delicious. Takeaway bottles are strong value and easily the best in the area. Treeline gin and tenderfoot whiskey are staples. The aged whiskeys and any rye should be grabbed whenever available as qualities can be limited. Once in a while, discounts are available on cases, but they don't advertise it.

I had a great experience at Wood's High Mountain Distillery. The Old Fashion the bartender made was spot on. The cozy atmosphere with a great mixed drink made for a memorable experience.

Where do I even start with Wood’s? This very well might be the best cocktail bar in the United States. This is not an exaggeration, yes, Ive been to death and co, yes I’ve drank in DC, Manhattan, Boston, New Orleans, etc. I have a fairly refined palette and the liquor that the distiller distills is fantastic. The cocktails that the wonderful women made us in the front of house were out of this world. The pairings of sweet and savory, smoky and rich, and herbaceous and floral are incomprehensible until you experience them. Please do your taste buds a favor and embark upon the sensational flavor pilgrimage that is Wood’s Distillery. This is Colorado and Salida at their finest.

I highly recommend the Tommy Caldwell. Extremely smooth with zero kickback on the end. My wife had the Jackson Pollock. Don’t let the vinegarette drizzle intimidate you. It goes amazing with this light and summer drink. Madison assisted us and she was top notch.

If you like on-site distilling, artistic and classic menus, and entertaining staff, this is the place to go. Hungry? Read my review of Benson’s that’s next door. Good eats and walk one door down for hoots, hollers, and some super tasty beverages. Live music the night I was there with a 20s twist. Try the smoky old fashioned (In the Woods) and the Salida Banana Belt, yum!

Excellent place for top notch cocktails! Can't wait to go back. Loved the rye whiskey. Try the whiskey flight to find which one speaks to you most. Welcoming and excellent service. Good cocktails take time to make, well worth the wait.

I'm always amazed with how many cool and unique restaurants exist in mountain towns. This is the first time we went to Woods High since we usually focus on breweries when we're in town. We came here with a party of four around 5:45 on a Saturday and it was bumping! It is a small space so seating can be hit or miss - we snagged the end of a communal table. The vibes were spot on - I loved all the local art they had hanging, as well as the kayak and bicycle (holding liquor bottles in its basket) suspended from be ceiling. They also had a bunch of random games to play at the bar. As far as the drinks, they were all tasty. I got the ginger pear snap (Pear spiced infused San Luis Vodka, lemon, ginger liqueur, prickly pear, gingerbread spices) which had a tasty rim and a cinnamon stick that they lit and toasted, as well as a rosemary sprig for garnish. My husband got the Final Say (Treeline Barrel Rested Gin, Pineapple-Infused Treeline Gin, lime, green tea elixir), also tasty. If you're planning to come, just be aware that it'll be busy and you might have to wait for seating!

This was a fun little place service was quick and informative for all there libations. The potato vodka had real smooth buttery finish to it an excellent mixing drink . I really enjoyed the Gins they had love the cardamom. In the one got so enamored with gin and vodka never made it to whiskey this way I have something to come back to because this was a great place in a great town .

Our whole experience here was very special. While we do have a few local distilleries in the Orlando area; it's nothing like this. The inside has a cabin in the woods kind of feel to it. It's warm, cozy, and with the amazing drinks you'll have here, you'll want to stay all evening. You can order flights of what they make, but they also offer a variety of cocktails. There was one that I couldn't pass up. I didn't get the name of it but it's like a smokey old fashioned (See pic) It was honestly, one, if not the best drink I've ever had. The quality was just amazing. It was smooth, flavorful, well crafted, and strong! All of us agreed that their drinks were exceptional. I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area.

Super fun vibe, great live music, friendly and fast bartender who handled the mob for Fibark weekend with ease. I had a great time and so many delicious drinks with friends.

With the extra time I now have due to covid, I thought I'd spend it reviewing some of the great places I've been. I visited Wood's last summer during a "14er" project where we hiked 14 fourteeners and visited 14 distilleries in 14 days. Wood's was our very final stop of the project and we couldn't have had a happier ending! We first enjoyed a tasting flight - they have some great whiskey as well as a few unique offerings. The tasting room atmosphere is a great place to hang out. But the real highlight was when we got to meet the owner, distiller, and mayor - PT! He was hanging out at the bar and gave us a tour as well as allowing me to interview him for our video. The only thing better than having a great whiskey is knowing that you are supporting good people. This place has both. If you want to check out my episode featuring Wood's, here's a link to my visit: https://youtu.be/cfJKbMmKkqg When the world opens up again after the pandemic - make sure this is one of the first places you visit. (PS They are available for bottle service and to-go cocktails during covid)

Visited with family and the woman working was incredibly rude and passive aggressive towards everyone in my party. We had never visited before and had some questions about the drink menu and she made us feel stupid and like we were wasting her time, even though we were the only customers in the store. The drinks were fine but because of her negative attitude, we will not be returning.

Seriously, some of the best cocktails out there. Great, creative flavor profiles. You wouldn't be able to get into this place if it were in a big city. Well done.

Stumbled upon this distillery after dinner in Salida. What a treat! Sam the mixologist was pleasant, friendly and entertaining. Drinks were delightful and the atmosphere was so much fun! We will definitely be returning to try and buy that hat off of Sam's head again in the future!

Served with a smile and laugh the smoked drink and peaches from Palisade drink were excellent.

So good we took bought some to take home! We had received a gift certificate for our wedding to Wood's which included a tour of the Distillery, tastings and a couple free drinks. We started with tasting so once we toured we understood what we were looking at. Everything was delicious and is made to be sipped without having to add anything to the liquor. I like vodkas and gins but usually not a huge fan of whiskey. At Wood's, I was a fan of everything I tried! Meeting the owner (& mayor of Salida) was a huge perk too. Thank you VEBO for a great wedding gift package!

Best spot in town for the perfect Old Fashioned! Jamie the bartender knows how to make great cocktails to please any customer. Make sure you stop in and have a drink when your in town!

After a year of not being able to visit, I can attest to the major improvement on their whiskey! And it was good before! Their elderflower liqueur is incredibly delicious. Citrus forward with tastes of honey but not sweet. I had the "Liz Lemon" which reminded me of a lemon drop, except it was tasty and refreshing! Very light and refreshing with a candied lemon garnish that is truly, good enough to eat. They have a fantastic vibe, super chill and relaxing area. We had a wonderful time and yay on bottle prices!! (Ranges 30-55ish) depending on purchase. Frank and Andrea are so welcoming and cool. See you all soon!!!!

Taco & Kaylee (bartenders) thank you for making my first visit to a distillery the best you both were very informational, pleasant, and high spirited!! Ha ha pun intended... If you're in the Salida area or surrounding do yourself a favor and stop in. This place has a local mountain rustic feel but with big city flavor their award winning gins and whiskeys are so smooth. Ask for a flight if you're unsure and want to try. Great music, great atmosphere, and great alcohol what more can you ask for?!!

Loved our drinks and the cool mountain vibe! We sat outside and enjoyed the weather on the front patio which was very pleasant. Will be back for sure.

Neat little place, phenomenal whiskey I wish more distilleries made barley whiskey like this place. Had a flight and my wife had a variation of a Moscow mule. Nice lady running the bar very helpful especially when we asked about the area (we were from out of town). Left with 2 bottles, here's hoping I can get more once they're empty!

Stopped in here to try out their whiskeys and they didn't disappoint! i did their 4 whisky flight for $13 - included the Tenderfoot Malt Whiskey, Sawatch American Malt Whiskey, Dawn Patrol Single Malt Whiskey and the Alpine Rye Whiskey. overall favorite was the Dawn Patrol, which coming in at $90/bottle was a bit of a sticker shock. i'm also a fan of Rye whiskeys and that's a little more palatable at $55/bottle. my two least favorites were the Tenderfoot and Sawatch which were decent but not in my typical wheelhouse on flavor profiles. my husband tried their vodka which they distill from potatoes with OJ that they fresh squeezed each day and enjoyed it. overall decent price point to taste and a cute, boutique whiskey vibe so would recommend trying it out if you want something local and out of the norm.

We had a great time here a couple late afternoons on a recent weekend, great lady servers that are just a kick, great booze (we bought a lot to bring home), a cozy little room and they have live music at times. Definitely a popular spot. KILLER very original cocktails. Oh my. Friendly folks and dogs allowed inside, beat THAT. A must do in Salida.

We have been here a few times and it has been excellent every time. The sitting area is cosy and full of locals. The staff is helpful and makes good recommendations. I'm not someone who typically likes whiskey so it's awesome that they have other liquors but the whiskey yacht club is seriously one of the best drinks I've had in a while. An enjoyable place to chill after a day of skiing.

Had the most amazing afternoon at the Woods Distillary with Marcus and Gingi! Great company, killer atmosphere and amazing drinks. Salida at its finest!!

Sam was an amazing bartender! I told him what I liked and he made me some of the best drinks I've had honestly. The environment was very chill on the Monday I went. It was a pleasure spending time at Woods. Great whiskey, gin, and conversation. If you like liquor over beer, this is the place no doubt!

Great array of artisan spirits - whiskey, gin, vodka. Love their Tenderfoot Whiskey. They also make a great Rye but in very small quantities so it is hard to come by. They also make a really interesting "barrel rested" gin, that is aged in new American white oak barrels, giving a more whiskey-like flavor profile, but still with the gin botanicals. Wonderful, helpful staff, and great craft cocktails too.

I stopped in on my way back to fort collins. I tried their rye whiskey. It smelled like sour wet rags. I know they put a lot of effort and work into their production, I wish I would've said something to the bartender but he wasn't a friendly guy.

Great place for cocktails, though a little bit pricey. The place was busy. It is a cool, eclectic place. Parking in downtown Salida is a little difficult. There is ample seating inside and a few seats out front. They have a great craft cocktail menu.

Really enjoyed the visit here. The bartender was very knowledgeable about their spirits, as well as those of other distilleries in the general area. He took his time to truly craft some cocktails. The atmosphere is laid-back and eclectic. Great place to spend some time in the afternoon.

We had an amazing time here. We randomly stopped in here while we were walking the town and we were glad that we did. They have excellent craft gins and whiskeys. I did the flight of 3 gins and their whiskey tasting while the very pleasant barkeep ran through each of them in detail as I sipped them. You can tell that they are very proud of their product as they should be. We bought a bottle of their gin and now it is one of our favorites to sip or mix into a cocktail. Definitely worth a stop!

My husband and I were in Salida for a few days and this was our favorite food/drink stop. The staff are endlessly friendly and knowledgeable, the gin is great, and they have live good music too. I love that you can taste 3 liquors for $7. They're generous pours too. I actually was a little buzzed after just that, but having discovered the barrel aged gin, I had to go on and try it in an old fashioned. And yes, it's just as delicious as it sounds. Live music started at 9pm (I think) and was really good. It's the perfect place to end your evening with a delicious cocktail. They also open at 10am and serve bloody Mary's.

Wood's has become our must stop when visiting Salida! With creative and seasonal cocktails using their signature gin and cool vibe, it's easy to see why Wood's is so popular! We tried a new cocktail--the Rested Rose with barrel aged gin and had the old favorite blackberry basil cocktail. Loved the Rested Rose...such a unique drink and pretty to look at! Our bartender was definitely a pro at making craft cocktails! We sampled the mountain hopped gin and ended up purchasing a bottle to take home. If you love gin and unique cocktails, Wood's is a must if you're in Salida!

This place is a must stop. We came in early for a couple drinks and we ended up getting a personalized tour from Beck, the master distiller. The bartender, Andrea, was amazing and very friendly. We'll be back next time we're in town.

We stopped by to see if there was a good bottle of whiskey to enjoy for the weekend on our way to Crestone. We did two flights - their tenderfoot whiskey, the rye, abd their elderflower liqueur for the first flight, and then their gin, barrel-aged gin, and hopped gin for the second (so we skipped the vodka. Nothing blew us away, though the rye was the standout. We then each got a cocktail, and I appreciated the options offered. That said, everything (including the bottles) felt overpriced, and the bartenders were more concerned about talking to each other than the customers. I think the other distillers up the highway are still my favorite.

The bar is friendly and welcoming. It's definitely got a cool vibe. Unfortunately we found the whiskey to be very harsh and the old fashioneds not to our taste.

From gin tastings to complex cocktails, Woods is a wonderful rest stop in exploring Salida. The servers are friendly and attentive. Our server helped us to pick the right spirits to taste based on what we like and for all 3 of us, she was on point. After a quick spirits tasting, we each had a cocktail - again the server helped us each pick the one that suited us. Every one was filled with fresh ingredients that really made the experience great.

We came in from Texas on a road trip and were told by the people at the previous stop that we couldn't leave town without trying the place. Really glad that we did! This distillery is exactly what other craft cocktail bars wish they were, and usually are not. I can't say enough nice things about Tim, our bartender. He just really knows his stuff, and is fun to boot. The entire crowd in for a casual Sunday-funday ended up chatting around the bar and enjoying ourselves. No idea what everyone was drinking, but they all looked spectacular and I was assured tasted that way as well. I also picked up several bottles as gifts for family, and am now everyone's favorite gift-giver, ha! Definite highlight of our trip! Note: Salida is a small town. But not so small they don't have a taxi service...grab one if you need it!

I want to break this down into two different reviews: The place and the product. Since my move to Colorado, adding new bottles of Colorado Whiskeys to my bar is an ever-growing goal of mine. During my travels to Salida (pronounced Suh-Lie-Duh to the locals), I couldn't pass on visiting the local distillery. Upon entering, I was a fan of the decor. A moderate and comfortable size bar front showcasing the available booze. Not sure what it is but the Gin and Whiskey are worth the flight sampler. That being said, it is a bar and perhaps I expected a little more, but the bar tenders seemed to be talking more to themselves than to be engaging us or other customers. As a location, it's a good place to pop in and stop for a drink but don't expect to experience the booze. You'd be hard pressed to get the rundown from the locals. As for the whiskey, I thoroughly enjoyed it. An acquired taste a bit, Woods isnt harsh, but a bit heavy in body. After a few sips, it lives up to the standard of putting hair on your chest. Maybe it's the high-altitude waters used or the process they use, but the Gin was smooth and yet powerful. Being new to the Gin world, I became an instant fan.

Got a sampler for $7, I'm not drinking right now but my boyfriend enjoyed them....I just sniffed them. The bartender was super friendly & when I asked for something non alcoholic she gave me her soda line up but they didn't have diet. I asked if they had soda water & they did! She offered to muddle lime & strawberry in it for me, what a treat & it was fantastic. She didn't even charge us for my drink so we gave her a great tip :) thanks for the hospitality!

Great times! Just happened upon the Woods, best old fashion in the country. Manager welcomed us even though we were from Texas. Need to stop by and buy a bottle or three!!

Definitely a fun place to hang out and they have great locally made spirits. I would give it five stars, but the prices of the cocktails and their quality don't quite match up. I loved my Jack Kerouac cocktail with beet gin, it tasted like a golden beet, and though I'm not an egg white cocktail girl, it was fun to try. The drinks my boyfriend had were pretty disappointing though. The smoked cocktail was bitter and unpleasant especially after the smoke flavor wore off, and the Sazerac was sub par. For three cocktails the total came to $35, which is quite steep. However, aside from the prices, it's a fun place with friendly staff and great board games. We spent several hours there playing games and relaxing especially since there was nothing else to do in Salida on a cold, January, Monday night.

Great place with friendly bar tenders and awesome cocktails. Hands down best Bloody Mary (with black truffle salt) in town, maybe even in all a of CO. Ask and they're happy to give a tour of the distillery in back. Distillery makes a special hops gin & whiskey. Try the whiskey & brownies and for sure the Bloody Mary! Note: pet friendly!

Great whisky - great bartender! Samples, suggestions, courtesy, and I will go back! Thank you!

This is an excellent stop when driving through. We were the only ones on a Sunday. The bf had beer and their selection was good. I loved their wine list! I had some rendition of fish tacos which were delicious. He had steak which he raves about. We'll be back!

My husband and I visited the Wood's High Mountain Distillery on a trip to Salida. The liquors were absolutely amazing and very unique. Highly recommend you stop by when you are in the area!

Cool place w friendly staff. Liquor pours are light. Drinks are way overpriced. If money is no object this is the place for you.

Wood's has great service and everyone that works there is awesome! Not only do they have great service but I really enjoyed my drink when I went. I highly recommend stopping at Wood's!

Fantastic distillery and tasting room. Went in on a Sunday afternoon and the vibe was friendly and laid back. The drinks and bartender exceeded our expectations. Can't wait to go back! Bonus: they allow dogs.

Great chilling afternoon drinks. Gin mostly. Watched 8 people trip over the power cord out to the electric vehicle. Who knew they were a charging station and pub.

Wood's is AWESOME! This place has a great vibe, excellent craft bar tender, and tasty whiskey. Wood's has an open garage door with sitting area. Girls, bring your guy... or girl or whatever! The distillery is in view from the bar area. Would def love to come back sometime.

What a neat place! Went Thursday evening and listened to live guitar and singing while chatting up Andrea, a great bartender! Fantastic drinks and snacks. All the alcohol is made on the premises and you can tell it's a labor of love. Highly recommended! Locals were friendly and offered up plenty of great tips for the tourists!

I have not been to the distillery itself, but let me tell you a story about Mr Wood. Just got married in the La Sal mountains outside of Moab last weekend, and we capped off the celebration with an overnight float of Westwater Canyon. At the put in, we were in our fun party outfits rigging boats when a nice couple floated up and was taking out after floating Ruby/Horsethief. The nice man asked what the occasion was and we told him about the wedding. He returned shortly thereafter with an aged bottle of his own Wood's Tenderfoot American Malt Whiskey, batch number 49, bottle 213. He congratulated us and wished us a happy voyage and life together. I've never tasted a tastier whiskey (it was thoroughly enjoyed by all), and I can't say enough about the quality of the man making it. People like him make this world a better place. Pass along the generosity and give the High Mountain Distillery a visit! I for one will be keeping a fresh bottle on hand to pass along to the next unsuspecting stranger to spread the love! Thanks again Mr. Wood!

Great place to stop for a creative cocktail in downtown Salida. We enjoyed the relaxed vibe and the vodka was up there with best I've had. Nice work!

Best mixed drinks you've ever had....but it's the best straight up too! Atmosphere, music, vibe...but the ladies behind the bar are THE best!!! Happy New Year!