Festivals, libations celebrate peak Palisade peach season

By Steve Graham

Olathe and Rocky Ford farmers may fight this, but my favorite Colorado produce is a ripe Palisade peach. I eat about three per day during this peak peach season.

If you are looking for creative ways to enjoy the fruit and celebrate peach season, plenty of festivals and libations are coming to Colorado.

Old Town Lafayette hosts its 23rd annual peach festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. More than 30,000 pounds of fresh peaches will be sold alongside more than 600 pans of peach pie and cobbler, as well as vendors and artist booths.

During the festival, Lafayette’s Deki Spirits is crafting limited-edition peach cocktails.

The Rotary Clubs of Fort Collins also host a peach festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Holiday Twin Drive-In in Fort Collins, with live music, peachy beer and food and, of course, fresh peaches. Performers include the Fort Collins School of Rock house band, Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra, Clark Street Station and the Swashbuckling Doctors.

The festival’s beer garden will include peach-infused tappings from five area breweries.

Rally King Brewing has a limited-release Peach Stand Sour.
Maxline Brewing has a 6.2-percent ABV Peach Mango Pale Ale brewed with Simcoe and Citra hops.
Gilded Goat Brewing recently tapped a beautifully golden-hued 5-percent ABV peach hard seltzer.
Horse & Dragon Brewing offers the Habitation Day Peach Kölsch, which also marks the 9th anniversary of H&D opening in a former airport hanger.
Finally, Odell Brewing has brought back the 5-percent ABV Peach Stand Rambler (available statewide for a limited time).

Other Colorado peach libations include:

One of the flagship beers at Saint Patrick’s Brewing in Centennial is the award-winning 5-percent ABV Peach Mango Blonde Ale.
Breckenridge Brewery has brought back the Palisade Peach Wheat, a hazy American wheat brewed with Colorado beer (the brewery is also booking 2-4 night stays in the Breck Peach Pod, parked on the orchard where the brewers source their peaches).
Honnibrook Meadery makes both a peach mead and a peach habanero mead.
Avery Brewing’s 9-percent ABV Pear of Peaches hazy imperial IPA. It’s loaded with peaches, pears and hops.
Rocky Mountain Brewery has a 5.2-percent ABV Peach Cobbler Ale on tap.
Climb Hard Cider has a 5.8-percent ABV peach cider.
Lone Tree Brewing taps and cans a 5.8-percent ABV Peach Pale Ale year-round.
Colorado Native Brewing offers a seasonal 4.6-percent ABV Palisade Peach Tart Ale.
True to its name, Peach Street Distillers makes a brandy and an Eau de Vie with peaches, and a peach-infused bourbon.
Leopold Bros. Distillery has a Rocky Mountain Peach Whiskey, blended with Palisade peach juice.
Peak7 Spirits distills a peach vodka, and also offers a peach cosmo recipe on their website.

If you want even fresher peach flavor in your drink, The Winery Restaurant in Grand Junction offers this peach martini recipe.

If we missed any peachy events and libations, let us know. We will add them to our list.