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Longmont Restaurant Week: Dry Land Distillery

Dry Land Distillery on Longmont’s Main Street is joining with The Roost and Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila to celebrate Longmont Restaurant Week in a unique way. The three businesses are offering Traveling Cactus Cocktails, as well as other more traditional Restaurant Week promotions.
Sheila Conroy

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Dry Land Distillery on Longmont’s Main Street is joining with The Roost and Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila to celebrate Longmont Restaurant Week in a unique way. The three businesses are offering Traveling Cactus Cocktails, as well as other more traditional Restaurant Week promotions. 

Ticket books are on sale for $28.71 at the Distillery. The three tickets allow you to buy a Dry Land Cactus cocktail at each of the three locations during the week. And an additional mixologist’s choice of cocktail at Dry Land Distillers will be included after you visit all three properties. 

Each location is including a different cocktail created with Dry Land’s cactus spirit. Prickly pear cactus is smoked at a low temperature for hours over a mesquite fire, shredded, and slowly cooked before fermentation to become the base of a unique spirit, with a smoky, earthy, and complex profile.

We asked Nels Wroe, a founder of Dry Land, and Matt Grimes, Beverage Director of the two restaurants, what cocktails will be included as one of the Traveling Cactus Cocktails, and here they are:

The Brush Fire combines Cactus Fruit Juice, Orange Bitters, Vermouth and Dry Land Cactus Spirit, all made at the Distillery. Photo: Kelly Dressman
The Desert Mule contains fresh orange juice and lime juice, muddled cucumber, Ginger Beer and Dry Land Cactus Spirit. Photo: Kelly Dressman
The Cactus Swizzle served at The Roost includes fresh lime, Falernum Amoro di Angostura and Dry Land Cactus Spirit. Photo: Matt Grimes
Jefe's Honey Jalapeno Paloma combine housemade honey, red Jefe salt rim, Grapefruit and Lime juice, Shishito Pepper garnish, and Dry Land Cactus Spirit. Photo: Matt Grimes

What is your favorite cocktail from the regular menu?

Nels chose any of Dry Land's cocktails that are seasonal, while Matt went for the Roost's traditional Old Fashioned, made with whisky from Laws Distillery in Denver.

What about their favorite Longmont bars and restaurants?  Nels told us there are too many good ones in Longmont to choose from, while Matt favors the West Side Tavern on 3rd Street and the Wibby Brewery at 2nd and Emery.

Longmont Restaurant Week lasts from 29th March through 7th April. Visit the Dry Land Distillery either through La Vita Bella Coffee shop at 471 Main, or use the alley entrance off 5th Street. The Roost Restaurant is at 526 Main Street, while Jefe’s is at 246 Main Street.