The Black Bear Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery at 7,800 feet in the beautiful little town of Green Mountain Falls.
Its founder, Victor Matthews Ph.D., is a fifth-generation master distiller who also happens to be a master chef, a unique combination enabling him to produce flavorful products unlike anything else on the market.
Matthews founded the distillery on St. Patrick’s Day 2014 (honoring his Irish heritage) after closing the Black Bear Restaurant, known as a creative, multi-course eatery with a bourbon bar in its heyday from 1999 to 2014. The distillery opened its tasting room in 2016.
Matthews and Bobby Jackson, general manager, do everything in their power to represent their history and culture through a high standard of “grain to glass,” including local farmers, sustainability and an ultra-artisan, true micro approach that results in an absolutely unique craft small-batch product.
The distillery is located in a 70-year old cabin. Two 1,000-year-old millstones from the south of France sit at the entry, waiting to be engineered for grinding in a stone mill house (long-term plan is to have donkeys as part of the process to run the mill!)
Local honey, smoke from local aspen wood, mountain water and organic whole grains from local farms are among the ways that Matthews keeps his business unique, creative and sustainable. Before COVID-19, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe was grinding corn for their distillery.
Matthews has written five books on bourbon, Italian wine, culinary arts and theology. He is active in his local church, runs the theology department of a British college and has received 30 medals in distillery and culinary competitions. 
Black Bear Distillery’s main line consists of an historic 130th anniversary artisan Rye Vodka, a lightly aged Gold Colorado Rum based on raw cane juice and the flagship rich, sherry-finished Irish Style Bourbon made to honor the Matthews’ family history, which stretches back to 444 A.D. in Ireland.
The rustic location at 10375 Ute Pass Ave. also houses Paragon Culinary School, where Jackson is the lead instructor.
Tours, tastings and classes are by appointment. Watch for Saturday open hours on facebook.com/BlackBearDistillery, call 719-684-9648 or visit blackbeardistillery.com for more information.
Ice skating, anyone?
SAVE THE DATES
Green Mountain Falls Stilling Basin Beautification Project public forum
6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Green Mountain Falls Town Hall, 10615 Green Mountain Falls Road. Join the Parks & Recreation team for the third and last public forum to finalize plans to beautify the Stilling Basin so work can begin in spring 2024.
Sisters Helping Sisters
1-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at Church in the Wildwood, 10585 Ute Pass Ave., Green Mountain Falls. Join the effort to make menstrual kits for the Days For Girls International nonprofit. Come when you can, leave when you must. Information: jane.scanlon6@gmail.com.
Green Mountain Falls ongoing meetings:
● Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. first Tuesdays, Town Hall
● Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Committee, 3 p.m. second Wednesdays, Town Hall
● Friends of Ute Pass Trails, 6 p.m. second Thursdays, Church in the Wildwood