Denver distillery opens new tasting room in Vail

Get ready to take a sensory journey upon entering the new Archetype Distillery’s Tasting Room. Located in the Sitzmark Lodge along the Gore Creek Promenade in Vail Village, this award-winning, small-batch distillery will craft a drink for your taste buds. From savory to sweet, earthy to floral, the creativity is flowing at Vail’s newest cocktail lounge.

Archetype Distillery is the brainchild of Wade Murphy and Michael Chapyak. They created Archetype Distillery in Denver in 2017 and although the brand has had a successful run on South Broadway in the Mile High City, Murphy and Chapyak decided to make a move to the mountains and, in addition to the Tasting Room in Vail, they will be opening a distillery in Gypsum.

The move to Eagle County will not only help the brand double its production capacity, but also reach a broader domestic and international audience and create room for growth. Vail also holds a special place in Murphy’s heart since he spent a lot of his childhood growing up here.

“As a kid I remember when we could ski across the International Bridge to get to Pazzo’s after a day on the mountain,” Murphy said. Murphy believes being next to the International Bridge is fitting since Archetype Distillery has had a lot of international influence.

 “When the Czechoslovakian part of my family came over to the U.S. during the turn of the last century, they brought a lot of their knowledge from the old world with them. That included how to distill clear spirits,” said Chapyak, who is the master distiller at Archetype Distillery. When he was looking for a career change after time spent in healthcare, he decided to go back to his roots.  

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“I remembered a lot of those old family stories and found a business partner to help me put it together. After being professionally trained in the bartending world, I dove into training and researching distilling and manufacturing spirits. I was able to participate in spirits crafting here in the U.S. as well as the U.K. to fully expand my knowledge of the history and production of gin, and it was a lot of fun,” Chapyak said.

It was through experimentation that Archetype Distillery started distilling with wine grapes.

“This was my preference for taste and smoothness. I’ve found that most grain-based vodkas, no matter how many times they’re distilled or filtered, the astringent or rubbing alcohol effect is hard to escape. Potato-based spirits, for me, tend to have a heavy mouth feel and lasting aftertaste that is undesirable. Wine grapes as a base ingredient led to a mellow mouth feel, smooth taste and clean finish,” Chapyak said.

Its flagship Archangel Vodka and Archrival Gin were the first spirits to come out. The smoked gin and smoked vodka have been customer favorites for years behind the bar in Denver, and Murphy and Chapyak are launching those formally as the Archfiend Vodka and Archrebel Gin in the new year once the bottles come in. 

“Our line of unique distilled spirits has evolved over the past couple of years as our cocktail program expanded and were very popular under the ‘cocktails to go’ paradigm during the COVID lockdowns in Denver so we will also launch those for retail in the new year,” Chapyak said.

The best part of going into Archetype Distillery, which has a cool vibe with clean lines, blue hues and a nice view of Gore Creek, is speaking with Murphy and Chapyak about what you like and they will guide you through the process. With over two dozen vacuum-distilled products complimenting its flagship gin and vodkas, the possibilities are endless. And do note that their gin was named the “Official Gin of Red Rocks” for the second year in a row.

“Red Rocks is such an iconic venue not just for Colorado but it’s known and valued worldwide so this has been a fantastic fit for us,” Murphy said. “That partnership really set us up to showcase the appeal and reach of a premium craft gin to a truly wide and diverse market. We’re so excited to continue providing high-quality spirits to the world through the Vail lens now.”

Expect to see Murphy and Chapyak behind the bar or out mingling with patrons at the tables. They are happy to share their insights, expertise and love of Vail and are adding to the après ski and nightlife scene. They are also here to educate everyone about their process and create a love of their product through connection. You feel like you are hanging out in their living room just having a drink and a chat while discovering your new favorite cocktail.

For long-time locals, you’ll notice a nod to Vail’s past with drinks that are named after famous landmarks. Try the Crossroads cocktail featuring jalapeño spirit, dill spirit and grapefruit soda, or the Cyrano which contains Serrano spirit, Indian tonic, lime juice and simple syrup. Or The Roost, which has lemon spirit, lime juice, activated charcoal and simple syrup. For those seeking a non-alcoholic option, ask for selections on the Checkpoint Charlie section of the menu.  

“We really appreciate the amount of support and excitement so many people have already shown us and can’t wait to continue providing a great cocktail experience for everyone sharing the joy of being in Vail,” Murphy said.

Archetype Distillery is open Wednesday through Monday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. To learn more, visit ArchetypeDistillery.com or follow them on social media at @archetypedistillery.