Launched in Denver, Archetype Distillery moved to Gypsum last year. Known for producing the “Official Gin of Red Rocks,” the distillery’s smoked gin (with notes of mezcal, without the burn) is a tough act to follow. Sip it straight or mixed into a cocktail at the Vail tasting room. 

Eagle’s historic downtown became brighter–and sweeter—when Canela Coffee and Pastry Shop opened in late 2023. The family-run gathering place serves sweet and savory crepes, sandwiches, and treats, like chai cupcakes and silk pie. Don’t miss the café de olla, the signature Mexican coffee with cinnamon (canela in Spanish), star anise, and raw dark sugar. The concoction is sweet, so add a dash of cream. 

When Boneyard in Eagle Ranch closed, the crew behind Wild Sage just across the street (and Drunken Goat in Edwards) took over the space and opened Capitol Public House in February. Sample an elevated bar menu (French onion soup, pizza, short rib stew) as you sip a whole lotta fine whiskey and bourbon, plus 15ish mostly local brews on tap.

When Eagle River Brewing Co opened in Gypsum in 2023, it filled a void. After Bonfire Brewing and then 7 Hermits shuttered in Eagle, the lower valley needed a good brewery, and boy, did this spot deliver. In the capable hands of Tom Hail, who earned nearly 50 medals at the Great American Beer Festival while at Sandlot Brewery in Denver, there’s no shortage of good suds (and good pizza too, thanks to a cart parked outside that’s equipped with a wood-fired oven). Eagle River specializes in lagers and ales, but if the White Buffalo hefeweizen is available, order that. 

Barely a year after opening, Spence and Stefanie Neubauer’s spirits and Scottish-inspired distillery has outgrown the incubator space it occupied in a strip mall on the outskirts of Minturn. So the Neubauers bought an empty lot on Main Street and have big plans for it: When the buildout is complete (planned for spring 2025), Eagle River Distillery will not only house Eagle River’s production facility but also a speakeasy hidden behind a working laundromat. Until then, tasting will happen in a tiny home on the lot that the couple has dubbed Whisky Cabin. 

Avon lost a venerable local family business–and its finest European bakery—when Columbine Cafe abruptly closed over the winter. Thankfully, at press time, Tim and Angela Sikora had just opened Dang Sweets Cafe in a glossy new space in Avon’s Traer Creek Plaza. Pair gorgeous European-style pastries like eclairs, cakes by the slice (don’t pass up the honey cake), and macarons, with coffee and a light lunch menu. 

The Gambit Bar, which opened in the Sebastian Vail in December, is the hottest addition to Vail’s cocktail scene. Go for live music, sharable eats, and craft cocktails that range from classic (smoked cherry Manhattan, anyone?) to “artful.” One sip not to skip: The aptly named Shiffrin 75 (in honor of Mikaela), which turns the French 75 on its nose by replacing the gin with cognac and lemon with lingonberry gastrique but retains the bubbly float of sparkling wine.

Gracie’s Coffee, a drive-through and walk-up coffee hut near Gypsum’s Eagle Valley High School, might not be new (it opened in 2022), but it’s exploding in popularity. Owner Gracie Rounds recently started canning her cold brew and selling it around the valley at gourmand haunts like The Hythe in Vail and Pickled Kitchen & Pantry in Eagle. Rounds’ family has been in the coffee biz for more than a decade in upstate New York, and she sources her beans from Peru, via her Peruvian stepmom. 

When Elua Woolsey of Maui, Hawaii, opened House of Poke in Gypsum in March, it had immediate street cred. The quick-service restaurant is a nod to Woolsey’s heritage while also fulfilling his desire to bring healthier options to town. Although poke (which means “cut into pieces” in Hawaiian) usually consists of cubed, raw fish, rice, a sauce, and toppings, Woolsey also offers cooked beef, salmon, and shrimp as protein alternatives, along with a wide variety of add-ons. 

Happy hour with a view? Look no further than Avon’s new One Rooftop Bar. Perched on the penthouse level of the Westin’s new One Riverfront addition, the alfresco spot offers insane views of the Eagle River and Beaver Creek best savored from stools along a wraparound marble counter with windows that crank open to the sky. Pair the vistas with finely crafted cocktails like the double diamond martini made with ice-cold rosemary and thyme vodka, gin, dry vermouth, Manzanilla sherry, and pickled bitters. (Lead bartender Matthew Hallas, spent two years at Denver’s Death & Co  honing his shaken and stirred skills.) Top eats include Executive Chef Angel Munoz Jr.’s charred fennel and cucumber salad and raclette and dumplings plate. 

Twisted Root Coffee Bar & Pizza Pub, which opened in Eagle in March in the revolving space vacated by Stout House (and before that Expert Burger), could be considered a one-stop shop. The menu is extensive, ranging from oat milk matcha lattes and mojitos to an Asian chicken salad and a Philly cheesesteak pizza. There’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and truly something for everyone.