New Flavors in Breckenridge

A taste of the new Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant

April 20, 2017

Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer,

On a recent trip to Breckenridge, we were excited to discover the the town has upped its dining game with the addition of a restaurant at Breckenridge Distillery.

The restaurant is located in the distillery’s brand new building located north of downtown, and while it has only been opened for three months, locals and visitors are already raving about the creative menu and stylish atmosphere.

On the Friday evening we visited, the restaurant was the place to be in Breckenridge, and it’s not just the great booze that’s bringing in the crowds. The food is a refreshing addition to the town’s culinary offerings. After all, Breckenridge doesn’t have the reputation as a foodie town, but this new restaurant may change that.

Chef Daniel O’Brien has come all the way from Washington D.C. to practice his culinary talents in the Rocky Mountains. His D.C. restaurant, Seasonal Pantry, was awarded the coveted Washington Post Editor’s Pick and was also named one of “10 Best New Restaurants” in the Washingtonian.

The restaurant at the Breckenridge Distillery calls their food “new American cuisine with a spirited twist,” but most who eat here call it fresh and delightful.

Many menu items are served tapas style and are meant to be shared. On our visit we started with fancy cocktails (mine featured a rock candy stir stick) and began ordering courses.

First up were deviled eggs and calamari. The eggs, with mustard, garlic and chives, were simple but delicious. The calamari was served in a smoky tomato base with pecans. This is not your typical chain-restaurant calamari, and if seeing the entire little squid on your plate makes you squirm, avoid this one.

Our next course was my favorite. It was a beet salad topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese mousse. Again, this was a simple dish, but the earthiness of the beets was the perfect compliment to the saltiness of the salmon.

We paired the salad with sourdough bread served with baked ricotta that had been drizzled with honey. It was scrumptious enough to be dessert, but dessert was yet to come.

We finished our meal at Breckenridge Distillery with the “chocolate bar,” a chocolate fudge-like concoction with candied spiced nuts and stout foam on the side. It’s extremely rich and chocolate lovers will be pleased—we certainly were.

This new restaurant is currently only open for dinner, but plans are in the works for lunch service this summer. There’s a large outdoor area with yard games and tables for enjoying drinks and dining alfresco.