The Dogwood
Crested Butte, once a funky outdoor lover's paradise, has certainly changed over the past 10+ years. While the killer mountain biking, skiing, hiking, etc. still remain, it's crunchy quaint demeanor has had a pressing— but only light starch thank goodness. One point in case is The Dogwood Cocktail Cabin located just half a block away from CB's main Elk Avenue drag. To gain entrance in the historic building, you will have to have travelled around the sun 21 or more times. In other words, this is an adult-only sanctuary with no kiddos in tow making a ruckus.
Once inside the cozy shabby-authentic interior, it is exactly & perfectly what you would expect from a sophisticated yet rustic cocktail lounge in a town like CB. And if you're lucky enough to visit here in the summertime, the small but incredibly lovely outdoor patio is even better with eclectic "interior" decorations that make you feel like you're still inside the cabin, only with beautiful dappled light from the trees above filling the space.
OK, I'll stop wasting your time and get on to the cocktails... yeah, they're great, and the most inventively cute ingredient-driven names I've ever seen. Names like: Thai One On (coconut basil & lime), Miso Thirsty (sake, cucumber & soy bean) and Fennominal (fennel, strawberry & lemon) are just a few of the ever-changing concoctions on menu. I loved the intense, but delicious Down The Hatch with tequila, hatch chili, peach & orange. Get ready for a bit of a spicy front attack with slight smoky notes on the backend of this regionally famous chili, and then counterbalanced with the sweetest (and best) peaches in the country grown locally right here in the rocky mountain state—go Colorado pride! The Dogwood Cocktail Cabin is a MUST-visit local favorite if you ever visit "The Last Great Colorado Ski Town."
