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There’s something special about working with clay, ceramic artist Lisa Ellena said.
Making mugs and other items people can interact with is special to her because of the connection they’ll have with the piece of art it will nourish them when they drink or eat and will be incorporated as a part of their daily routine.
“I feel like cups and mugs, they are special in that way. But in terms of functional pottery I love making all kinds of forms. Bowls and plates, vases and pitchers and everything,” Ellena said.
Ellena first came to Carbondale in 2010 as the resident artist at the Clay Center but has continued her life here since then. The annual Clay Pairings event that opens up space for ceramic artists and local beverage crafters to share the work in tandem is one she’s grown quite fond of.
Laws Whiskey House
Colorado is known for its high Rocky Mountain peaks, world-class ski resorts, old west towns, and craft breweries. But, recently, the Centennial state has also made a name for itself in the spirits industry. In the past 15 years, more than 100 distilleries have opened their doors, pioneering new flavors, creating spirit-oriented experiences, and proudly calling out the reasons Colorado is such an ideal spot for making hooch.
From the fresh Rocky Mountain water to the high elevation grains, it’s difficult to deny that spirits have a nice flavor profile when grown, distilled, aged, and bottled at more than 5,000 feet elevation.
Grains ferment in a fermentation tank to make whiskey at Marble Distilling Co. in Carbondale. A 500-gallon batch yields roughly 350 gallons of a waste called stillage that the distillery recycles as animal feed at the ranch where the grains are grown.
Ian Roth for Marble Distilling Co./Courtesy image
The Water Energy Thermal System at Marble Distilling Co. in Carbondale captures hot water from the distilling process to reuse and provide heat to the building.
Ian Roth for Marble Distilling Co./Courtesy image
Marble Distilling Co. has long committed to sustainability practices at their zero-waste production facility and attached hotel their motto is “Drink Sustainably,” after all.
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
The stoke is high for year 29 of the Mother of All Ascensions, a longtime Snowmass Village Mardi Gras tradition that brings costumed uphillers in pursuit of elevation gain and glory to the base of Fanny Hill for the race up to the High Alpine restaurant (formerly known as Gwyn’s High Alpine).
“I’m just so stoked, and thrilled, (and) grateful, blessed that we were able to pull this one together, because we haven’t missed a year,” said Andrew Bielecki, the event’s organizer. He’s been running the race since 1993, a year after it was founded by Patrick Long, Joel Gorton and Jeff Tippett.