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Pure Intentions
You’ve probably heard less about Pure Distilling than you should have by now, but all that’s slowly changing. And for good reason.
The company sold its first bottle in mid December 2024 and through self-distribution already counts upwards of 250 on- and off-premise accounts across the state. You may have even had one of their products already in a cocktail around town without realizing it: perhaps at the Rabbit Hole or at Cocktails After Dusk event.
In September 2025, they opened a tucked-away tasting room at their distillery (in an office park off Janitell Road, near I-25’s Circle Drive exit). Gentleman croupier extraordinaire and industry personality Colby Schaffer has helped put them on the map since by hosting Wednesday night poker nights on site (6-9 p.m.; free with prizes for winners).
A Taster Tray of Colorado Libations from Recently Opened Businesses
Pure Distilling:
Two Army veterans recruited an experienced distiller to open Pure Distilling in south Colorado Springs last fall. The distillery is already selling two bourbons, vodka, gin and botanical rum. They have wide distribution across Colorado, and operate a tasting room and cocktail bar next to a gym, near the Broadmoor World Arena.
Crafting a New Path: Two Stern MBA Alumni Tap into the Spirits Market
Taylor Stuart (MBA ’16) and Drew Leyes (MBA ’16) share how they shifted from the corporate world to own their own craft spirit distillery, and why their Stern background helped them take a customer-first approach.
When Taylor Stuart (MBA ’16) and Drew Leyes (MBA ’16) started traveling together as Stern students in the full-time MBA program to places like Papua New Guinea, they didn’t know that one day their love of adventure would eventually lead them to own and run a craft spirits business. But the seeds of a joint venture were already there—conversations about opportunity and untapped markets.
This new Colorado distillery opens with a mission to offer approachable spirits, cocktails
A new distilling company is calling Colorado Springs home, and it aims to keep things “pure” at its new tasting room and distillery. The founders, Army veterans and first-time distillery owners, celebrated the grand opening of Pure Distilling’s tasting room, 2225 Executive Circle, Suite 172, on Friday. Pure Distilling is located in southeast Colorado Springs next to a sports gym and near the El Pomar Youth Sports Complex. New patrons will be treated to a bar and hangout spot filled with Colorado-focused memorabilia and gin, rum, bourbon and associated cocktails with a Colorado, adventure or military theme, depending on the drink.