Elevation 5003 Distillery sits in an industrial complex on South Lemay Avenue in Fort Collins, taking its name from the city’s elevation of 5,003 feet above sea level. Founded by husband-and-wife team Todd and Kris Bellamy in 2015, this craft distillery emerged from Todd’s background in brewing and their shared passion for creating quality spirits using Colorado ingredients. The operation started small in their 2,000-square-foot space, focusing on vodka, gin, and whiskey production using a 300-gallon copper still. The Bellamys didn’t stumble into distilling by accident. Todd spent years in the brewing industry before transitioning to spirits, bringing technical expertise and an understanding of fermentation that translates well to distillation. They built Elevation 5003 with a farm-to-bottle philosophy, sourcing grains from Colorado farms whenever possible and emphasizing the role of high-altitude distillation in their process. The couple handles most operations themselves, from mashing and distilling to bottling and marketing, keeping the operation genuinely small-batch. Visitors find a working distillery that doesn’t put on airs—this is about the craft, not Instagram moments. The space feels industrial but approachable, with the copper still as the centerpiece and bottles lining shelves that tell the story of their growing product line. You can taste their spirits and buy bottles directly, getting that connection between maker and drinker that’s harder to find with larger operations.