Spirited by St. Patrick’s Day, Colorado Community Media staff members indulged in the traditions of the holiday, savoring some of the finest liquors and craft beers across the Front Range.

Over the course of two weeks, we sampled locally distilled gin, whiskey, vodka, tequila and absinthe and indulged in craft pale ales, India Pale Ales (IPA) and stouts.

While we could only choose from a fraction of local spirits and brews, here’s a listing of our favorite brews and spirits to celebrate with this St. Patrick’s Day.

, Golden Moon Distillery, 412 Violet St., Golden

A common mixing liquor, the Golden Moon Gin is a spirit with an uncommon and distinctive flavor. Made with mint, juniper berries and lavender, among other herbs and spices, this gin has a vintage flavor and charm that can be sipped or mixed in cocktails.

“My favorite was the Gin. I am normally not a fan of Gin, but I liked the smooth taste and delicate flavor,” Lynette Arguello, digital logistics supervisor.

The tasters particularily liked the sweet-smooth lavender notes the liquor brings to the table.

, State 38 Distilling, 400 Corporate Circle,Golden

This spirit is made with blue agave, giving it sweet undertones. This spirit rests in white oak barrels for two months which adds an oak and vanilla flavor to the whiskey flavor.

“Very smooth, very unusual spirit made from 100 percent organic blue agave. The smokiness of the spirit gives it the trademark whiskey flavor that blows your mind,” Amy Woodward, community editor, Golden Transcript.

“It was very smooth, with just enough smokiness in the flavor that it really did taste like a whiskey ... except for just a ghost of that agave flavor. I could sip it for quite some time,” Glenn Wallace, assistant editor.

: A stout is known for being dark in color, heavier and robust in flavor, and strong. They are made with roasted malt, barley, ale yeast and water.

, Yak and Yeti Brewpub, 7803 Ralston Road, Arvada.

This stout was dark in color, but light in weight. It was smooth and quite easy to drink, some may say too easy. When drinking it you had the chocolate, smoky flavor of a stout, combined with an aroma of allspice and the milky creaminess of chai tea.

“Smells like a million bucks ... which would buy quite a few yaks I imagine. The wonderfully sweet and exotic chai flavor dances atop the deep richness of this stout,” Wallace said.

“Tastes just like the name suggests — a rich chai flavor, a must for any chai or stout lover,” Woodward said.

We sampled four stouts; the Lookout Stout from Golden City Brewery; the chocolate milk stout from Ironworks Pub; the Thrilla n’ Vanilla stout from Brewery Rickoli; and a chai milk stout from Yak and Yeti Brewpub.

Made to last the voyage from England to India, IPAs have swiftly become a popular craft beer. Bitter in taste, this ale is known for being highly hoppy and fairly strong.

, Ironworks Pub, 12354 W. Alameda Parkway, Lakewood

This IPA is a medium weight, dark golden-colored ale, that’s strong with a hefty amount of hops. It’s one that can be savored and enjoyed alone or over a meal.

“The high pitched bitter taste of hops lingers in your throat on this one. For those that love that strong taste, the HK IPA is a great choice,” Woodward said.

We also sampled the Totally IPA from Brewery Rickoli, which was a close second with a lighter, milder hops flavor.

This category was designed to taste our local brewers most popular or interesting brews. We sampled a Hefeweizen, a Red Pale Ale, pale ale and a double cream ale.

, Brewery Rickoli, 4335 Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge

This cream ale is light in color with a creamy powerful, lingering taste.

“Just the smoothness, I like a light beer anyway,” Golden Transcript special projects manager John Tracy said, “the Enormous Richard is just really different from anything I’ve tasted.”

“Smooth and malty. You taste the higher alcohol content at first, but the finish is like silk. The alcohol gives it that OMPH, without the hops. I quite like the flavor. It’s an interesting beer,” Wallace said.

Colorado Community Media staff would like to give thanks to the following distilleries and breweries who participated in our tastings. The Front Range has a plethora of breweries, and this is by no means an exhaustive list; we thoroughly enjoyed this endeavor, and thank those who participated for their tasty products and support.

Yak and Yeti Brewpub, Arvada

Brewery Rickoli, Wheat Ridge

Odyssey Beerwerks, Arvada

Ironworks Pub, Lakewood

Golden City Brewery, Golden

State 38 Distilling, Golden

Golden Moon Distillery, Golden

*ABV (Alcohol by volume); IBU (International Bitterness Unit)