COVID-19 Response

First published June 5, 2020. Last updated May 28, 2021.

Our number one priority during the pandemic has been to provide the exceptional rum and artisan cocktails we’re known for without compromising safety. We are beyond grateful to our staff and customers for helping us adapt throughout. Please read on for current policies and practices:

Mask Mandates and Social Distancing

In accordance with current Gunnison County Covid protocols, masks are no longer required at Montanya. We welcome staff and customers who prefer to wear masks to continue doing so, and always encourage unvaccinated individuals to wear masks. (The change in county protocols is largely a reflection of vaccination rates and does not mean the virus has been eradicated in the Gunnison Valley. You can find current Gunnison County protocols and case numbers here.)

Gunnison County has also removed the requirement for social distancing. We do acknowledge, however, that our staff and customers have varying levels of comfort with these changes and ask for your continued support in giving fellow parties space as you move throughout the restaurant. Likewise, we have made it a practice not to assume that everyone is ready for handshakes, hugs or congregating in groups. It’s our goal to be respectful of different comfort levels and hope you will too.

If You are Unwell

If you are experiencing a cough, fever or other symptoms, we humbly continue to ask that you do not visit Montanya until you are symptom-free. Our county has achieved the removal of most Covid restrictions through a shared commitment to keeping others safe from exposure, and we feel this is a good practice for all contagious illnesses.

Distribution Center (DC) and Administrative Office

The DC and the Administrative office are open to the public by appointment only. If you need to set up an appointment please contact us.

Response Plan

We have an active Covid-19 Response Plan, developed in conjunction with Gunnison County, which includes the possible closure of our Tasting Room to the public if we learn that a staff member has been exposed to a confirmed case of Covid or develops a confirmed case of Covid.

Out of extreme caution, we exercised this plan on August 4th after we learned through contact tracing that one of our staff members may have been exposed to Covid outside of the company. We closed for 36 hours in order to fully assess the situation. We now believe we were being overly cautious, as we have from the beginning of the pandemic, and could have stayed open safely. Protecting the wellbeing of our staff and customers, however, continues to be our priority, and we appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

On Thursday, December 10, 2020 after a member of our team tested positive for COVID due to an exposure outside of work. To fully assess the situation, we closed the Tasting Room and worked with our local health officials to implement contact tracing. Out of an abundance of caution, we stayed closed for the weekend and reopened at 11 am on Monday, December 14. Our distilling operations and administrative offices were not affected, and no other cases of Covid were identified.

Why We Take COVID-19 Seriously

Beyond the fact that we simply believe it is the right thing to do, our community of Crested Butte and the surrounding county were an early hot spot for COVID-19. During Stay at Home orders, we saw friends, neighbors, and even our staff fall sick to varying levels. People close to us have been hospitalized and even died; some of our friends who are no longer sick are still on a long road to recovery. Having seen the impacts of this virus up close, we feel duty-bound to protect ourselves, our friends and family, our customers, and our small local hospital from a resurgence.

We also wish to protect our business from future waves of Covid infection. It has been no easy task to steer Montanya through such a challenging time. We’ve managed to do so without laying off staff, without ceasing distillation or bottling, and we’ve been able to expand the availability of our rums in some markets. But it took the support of government relief funds, our reserves, and the hard work of so many of our staff to make it happen. We’re not sure it’s possible to do again.

It might also be helpful to understand that our building at 212 Elk Avenue is more than a restaurant and bar. It is a working distillery, where we make rum for the Tasting Room as well as distribution to 44 states and 7 countries. Another closure has the potential to affect the foundation of our entire business. In some cases you may see us taking a more cautious approach than regulations allow for or even our neighbors—this is in part due to the dual nature of our facility.

We are deeply grateful for your support in following these practices and supporting our staff’s efforts to enforce them. If you have questions or concerns about anything you witness or experience at Montanya, please let us know.