ASPEN, COLORADO – 2026

Ostensibly, the premise of the Woody Creek Tavern, 15 minutes outside Aspen, is far from compelling. The Aspen amphitheatre has​ a visual splendour, but the Woody Creek Tavern sits by a road with a steep bank on one side and no real view of anything other than a few nearby modest homesteads. In a place of such mountain grandeur, it could seem an anomaly that a destination location such as this offers very little sense of place.  Indeed, there is a feeling that you could be anywhere in the Rockies, not a short ride from the world’s most notorious ski resort.

But here is the trick: good venues don’t need views, they need history, a loyal clientele and passionate owners who want to retain the lore of the joint. In Craig and Samantha Cordts-Pearce, the WCT has exactly that and no pillar of the local community is more loved than this quirky wood shack. It has a vibe that can’t really be copied.

In the late 60s and early 70s, Aspen was the Babylon of the Rockies – a place of sexual freedom, a little too much cocaine and a freewheeling attitude towards the meaning of life. It was bohemian, liberal and non-judgmental.  The WCT was its mission control.

In 1970, Hunter S.​ Thompson – the WCT’s most regular customer – ran for Sheriff on a wild platform of reform that included decriminalizing drugs for personal use and renaming Aspen “Fat City” to deter investors. He lost, but only by 500 votes.

Hunter plays a cameo in this image, which features the famous Ferrari 250 GTO. This $100m car was made to be outside the WCT and I am proud we made this happen. Wealth played no role in the hierarchy of 1970s Aspen but being cool most certainly did.

There were no boundaries.