Foraging for wild licorice root in Colorado's aspen forests

The licorice root that flavors CapRock Bitter, an amaro-style vermouth, can only be found growing wild in the aspen forests in the mountains that surround Jack Rabbit Hill Farm. We drove to a thick forest of aspens at a 9,000-foot elevation to forage for the pungent roots with Robert, an extreme skier, photographer and former professional forager.

The Bitter’s base is Lance’s biodynamic Vignoles, a portion of which is distilled into a brandy and added back to the wine, which is then enhanced with the licorice root ad other Colorado botanicals.