The Best Charcuterie Boards in Colorado Springs (Plus, How to Make Your Own!)

Read on to learn more about the charcuterie craze, where to buy locally in Colorado Springs, and how to put together your own charcuterie board!

Charcuterie boards are all the rage and seem to be everywhere these days. The term “charcuterie board” sparks images of trays laden with delicious meats, gourmet cheeses, toasted baguettes, fresh and dried fruits, crunchy nuts, and sweet jams. Charcuterie boards have been trending for several years and have now become the ultimate appetizer served at parties. Whether it’s the traditional meat and accompaniments, a cheese board, a dessert board, or even a vegan snack board, there’s a charcuterie board for everyone.

Hosting a Party? Order from One of These Local Catering Companies that Specialize in Charcuterie Boards

Charcuterie boards can take a lot of time and work to put together. If you want your board to look and taste fantastic with minimal effort on your part, hiring a catering company that specializes in grazing boards is the way to go. Luckily there are several options for charcuterie boards in the Colorado Springs area. Below are a few amazing companies we recommend:

Full Board Charcuterie 

This small, local business offers decadent full boards and grazing tables for any occasion. What do we love about them? They try to stay as local as possible like using cheese from Sawatch Artisan Foods. They also offer grazing boards, charcuterie cups, and charcuterie picnic boxes. Owner Deanna loves to share her wealth of knowledge with others through her in-home and corporate workshops. Click here to find out more or place an order with Full Board Charcuterie.

Amazing Graze Charcuterie Co. 

This Colorado Springs boutique catering company specializes in high-end sweet and savory charcuterie boards and grazing tables. Amazing Graze Charcuterie Co. sources their ingredients from local farmers and artisans and they take pride in the quality ingredients they use to compose their charcuterie boards. What do we love about them? Their amazing brunch board that includes everything from lox bagels to yogurt parfait. Check out more from Amazing Graze here. 

Bee Bees Boards

Overflowing with deliciousness, Bee Bees Boards aim to impress. What do we love about them? They create seasonal boards that feature unique colors and flowers. Try their “Man Board” or the kids board for game night. Click here to discover more about Bee Bees Boards. 

Night out on the Town? Check Out These Bars and Restaurants Offering Charcuterie Boards

Maybe you’re in need of a night out on the town (aren’t we all) and just want to enjoy a delicious tray of goodies without having to bother with clean up. We get that, too! Several local restaurants also offer charcuterie boards that you can enjoy without all the fuss.

Brooklyn’s on Boulder

This bar serves up an amazing speakeasy style atmosphere featuring pre-prohibition cocktails as the official tasting room for Lee Spirits. Order a scrumptious charcuterie board from Wild Goose Meeting House, and have it delivered right to your table in the tasting room. Try this savory snack along with a fun cocktail demonstration at Brooklyn’s on Boulder on The Springs Signature Cocktail Tour. 

Four by Brother Luck

When happy hour hits, there’s nothing better than a glass of wine and a charcuterie board on the patio at Four by Brother Luck. Like their menu, the cheese and meat board can evolve and change according to the season. Visit this amazing restaurant (and it’s sister restaurant, Lucky Dumpling) on The Original Colorado Springs Food Tour happening every weekend in downtown.

Pikes Peak Lager House

This downtown brewery serves mini charcuterie boards, perfect for one to person to enjoy while sipping on a refreshing beer. Enjoy your mini charcuterie board and beverage up on their rooftop patio while you take in the stunning views of Pikes Peak. Find out more about The Lager House on The Springs Craft Brewery Tour, which visits four local breweries in downtown Colorado Springs every weekend.

Like to Do it Yourself? Here are Some Tips on How To Put Together Your Own Charcuterie Board

Building a Classic Charcuterie Board

First of all, determine what type of event you’re hosting. Date night for two? Happy hour with neighbors? Ladies brunch? A kids party? The ideas are endless, but here are some tips to keep in mind when putting together a classic board:

• Meats: A classic charcuterie board typically features 3-5 different types of meat. Plan about 2oz of meat per person to make sure there’s enough for everyone. Popular choices include prosciutto, Genoa salami, chicken liver mousse, mortadella, Spanish chorizo, Capocollo ham, and gypsy ham.  Smoked meats have a strong flavor that can often overwhelm more delicate flavors, so it’s best to only include one smoked meat on your board.
• Condiments: Now to add some accompaniments! The goal of a charcuterie board is to complement and balance the flavors of the meat and give your guests a delicious contrast of textures and tastes in each bite. Add honey, jams, mustard, or even a salsa. Serve your condiments in small ramekins throughout your board.
• Cheeses: When choosing cheeses for your board do a mixture of hard and soft cheese. Some popular choices include: aged cheddar, gouda, brie, Havarti, Manchego, muenster, Boursin, and parmesan. As we head into the holiday season, you could whip together a festive cranberry or pomegranate salsa to dress up a block of cream cheese.
• Other Goodies: Finally, add any fruits, veggies, nuts, olives, bread, and crackers to enhance your cheese board. Cheddar goes great with grapes. Cherries with brie is delicious, and gouda and pears are a great pair. And you don’t have to limit yourself to fresh fruit. Dried apricots, mangos, cranberries, and dates all make great additions to any charcuterie board.

Other Types of Boards

Vegan Board

Vegans can join the charcuterie craze too! There are plenty of options to include on a vegan charcuterie or snack board. Choose from olives, hummus, jams, pickles, fruits, veggies, baguettes, and crackers. You can also head to your local health-food grocer to find all kinds of vegan “cheese” options. These types of stores also offer several types of vegan dips and even meat substitutes to add to your vegan snack board. 

Dessert Board

Dessert boards are a fun (and sweet!) twist on the charcuterie trend. They often include a mouth-watering array of chocolates, chocolate-covered nuts, cookies, candies, chocolate-covered pretzels, fruit, sometimes a chocolate or caramel dip, and often a little fruit to balance things out. But one of the great things about charcuterie boards is that there are no rules! 

Kid-Friendly Board

Lots of kids in the group? Serve more mild cheeses like medium cheddar, mozzarella, or Colby Jack. Add kid-friendly items to your board like pretzels, strawberries, apple slices, turkey deli meat, popcorn, or even goldfish crackers.

How to Arrange Your Board

A big reason for the charcuterie board’s popularity is how amazing they look! An artfully arranged board will wow your guests, photograph beautifully, and elevate any event. First, you need to choose a platter to build your masterpiece on. Natural wood boards are a popular choice and often used, but you can choose a serving tray, a fancy plate, or even just a sheet of brown butcher paper. Next you typically want to start with whatever items have the most volume; usually this is your meats and cheeses. Also, place any small bowls or ramekins that you want to use for jams, honey, dips or olives. Next add your crackers and bread to the board. Then it’s time to fruits and/or vegetables. Finally, fill in any gaps on your board with smaller items such as nuts, pickles, dried fruit, fresh herbs, or even fresh flowers for garnish.

There you have it! We hope this article inspires your charcuterie creativity!

Cheers, Your Rocky Mountain Food Tours Team

(So, what’s a food tour, anyway…?)

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