Cocktail Class

Cocktails — like food, fashion, film and everything else that's good in life — have life spans, eras, and some are better than others. One need look no further than a LoDo happy-hour menu to see that we're well past the golden age of glamour when it comes to inebriants. At some point, we abandoned the Gin Gimlet and the Highball in favor of the Purple Hooter and the Car Bomb, forgetting that the joy of drinking lies in the ritual as much as the buzz. Who wants to swirl a swizzle stick around a Fuzzy Navel? What would Bogie say?

Speakeasy: A Classic Cocktail Series, running Wednesdays through September 13 at Randolph's Bar and Patio, pays tribute to the art of the cocktail while celebrating the drink's 200th birthday. Every week, Randolph's staff will offer a menu designed to please both urban sophisticates and dedicated booze swillers. The list includes the Gin Fizz, the Old Fashioned and every martini imaginable, with vintage variations every week. Cocktail hour begins on the patio at 7 p.m. The stylish series has a nice safety feature, as well: Because Randolph's is located in the lobby of the Warwick Denver Hotel, 1776 Grant Street, a safe trip home is just one elevator ride away for those who overindulge.
Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Starts: Aug. 2. Continues through Sept. 13