Alabama Slammer

To say the PS Lounge is just a dive bar is like saying a limo is just a car, or a lion is just a cat. There's no question that the PS Lounge is a dive -- but the fact is, it might be Denver's greatest dive. It has everything a true dive needs: a good location on Colfax; stiff cheap drinks; colorful characters; Naugahyde booths; even a classic, gigantic illuminated sign from yesteryear. But what elevates the PS above the rest are the bartenders. Generally, dive bars are staffed by surly bastards who growl to acknowledge that they hear you when you order a drink and are tough enough to deal with any bad elements and the occasional bar fight. At the PS Lounge, though, the lovely ladies behind the bar are more like people who would help little old ladies cross Colfax and volunteer as candy stripers in their spare time. The owner, Pete, is always there to act as bouncer if needed, leaving the bartenders free to do their job -- and they do it exceptionally well. They politely offer any woman who enters a red rose, and they invite everyone who comes in to partake of an Alabama Slammer, a shot whose ingredients are confidential but whose tastiness is no secret. The service doesn't stop there, either: These sweet bartenders are even happy to call next door to Tommy's Thai to order food for you (though they draw the line at picking it up). The last time I was in, newbie Darleen was behind the bar, and the toughest she got all evening was when she said, "I loaded up the jukebox last time. It's your turn." The jukebox is another dive treasure, filled with a diverse collection of tunes from every decade since Elvis was a boy. Next time you're cruising down Colfax, drop by the PS Lounge: They'll have an Alabama Slammer waiting.