Best Microbrew 2005 | Avery Brewing Co. | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Microbrew

Avery Brewing Co.

In a state rich with craft brews, it takes big flavor and muscle to stand out. Avery Brewing's Hog Heaven does that and more. Rich with malt, gooey with hops and deep with alcohol, this beer hogs the spotlight, thrilling beer geeks and gourmands and scaring off swill-sippers. Avery Brewing rules the roost of local breweries, and Hog Heaven is the true king of beers.

Best New-Old Brewpub

Bull & Bush Pub & Brewery

Evan Semón
While the brewpub industry has fallen flat in recent years, the Bull & Bush proves that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Now more than thirty years old, the Bull was modeled after the 300-years-older Bull & Bush near London and spent its first few decades as a classic Glendale watering hole -- which means the amount you drank (and who you drank it with) was sometimes more important than what you drank. But the introduction of a microbrewery three years ago poured new life into this animal. Today, the Bull & Bush pumps out award-winning brews that make an already good bar even better. Throw in the Bull's live music and more than a hundred kinds of Scotch, and better becomes the best.

Best New-Old Brewpub

Bull & Bush Pub & Brewery

While the brewpub industry has fallen flat in recent years, the Bull & Bush proves that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Now more than thirty years old, the Bull was modeled after the 300-years-older Bull & Bush near London and spent its first few decades as a classic Glendale watering hole -- which means the amount you drank (and who you drank it with) was sometimes more important than what you drank. But the introduction of a microbrewery three years ago poured new life into this animal. Today, the Bull & Bush pumps out award-winning brews that make an already good bar even better. Throw in the Bull's live music and more than a hundred kinds of Scotch, and better becomes the best.

Best Anytime Drink Special

The Lounge

Lots of local watering holes offer great happy-hour specials and fleeting drink deals on whatever rotgut they've got clogging up their back stock. But the Lounge doesn't mess around. Instead, the barkeeps here serve one-buck cans of Old Style, all the time. The staple of a million Midwest union meetings and monster-truck rallies, Old Style is richer than Budweiser and less played out than Pabst. And the Lounge, with its amiable staff, hit-heavy jukebox, creative appetizers and chill atmosphere, is the perfect place to wash away those day-before-payday blues.

Best Anytime Drink Special

The Lounge

Lots of local watering holes offer great happy-hour specials and fleeting drink deals on whatever rotgut they've got clogging up their back stock. But the Lounge doesn't mess around. Instead, the barkeeps here serve one-buck cans of Old Style, all the time. The staple of a million Midwest union meetings and monster-truck rallies, Old Style is richer than Budweiser and less played out than Pabst. And the Lounge, with its amiable staff, hit-heavy jukebox, creative appetizers and chill atmosphere, is the perfect place to wash away those day-before-payday blues.

Best New Bar on Colfax

Irish Snug

Denver is suddenly inundated with Irish bars, but the Irish Snug led the way, in the process giving Colfax a stunning new storefront: This Dublin-style pub's facade looks like it was built in another century. The vibe inside is slightly less well-worn, although a growing group of loyal customers are doing their best to break the place in. Opened on St. Patrick's Day 2004, the Snug sticks to its theme, from the Guinness on tap to the corned beef on the menu. The bar's snug -- a private drinking booth imported from Ireland -- is a unique, authentic feature, but it's just as fun to enjoy the nightly beer specials on the large gated patio, or in a non-smoking room. Let's raise a pint to the Snug.

Best New Bar on Colfax

Irish Snug

Denver is suddenly inundated with Irish bars, but the Irish Snug led the way, in the process giving Colfax a stunning new storefront: This Dublin-style pub's facade looks like it was built in another century. The vibe inside is slightly less well-worn, although a growing group of loyal customers are doing their best to break the place in. Opened on St. Patrick's Day 2004, the Snug sticks to its theme, from the Guinness on tap to the corned beef on the menu. The bar's snug -- a private drinking booth imported from Ireland -- is a unique, authentic feature, but it's just as fun to enjoy the nightly beer specials on the large gated patio, or in a non-smoking room. Let's raise a pint to the Snug.

Best Bohemian Bar

The Thin Man

Tony White
This saloon's name recalls both Bob Dylan and Dashiell Hammett, and its regulars are likely to be familiar with both. The Thin Man draws a funky sample of Capitol Hill's creative population, including local musicians, artists and filmmakers; book clubs and art collectives come here to brainstorm or plan their Burning Man installations. A former auto garage, the Man packs them all in with signature cocktails (the pineapple vodka is a special treat), a nice selection of beer and wine, and a friendly, TV-free space. The walls host works by an ever-changing roster of local artists, and the white marble bar is a thing of beauty. An establishment as good as the Thin Man is hard to find.

Best Bohemian Bar

The Thin Man

This saloon's name recalls both Bob Dylan and Dashiell Hammett, and its regulars are likely to be familiar with both. The Thin Man draws a funky sample of Capitol Hill's creative population, including local musicians, artists and filmmakers; book clubs and art collectives come here to brainstorm or plan their Burning Man installations. A former auto garage, the Man packs them all in with signature cocktails (the pineapple vodka is a special treat), a nice selection of beer and wine, and a friendly, TV-free space. The walls host works by an ever-changing roster of local artists, and the white marble bar is a thing of beauty. An establishment as good as the Thin Man is hard to find.

Best Shot-and-a-Beer Bar

Arap's Old Gun Shop

Cassandra Kotnik
Sometimes you just need a place to drink. A place where you can go about the serious business of altering your blood chemistry undisturbed by flashing lights, pounding bass lines or a bunch of nineteen-year-olds passing fake IDs and horking up their Jägermeister on the dance floor. And when you're in need of a place like this, you could do a lot worse than bellying up to the bar at Arap's Old Gun Shop -- where the beers are cold, the well booze is cheap, the bartenders are smooth and efficient, and the customers are mostly local, mostly friendly and mostly content to keep to themselves. There's plenty of space at the bar or at the long tables arranged in front of it to be alone with your thoughts, and while the Barfly vibe can sometimes be overwhelming, it's exactly that dead-end sense of last-call gloom and lost chances that makes Arap's the genuine article.

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