Colorado Urban WineFest continues to rock on this week

Four of Denver’s most talented barmen brought their A-games to Colt & Gray on Monday night, where Kevin Burke, Joe Hines, Matty Durgin and Ryan Conklin mixed up all kinds of magical cocktails that incorporated a local wine as a featured ingredient. “Handsome” Joe Hines of Green Russell fame (and who just joined the crew at Williams & Graham) blew us away with his “Smoke, Vine & Seed” — as the name would imply, a sexy, smoked-out blend of Graystone Vineyards Lipizzan Port (yep, that’s a Colorado wine, folks), Calvados, and artisan Ardbeg scotch. Visions of Don Draper danced in our minds as we savored every sip. Congrats to Joe, and to the rest of the gentlemen mixologists; don’t forget to comment below to score a copy of all eight wine-soaked cocktail recipes.

Sometimes we forget to rain props upon the myriad cider and meadery makers who are just as much a part of our local booze-making community as Creekside Cellars or Canyon Wind Cellars. Now’s your chance to share the love (and see for yourself how The Restaurant Formerly Known As District Meats’ transformation into Charlie Palmer’s District Tavern is coming along) at an open house-style event that will include free samples of Colorado Cider Company and Redstone Meadery libations, paired up with an assortment of petite passed hors d’oeuvres.

There are just four days left of Colorado Urban WineFest; check this listing of Colorado Wine Week events to find out how to have your best [wine] week ever.

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