Members of the Colorado Bartenders Guild took first, second and third at the Bombay Sapphire regional cocktail competition on Tuesday night. Coming in third, Mike Henderson of TAG; second, Sean Kenyon of Steuben’s and Vesta Dipping Grill. And in first place? Anika Zappe, the musician/mixologist at Root Down. Zappe won…
A number of Denver restaurants have bars that just do everything right. The restaurateurs recognize the importance of a comfortable bar setting. The bartenders are professionals who understand the complexity of a cocktail — and the simple value of a substantial pour. And the chefs realize that it’s important to…
Primebar, the new restaurant in the old home of Palamino at 1515 Arapahoe Street, opened last month — but it threw its big grand-opening bash, a benefit for Food Bank of the Rockies, last night. The very pretty space was packed with pretty people — but looking even better than…
I could be a homosexual man trapped in a heterosexual woman’s body. The fact is, I love gay boys. I’m the quintessential “fruit fly,” formerly and less attractively known as a “fag hag.” And as such, I love a great gay bar. I hate to stereotype, but not only does…
I couldn’t wait for Olivea to open, because I’d always liked the feel of the space when it was Aix — cozy and intimate without being claustrophobic — and I thought that the foursome behind Duo who’d bought it (Stephanie Bonin, Keith Arnold, chef John Broening and pastry chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom)…
I stopped by Oceanaire (1400 Arapahoe) last night, and was served a Maker’s Mark Mint Julep. The crazy part: This delicious cocktail was a pre-made mix, poured directly from the bottle. Maker’s is distributing the drink in Colorado for the first time ever, and Oceanaire is one of the few…
Stopped in at Bill Ward’s miniBAR Friday night, for an early look at the start of its grand-opening festivities. It’s tucked below the old Village Inn at 2623 East Second Avenue. And although the place is tiny, it’s definitely big on style…
Who knew? Who knew that on the first warm Thursday of spring, the hot place in Cherry Creek would be Second Home? I started the evening with what was supposed to be one drink at Cucina Colore. That turned into appetizers at Elway’s and more drinks at North. And then…
Vesta Dipping Grill, at 1822 Blake Street, is launching its own “Colorado Stimulus Plan,” and giving away a month of happy hours — a total of twenty in June (one every Monday through Friday through the month). According to Vesta’s announcement, the owners (who are also responsible for Steuben’s) “feel…
The Colorado Bartenders Guild (COBG) hosted its first-ever cocktail contest on Sunday night at Trios Entoneca, and Mark Stoddard (above), of Boulder’s Bitter Bar, took first place with his “Swedish Fish” — a tasty blend of Absolut, Orgeat Syrup, Maraschino Cherry liquid Regan’s Orange Bitter’s, orange wedges and mint. The…
I’m leaving for a girls weekend in New Orleans on April 30 and hoping to make it out of the Big Easy with no permanent tattoos and both kidneys, so I was trying to stay off the cocktail circuit for the rest of April. But there’s that COBG contest I’m…
I love a challenge, and as soon as I saw the “limit 3 per customer” advisory on the menu for the Bar Sketch White Sangria ($7.50), I knew what I had to do. From the first sip, I knew I would not be taking on a traditional “sangria” made from…
The state’s best mixologists will be pouring it on — and pouring out the drinks — Sunday, April 26, at the first Colorado Cocktail Classic competition, sponsored by the Colorado Bartenders Guild. Go to Trios Enoteca,1730 Wynkoop Street, at 6 p.m. to cheer on your favorite bartenders and enjoy some…
Although I’m not normally a fan of national chains, I’d been waiting with bated breath for Houston’s to open in Cherry Creek, because I have fond memories of long, delicious lunches at its siblings in Arizona and California. But those lunches were a long time ago, and either I’ve changed…
For Colorado bartenders, taxes aren’t the only thing due on April 15. That’s also the deadline for submitting recipes to the first cocktail competition of the year organized by the Colorado Bartenders Guild (COBG). And I’ll be helping to judge the results at 6 p.m. April 26 at Trios Enoteca,…
Rock me, Amadeus. I’ve been going to the Mozart Lounge for years. It’s just down the street from my friend Hayley’s house, and we’d made a habit of celebrating her birthday by getting a big group of friends together at “the Mo,” where we always drank too many exceptionally strong,…
I never thought that my mother, of all people, would be at the epicenter of the area’s newest hot spot, but since she moved into the Landmark development, I’ve been much more willing to jump on I-25 and head outside of my usual north of Hampden/south of I-70 drinking territory…
Think Highland is changing? You’ve got another think comin’. The owners of what had been Swimclub 32 are sure that their new concept for the space, El Camino, is exactly what the neighborhood wants — and needs. El Camino’s kick-back sports-bar feel seems a million miles and many dollars away…
One of the very few New Year’s resolutions I may manage to keep is my vow to lessen my carbon footprint in 2009 by supporting independent restaurants and bars. The rest of this year’s resolutions (to stop swearing, speeding and eating simple carbohydrates) have already gone out the window. Yes,…
Looking to increase your brain size while killing a few brain cells? Dave Elger, founder and co-owner of Muchote Tequila, is holding classes offering “an interactive and education twist on tasting and mixing classic cocktails” on Mondays at Bar Luxe (231 Milwaukee Street). For the next eleven weeks, Dave will…
Wow. I can only hope that every bar I go to in 2009 will be half as well-designed as Root Down, a pure-genius revival of a ’50s service station. Though I’d originally heard that the restaurant was named after the Beastie Boys song, bartender Chine set me straight: It’s actually…
Yes, Denver, there is a Santa Claus. And if you still need to get in the holiday spirit, this cocktail will take you there — fast. Osteria Marco’s Alps in Rosso ($9), made with Hangar One Spiced Pear Vodka, house-infused rosemary gin, Leopold Brothers’ Three Pins Alpine Herbal Liqueur, Strega…
