I enjoyed this delicious cocktail while sitting at the bar, where I could watch all the unfolding weekend fun that invades a hot restaurant. As the night went on, the place got packed: Great bartenders and a great chef will make that happen. Can you guess where I’m drinking? Special…
I remember drinking my first Negroni when I was in college. I hated it. But I was a typical “girl” and liked sweet, fruity drinks. Now, as a “woman,” I love the bitterness of a good Negroni. But I still love a good college town. Can you guess where I’m…
A friend wanted to get a drink at a “New York” type of bar, and it took me all of 30 seconds to decide where I wanted to go. Not sure why I think of this place as a New York-ish bar…but it could be the windows. Or maybe it’s…
I love the National Western Stock Show and everything about it; I even love the smell from the stockyards that drifts into downtown Denver this time of year. The town is full of cows and cowboys, and the town’s steakhouses are full of cowboys looking for great grilled cow. This…
When news broke that Randy Layman was leaving Avenue Grill to run the bar at Jonesy’s EatBar for Leigh Jones, it sounded like a match made in heaven. Layman is an incredible mixologist with a passion for tending bar — and for teaching neophytes how to tend bar well. Leigh…
If I were to give you any clues, this would be much too easy. Let’s just say that it’s an awesome drink that you’ll continue to think about long into the night. Can you guess where I’m drinking? Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who gave the first correct answer to…
If you count on Cafe Colorado, the storefront that opened last year at 287 Columbine Street, for your morning joint of java, you may need to look elsewhere this morning. The sign above is posted on the door; more ominous is a full voicemail box (at 303-377-8902) and another sign…
I thought I’d had the worst margarita ever — until I took a sip of this one. I don’t know why bars insist on using crappy sweet and sour mix. Hey, 1965 is calling and wants their shitty mixers back. That said, I do like their televisions for watching football…
Yes, we Westworders love our charcuterie. And this plate, stripped down to the quintessential French style (the proprietor of this establishment would have it no other way), comes courtesy of a charcutier who graduated from Johnson and Wales. Can you guess where I’m eating? Special bonus: Every Friday, anyone who…
In the dead of winter, a sip of this delicious pineapple mojito was enough to transport me to sunny South America. Guess where I was drinking, and post your answer below. Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to any of the week’s Where am I drinking/eating posts…
Very few mixed drinks include Scotch on their list of ingredients. That’s convenient, since I don’t really love Scotch — but I do enjoy a good Blood and Sand, and this one was great. You shouldn’t need coaching to answer this: Where was I drinking? Special bonus: Anyone who gives…
I’ve started out the new year with a string of classic cocktails, including this Manhattan, poured in a classic Denver restaurant. Can you guess where I’m drinking? Special bonus: Anyone who gives the first correct answer to any of the week’s Where am I drinking/eating posts is entered into a…
For the second time, Steuben’s decided to welcome the new year with a special, round-the clock celebration that kicked off at opening on December 31 and ended at closing January 1. Last year, the special was chicken and waffles. This round? Pork and eggs. According to exec chef Matt Selby,…
The sign on the Rackhouse Pub promises “Whiskey Beer Food.” It’s been a tough year, so I’m looking for signs. Life has gotten so complex that a sign, just a sign, can help chart my direction — even if it’s only for the course of a night. Whiskey, Beer and…
Amanda Olig moved to Colorado in August 2005, right after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. She worked as a promo girl for Premier Image for three years doing Jameson, Kahlua and Stoli promotions, then opened the Meadowlark in January 2006. She stayed there until August 2007, when…
I have fond memories of the holiday season up at 44th and Federal. The space that was then 3 Sons always featured the most over-the-top, tacky Christmas decorations in town; as a kid, I liked counting all the different decor items, especially the red bows and cherubs. The owners sold…
After stints at LoHi SteakBar and Caldonia’s, Maura Schuster is now behind the bar at Ernie’s Bar & Pizza. The place is new, but the bar is old-school, complete with a back bar salvaged from the old Armory in Greeley. And Schuster is an old-school bartender, “not a big performance/flair…
Want to do some good while drinking great cocktails? On Monday, December 7, the Colorado Bartenders Guild (COBG) is sponsoring its fourth annual Holiday Toy Drive at Steuben’s, 523 East 17th Avenue. “We started out with two bartenders and me and convinced about twenty of our friends to come,” recalls…
You can find Jared Boller behind a number of bars — at TAG, Root Down and Corridor 44. He says he loves working with the different styles and clientele at each location and that it makes him a better bartender. It certainly makes him a winning bartender: Last month, Boller…
The night before Thanksgiving is always a busy night for bars. After all, when your biggest mental challenge the next day will be choosing between pumpkin or apple pie, a hangover doesn’t seem like a big deal. So my friend decided shotgunning beers and dancing till closing sounded like a…
I was sitting at the bar at Jax in LoDo on a snowy Sunday afternoon, enjoying the quiet while also enjoying Leo’s Manhattan ($10), made with New York Apple Whiskey, Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry, muddled apple and pumpkin pie spice. And I couldn’t have been happier. As the snow piled…
Erin Clark used to work in the advertising industry; today you’ll find him behind the bar at Jax, at 1539 17th Street in Lodo. And although he hasn’t won any bartending awards, “my family really, really likes me,” he says. “I think.” Now serving: Erin Clark…
