My love of Manhattans is no secret — but the happy hour at this downtown establishment is not nearly as well-known as it should be. Four-ounce well Manhattans, vodka/gin martinis, cosmos and lemondrops for just $6 each — and a great happy hour menu as well. So on a gloomy…
On Friday night, I went to Lincoln’s Road House to see Dear Marsha play its last gig (the frontwomen are moving away, and the band will be no more). The club was packed, and a rumor quickly ran through the crowd that Dan Aykroyd, who was in town for a…
Jimmy Zanon grew up in Oregon, and in 1998 moved to Colorado for college. He fell in love with both his future wife and the restaurant business here and decided to stay in Denver, where you can currently find him behind the bar at Lola. Now serving: Jimmy Zanon…
Last night Domaine de Canton and brand ambassador Bryan Dayton of Frasca hosted the semifinalist round of the Domaine de Canton bartender competition at TAG. Beyond bragging rights, the winner of the competition won a trip to St. Maartin to compete not only for top honors, but $10,000 in prize…
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to praise the cocktails of Randy Layman, the bartender at Avenue Grill. I already know that Randy is one of Denver’s up-and-coming superstar bartenders, but I had no idea that he’s such a romantic. But when he serves me a Dearly Beloved ($10),…
The band playing in this space wasn’t enough to distract me from a much needed cocktail Friday night. Nor was the art show hanging on the walls, although I ordered the No Ka Oi pomegranate punch, named after one of the pieces in the exhibit. Can you guess where I’m…
Randy Layman began working at Avenue Grill seven years ago and convinced his twin, Ryan, to join him there four years ago. The identical (except for Ryan’s longer beard) bartenders poured kick-ass cocktails together, doubling your fun, until November 1 — when Ryan moved across the street to work with…
I only have a few rules for bartenders. The number one rule? When people come in the morning after Halloween for Sunday brunch, don’t make them wait fifteen minutes while you set up the bar. Serve them their drinks immediately, and then get your station in order. So where was…
The bad weather has put the Hendrick’s Gin competition hosted by the Colorado Bartenders Guild at Lola tonight on ice. I was slated to be a judge, so I’m both relieved and disappointed by the postponement. The contest has been tentatively rescheduled for November 16. In the meantime, you might…
901 Silver Tequila, the ultra premium tequila brand that just launched this year, has sealed a multi-year deal with Live Nation that makes it the official tequila sponsor at Live Nation venues across the country. It’s Live Nation’s first spirits sponsorship on a national level. “We are thrilled to be…
Leigh Jones, the woman behind Jonesy’s EatBar and the Horseshoe Lounge (with partner Margaret Moore), was also the co-owner and designer of the Dish, B-52 Billiards, Brasserie Rouge, Atomic Cowboy and Buffalo Billiards in Nashville and Austin. But she really came into her own with the eponymous Jonesy’s, Denver’s first…
This restaurant is the first place I take out-of-town guests who think Denver is fly-over culinary country. And while their shock over our incredibly good dinner was sweet, the bar’s new selection of fall cocktails was perhaps too sweet. The one above was made with Leopold Bros. Cranberry Liquor and…
I love an ice-cold Manhattan almost anywhere, but the drink’s particularly delightful at this fine dining establishment in Denver — where the chef is smokin’ hot, and the bartender is adorable. Can you guess where I’m drinking?…
Michael McGill grew up in Kansas City and moved to Boulder for college, where he poured his first drinks. He has been behind a bar since 1998, and today can be found managing the bar at Osteria Marco in Larimer Square. Now serving: Michael McGill. How did you get into…
Caleb Whitmore worked at the Fogo de Chao Churrascaria in Chicago, then moved to Denver this summer to open the Fogo here, bringing his caipirinha-making skills with him. And what’s a caipirinha? “It’s Brazil’s most popular cocktail,” explains Whitmore, “made from cachaca, sugar and fresh limes, shaken and served over…
Although some people think that mint juleps should only be imbibed in the summer, I disagree. Wholeheartedly. So when I saw a mint julep on the menu at this establishment that’s trying to make a name for itself with an impressive whiskey selection, despite the chilly weather outside, I ordered…
Colorado Bartenders Guild (COBG) is looking for bartenders with noggins full of gin ideas for the Hendrick’s Gin Cocktail Competition. To enter, a bartender needs to concoct a cocktail that includes the base spirit of Hendrick’s Gin (at least 1.5 ounces), with a maximum of seven ingredients (one can be…
I went out last night to try the new fall cocktails at a place I love, but don’t get to nearly as often as I’d like. After I’d tasted a number of delicious drinks (including a yummy red sangria with an orange twist, pictured above), the proprietor handed me a…
Last year I added another day to my list of favorite unofficial holidays. Before 2008, my list was as follows: Opening day of the Rockies, St. Patrick’s Day, July 4th, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Halloween, Stock Show, Talk Like a Pirate Day, the first day of skiing and New Year’s…
Ken Kodys won the Mix Master competition, but he’s also a champ behind the bar at Bacaro, 921 Pearl Street, where he’s worked almost five years. Here’s the second round of his Behind the Bar interview: How many times do you have to see someone to consider them a regular?…
Ken Kodys took top honors with a drink named Amnesia, appropriately enough, in the DeKuyper Mix Master Bartender Contest at last month’s Denver Food & Wine Festival. For anyone who could remember it after drinking one of his cocktails, it was an impressive showing for Kodys, who moved to Boulder…
Rocktober is in full swing and if you’re looking for a bar before or after — or during — the playoff games that isn’t full of 22-year-olds, this is the spot for you. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet cute, fun, drunk guys named Smiddy or Smitty. Or have public TV-watching…
