Best Pickle Shots 2024 | Crow Bar | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Pickle Shots

Crow Bar

Kristin Pazulski

One great thing about being young is not worrying about your alcohol or sodium intake, so while we're all young, let's celebrate at Crow Bar with its infamous pickle shots. A staple Berkeley dive bar for the service-industry crowd, Crow Bar's kitschy decor and prices ($3 for the brine and vodka shot) transport you to a different time. While some places like to chef-up their infusions, these pickle shots won't leave you belching garlic for hours. Feel like kicking it up a notch? Order what the die-hards call a Deli Shot: half pickle infusion, half pepperoncini infusion, for one savory, spicy bomb to start your night. Or end it.

4395 Yates Street
303-862-4645
faceebook.com/crowbardenver

Best Unexpected Tiki Cocktails

American Elm

American Elm

Why does a New American restaurant with absolutely no hint of tropical decor have a tiki section on its drink menu? Why not? This is a pretty straightforward upscale neighborhood spot, one where the French dip is stellar and you can gather with friends for oysters on the half shell or burrata fritters to snack on. But do not leave without indulging in one of American Elm's island-inspired libations, whether a classic Mai Tai, the mystery daiquiri made with rotating fruits or — our favorite — the creamy, green-hued pandan Chi Chi.

Best Frosé

Edgewater Beer Garden

Situated at the site of a former fire station, Edgewater Beer Garden opened in the spring of 2002, with 4,500 square feet of outdoor space where guests can soak up the Colorado sunshine at communal Oktoberfest-style tables while savoring craft beer and casual bites. While it primarily honors the state's craft beer culture, the garden also boasts a full bar serving craft cocktails, including its irresistible frosé. This charmingly pink frozen concoction blends vodka, rosé, aperol and a touch of lemon, striking the perfect balance of flavors. Priced at $13, it's a refreshing treat guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and offer respite on a sunny day.

2508 Gray Street, Edgewater
720-853-2337
edgewaterbeergarden.com

Best New Karaoke Bar

Rhapsody Karaoke & Chicken Wings

Like many others, Hillary Schefter often went out for karaoke nights at Armida's on Lincoln Street before it shuttered in July 2020. So when a space near Afterburner, the calzone shop that she owns with her husband, became available, she set out on a mission to create a new place for people to gather, sing, drink and eat. Rhapsody opened in February and has quickly proven that Denver did indeed want to belt out tunes while sipping cocktails and noshing on giant servings of fries with friends.

24 Broadway
720-772-8032
rhapsodyonbroadway.com

Best Bar for Weeknight Drinks

The L

Molly Martin

A great weeknight bar is one with solid libations and an atmosphere that encourages a long chat and post-drink lingering. The L on Broadway offers a space with plenty of seating, a great selection of cocktails that won't break the bank, and a happy hour you can easily pop into on your way home from work. You're not going to run into a loud, crowded trivia night or open mic that'll have you screaming to be heard, either. Those can be fun sometimes, but when you want a quiet spot to decompress from the day, settle into one of the comfy couches at the L.

Best Bar to Spot a Mustache

Pon Pon

Danielle Lirette

Although its great prices and relaxed atmosphere are a major draw, the other hot item at Pon Pon is on the faces of its patrons. That's right: If you want to see some of the most spectacular mustaches in Denver, look no further than Pon Pon. The RiNo bar attracts those who want to be in a popular part of town but feel like they're cooler than everyone else there, which makes it prime mustache-twirling territory. The walls are covered with interesting memorabilia, the art gallery in the back has rotating exhibits, and the red-toned lighting makes Pon Pon a prime setting for photos of friends on drunken nights out. But even if you only care about people-watching, you won't be disappointed here.

Best Place to Drink With a View

BurnDown

LC Photography

BurnDown's 1940s-era building previously held a furniture store and a year-round Christmas shop. It also once nearly burned down, but the gaping hole left behind is now an atrium that runs through the multi-level bar and restaurant that opened in May 2023. The space doubles as a music venue with a small stage for performers, but the highlight is the rooftop patio with a view that spans the entire Front Range.

Best Vintage Spirits List

Run for the Roses

Molly Martin

Subterranean gambling-themed cocktail lounge Run for the Roses has become a destination for drink aficionados. Comb through the clever custom deck-of-cards menu and you'll find special reserve cocktails made with vintage liqueurs and spirits — a passion of owner Stephen Waters. He often imports these hard-to-find bottles, having to first verify the authenticity from halfway across the globe. The result is an impressive collection that includes a 1960s Cherry Heering; a 1979 Scotch whisky from Speyside; Maraschino from the late 1940s; and Benedictines, Bacardis, Amaro and Mezcal from decades ago. These spirits are fun to sip neat, but we recommend trusting the experts behind the bar to showcase them in a well-crafted concoction.

Best Bar for Girls' Night

Lady Jane

Mark Antonation

In a post-pandemic world, the desire for transportive, escapist experiences is at an all-time high. Add colorful, frothy, tropical-inspired cocktails into the equation and you have Lady Jane, a bar that's something like if Palm Springs and a neighborhood watering hole had a baby. From the breeze block in the entryway to the cozy booths, bartenders in tropical shirts and lush green plants, Lady Jane is a captivating, laid-back oasis. The drinks reflect the vibrant but unpretentious vibe, and you can expect to find an array of colorful cocktails and mocktails that speak to seasonality and celebrating past vacations to far-flung places.

Best Place to Drown Out Your Annoying Friend

esp HiFi

Evan Semón

We all have that one friend who loves the sound of their own voice a little too much. Luckily, there's esp HiFi, Denver's first jazz kissa-style record bar, which has been pouring original cocktails to match its impressive sound system and record collection since 2021. Take your annoying friend here and you're guaranteed to hear some crisp tracks that will help you tune them out. Sure, you might have to sit through a way-too-detailed description of their own record collection later, but the promise of an otherwise peaceful hangout is well worth it.

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