Best Vintage Spirits List 2024 | Run for the Roses | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
Navigation
Support Us
Search

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.

Best Bar for Good Vibes

Fort Greene Bar

Courtesy of Fort Greene

Fort Greene is the kind of well-kept-secret bar that you don't want anyone other than your closest circle to know about. More people, you fear, would change the ecosystem of the cool, low-key (at least before 9 p.m.) good time that you've come to expect since 2015. Dotted with funky wallpaper, velvet couches, a disco ball and an abundance of plants that complement the over-100-year-old dark-wood bar, Fort Greene attracts Denver artists, makers, musicians and creatives for its DJ-led dance parties, art parties, disco-room movie screenings and dog-centric patio gatherings.

Best Bar on a Snowy Night

The Thin Man

Tony White

When it snows, the flakes are illuminated in the bright streetlights of 17th Avenue in front of the Thin Man. Inside, the narrow tavern glows in a crimson hue from bulbs strung across its rafters. The thick white marble bar top is lined with folks sitting in heavy wooden chairs, leaning on their elbows over steaming mugs of hot mulled spiced wine. Boisterous chatter and fuzzy garage rock from the house speakers fill the air. As the night carries on and the temperature drops, another couple shuffles in from the cold, shaking off the chill and finding a couple of seats in the corner as the cozy room gets a little bit toastier.

Best Satanic Gay Tiki Bar

The Electric Cure

Molly Martin

Is it a gay bar, a tiki bar, or a sarcastic, satanic den-o-sin? Maybe a wicked mix of all three? What is certain is that the Electric Cure is an uproariously fun bar with themed drag shows, cult-movie nights and neon-lit, cluttered vintage decor. And while it doesn't take itself too seriously, there are hard-core pros behind the plank. The latest cocktail menu "sets the low bar high for blasphemy and nonsense" with cheeky offerings like the Grimace Shake — a purple-colored nod to the McDonald's mascot made with cachaça, ube, miso, passion fruit whipped cream and potato crisp sprinkles. "Why the fuck not" is the mantra here, and that's an attitude we can't get enough of.

Best New Bar

My Boy Tony

Adam Bove

Berkeley's My Boy Tony is warm, welcoming and beautifully designed — think dark walls, millwork and mid-century modern leather couches and chairs. Named after owner Eli Cox's best friend, who passed away, it is, at its heart, a neighborhood bar. What sets it apart is the focus on community mirroring the inclusive spirit of Berkeley Supply, which Cox also owns. Sit inside for a few hours, and the warm hugs and handshakes make it clear that everyone knows someone here. The natural wine list comes from the relationships Cox built through his popular burger pop-up Smash & Grab, while the beer and spirits were inspired by what he and his friends want to see on lists as fans. Mocktails round out the offerings, making My Boy Tony a drinking bar for all.

4280 Tennyson Street
myboytony.com

Best Food Truck Lineup at a Bar

TrashHawk Tavern

Molly Martin

It's been just two and a half years since this bar debuted on South Broadway, but it already feels like an old haunt. The walls are covered with knickknacks of all kinds, there's usually a crew gathered on the patio or shooting pool in the back, and while you won't find any craft cocktails here, you will find cheap mixed drinks and Malört. You'll also usually find a food truck out front. TrashHawk regularly hosts a rotating lineup of some of the best mobile food businesses in town, making it even more tempting to become a regular.

Best Food Truck Lineup at a Brewery

Station 26 Brewing

Danielle Lirette

Station 26, which is housed in a renovated firehouse, has been a staple in Northeast Park Hill for over a decade. Offering a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere, it serves a range of award-winning beers to cater to every palate, including its flagship IPA, the Juicy Banger. But it goes hard beyond beer, too, hosting events like trivia nights and live music. Our favorite amenity, though, is the rotating weekly lineup of excellent food trucks. And Station 26 updates and shares the truck schedule regularly, making it easy to plan your next visit.

Best Kid-Free Brewery

Odyssey Beerwerks

Odyssey made the move to 21-and-up during the pandemic, and it has paid dividends. Reviews and comments on social media reinforce that this isn't about people hating children — many patrons have kids of their own. But there's something about sitting at the bar or crowding around a table and being surrounded only by other adults. It has a sort of nostalgic, Cheers-like feel, harking back to a time when most beer-focused establishments weren't filled with babies. If every place were like this, the beer scene would be worse off, but we love that Odyssey is doing something different.

5535 West 56th Avenue
303-421-0772
odysseybeerwerks.com

Best Of Denver®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy Westword may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Denver Westword, LLC. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation