A new moon’s rising over Denver’s bar scene with the Luna Hotel, a super-chic boutique inn that just opened in the heart of LoDo. Saunter up to the stylish street-level bar for some out-of-this-world high-end cocktail creativity, including the signature Luna-Tic, which comprises a hush-hush mix of fresh juices and…
With his natty British accent and talent for wooing the ladies, James Bond and his “shaken, not stirred” martinis are the epitome of cool. And if the debonair 007 happened to hit Denver during his his never-ending mission to quash evil, you’d probably find him sipping one of Indigo’s namesake…
As friends and family can attest, I have many quirky habits, such as only eating candy that is yellow or red. (Forget green M&Ms and blue Skittles — bring on the Hot Tamales and lemon drops!) So naturally, when it comes to alcohol, my new favorite libation is the Strawberry…
As tulips pop up and ski resorts shut down, patio season hits Denver with almost as much force as last month’s Blizzard of 2003. With the sky staying light later, this is the perfect time of year to linger on the patio of the Park Tavern & Restaurant with a…
When the weekend rolls around, some people — we won’t call them boring, but they’re not exactly exciting — enjoy quietly reading the Sunday paper over a cup of steaming coffee. But real drinkers understand the pleasure that a brunch cocktail can bring, and there’s no better place to enjoy…
For most twentysomethings, the name Adam Sandler calls to mind the hilariously bad mullets of the Wedding Singer or the classic hockey-golfing of Happy Gilmore. So for a Gen-X member, it’s hard to write an item about a certain cocktail without including a line from Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song”: So drink…
Venice oozes romance, with its picturesque canals, meandering gondola rides and the chiming bells of St. Mark’s Square. But it’s also a very long, expensive transatlantic trip away. So instead of making the voyage, try sweeping your lover off his or her feet with the Peach Bellini at Maggiano’s Little…
Back in college, a major portion of my diet consisted of neon blue, orange and red Mr. Freeze popsicles; boxes of the incandescent tubes were stacked in the freezer at all times. But I never realized that I missed Mr. Freeze’s flavor until I took a sip of the Blue…
If you decide to skip the river of green beer that’s certain to run through LoDo this weekend in favor of a day of snowshoeing or schussing, you can still toast Ireland’s patron saint at the Beaver Creek Tavern, located at the base of the Centennial Lift (and known until…
Lounge lizards looking for a new downtown joint are slithering out of LoDo and over to the mod Harry’s Bar, just off the lobby of the swank Hotel Magnolia. Harry’s serves up cosmos, appletinis and dirty martinis by the trayload, but the real crowd-pleaser is the bright-pink Negroni Martini ($8),…
Drop the Nyquil. If you can’t seem to kick that nasty winter cough, head straight to SoBo 151 for an Eastern European cure: shots of Becherovka. A Czech spirit that’s a mixture of alcohol, medicinal herbs and spices, Becherovka has been packaged as cough drops; these days, it’s also often…
Looking for a historical booze cruise? When Buffalo Bill Cody had a hankering for a stiff one, legend has it he’d saunter into the Buckhorn Exchange and order up the usual, apple juice and rye — not the tastiest combo, but one guaranteed to ease the pain of a long…
The Uptown neighborhood, which was one of Denver’s wealthiest in the late 1880s and one of its grungiest eighty years later, has made a strong comeback, attracting an eclectic mix of fashionable restaurants, bars, markets, condo-dwellers and dedicated homeowners fixing up those old Victorian houses. Last summer, it also acquired…
At Steamboat Springs, the destination better known as “Ski Town USA,” you can immerse yourself in champagne powder all day long. But après ski, the indulgence of choice is the bright-yellow Chicarita served up at Dos Amigos, a Mexican restaurant that’s been a fixture in the mountain village since 1975…
Irish Car Bomb The Irish Hound 575 St. Paul St. 303-996-0709 Sure, the name’s politically incorrect, but an Irish Car Bomb ($6) will start your big night with a bang. And the Irish Hound, Denver’s hot new Celtic bar, is just the place to let ‘er rip. Although the drink…
If you’re looking for a place to watch the big game this Sunday, head directly to Chopper’s Sports Grill — and get there early, because the place will be packed. Chopper’s, named for Bob “Chopper” Travaglini, the late, beloved Denver Nuggets trainer, is a real sports bar, with memorabilia and…
Sushi Den, filled with beautiful, impeccably dressed people eating perfectly arranged sashimi and unagi rolls, is as popular as ever — which means the wait for a table can be brutal. If you’re starving, that sucks. But if you’re thirsty for both killer drinks and company, nursing Saketinis and popping…
Roll out the red carpet! There’s a hip new place to drink in Denver! Forest Room 5, which opened six days before Christmas, is housed in an old Denver firehouse (#5) on what used to be Forest Street — and is now the main drag between Highland and LoDo. The…
As many of Denver’s seedier neighborhoods undergo gentrification and John’s TV floods our public airwaves, finding a hooker in thigh-high boots walking Colfax just isn’t as easy as it used to be. But the Lounge, a swank, newish joint on the corner of Colfax and Marion Street, stays true to…
Everyone knows you can’t ring in the new year without popping the tops off several magnums of champagne. But if you prefer your bubbly mixed with a little hard stuff, Rhino serves up champagne cocktails that should add buzz to your big night. La Playa ($9), made with Bacardi O,…
The weather outside may be frightful, but inside the Ship Tavern, the corner bar of the Brown Palace, things are always warm and cozy. And a glass of Williams’ Eggless Egg Nog ($6) can be a downright delightful nightcap after an evening of downtown winter festivities. To make this traditional…
Long Island Iced Tea is infamous for its tendency to make drinkers pray to the porcelain god, and the Bank’s version ($5) should only cement that reputation. By substituting Blue Curacao for Coke and then mixing it with the standard rum, gin, vodka, tequila, Triple Sec and sour mix, the…
