Drink of the Week

I usually dislike a bar that limits my alcohol consumption. But even I have to admit that, for drinkers like myself who may suffer serious self-control issues after a few cocktails, the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant’s “Limit 3” margarita policy really does have our best interests at heart. The Cuervo Gold version ($5.50) — I prefer mine on the rocks with salt, but you can also order them frozen or strawberry-flavored — is that potent. As of this month, the airy LoDo cantina will have been getting Denver plastered on these margs for five years; to celebrate, it’s hosting a “Ten Days of Tequila” bash that wraps up this Saturday night with a patio fiesta featuring two outdoor bars serving cheap Cuervo shots and cerveza specials. But while the drunken Rio experience is a LoDo staple, it’s not a phenomenon original to Denver; the first of the five Rio outposts opened in Fort Collins in 1996. One word of warning: If you want to avoid a ridiculously long line that may stretch from 15th Street all the way to Fort Collins Saturday, arrive early. ¡Salud!