Metro Denver landed on that list for License No. 1 in the Hotel Boulderado, the circa 1909 hotel in Boulder. We included License No. 1 in our list of the Best New Bars of 2014, which doesn't sound all that historic...but that's when the renovated space reopened as License No. 1, a speakeasy-style bar gussied up from its beer-soaked predecessor, the Catacombs, with a list of bar rules included "no sniveling" and "never blame the booze."
And while the tavern itself isn't that venerable, the hotel that houses it is. Here's the description from Historic Hotels:
"When Hotel Boulderado first opened its doors in 1909, Boulder, Colorado, was a dry city. While national Prohibition lasted from 1920 until 1933, Boulder’s own liquor laws stretched from 1907 until 1967. After the restrictions were repealed in the city, Hotel Boulderado was one of the first to get a liquor license in Boulder, and the hotel opened the Catacombs Restaurant and Bar in 1969. Before the basement space was turned into a restaurant and bar, it was originally used for storage, laundry services, and heating in the historic hotel. A local legend says that during the Prohibition era, tunnels connected different underground spaces around Boulder. However, there is no historical or physical evidence that shows that this local legend is real. In 2014, using this local lore as inspiration, the hotel transformed its basement restaurant space into a new bar called License No. 1."
So, the historic bar isn't all that official? Here's more from Historic Hotels:
"This underground speakeasy-style cocktail lounge is a tribute to the elegant Western charm of early-20th century Boulder. Guests can step back in time with classic, handcrafted libations, chef-prepared small plates, and a lively atmosphere when they enter this hidden gem in the heart of downtown Boulder. The energy in the room is fueled by the bar’s signature cocktail: the Espresso Martini. Mixologists at License No. 1 whip up the perfect Espresso Martini, made with Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur, Café Bustelo instant coffee (trust the bartenders on this), and local vodka infused with Boxcar Coffee Roasters coffee beans. Today, License No. 1 continues with the very same liquor license that was first issued in 1969 and is known as a unique location for a fun date night, to catch intimate live music performances, or enjoy a comedy show. Hotel Boulderado was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1996."
Really historic bars
Sorry, that's it for official Colorado entries on the Historic Hotels list. But we'd also raise a glass to these actually historic bars:The Cruise Room, which was modeled after the lounge of the Queen Mary, was ready to set sail in the historic Oxford Hotel, which opened a block from Union Station at 1600 17th Street in 1891, on the day that Prohibition ended. Tucked inside the circa 1891 hotel, it's still an Art Deco classic, and one of the 100 bars we can't live without in 2023.
sign about Prohibition Day
The Brown Palace, at 321 17th Street, was constructed a year after the Oxford, and it was a year behind in opening its cocktail lounge: The Ship Tavern launched on August 24, 1934. Initially, this space in the corner of the circa 1982 building held shops, then a gentlemen’s club. After Prohibition ended, though, the Boettcher family, which owned the hotel at the time, decided to turn it into a nautical bar, complete with model ships and a crow’s nest. While it hasn't been smooth sailing at the Brown lately, a stool at the Ship Tavern is still a good place to toast history.
Want to raise a glass at another old-time spot? You can’t beat My Brother’s Bar, whose home at 2376 15th Street has held a saloon since the 1880s, except for that unfortunate time when the 18th Amendment ruled. It's gone through many names and somewhere along the way lost its second story, but it's a legend in this town.
outside of bar with no sign.
Not quite as old as My Brother’s but boasting liquor license #1 (simply because it was first in line after Prohibition ended) is the Buckhorn Exchange, at 1000 Osage; that building dates back to 1893, when it was a favorite hangout for hunters and outdoorsmen, including Teddy Roosevelt.
By then, the Rock Rest, at 16005 Old Golden Road, was already catering to another kind of sporting man. According to local legend, the front of the Rock Rest was built around 1885 as a trading post and stagecoach stop. As nearby Camp George West expanded, the Rock Rest did, too, adding a lodge, ballroom and “private” brothel areas around 1907. It went through a series of owners as it operated as a speakeasy through Prohibition, then returned to a certain respectability during the Depression. It's stayed in business ever since.
Monaghan's Bar and Grill, at 3889 South King Street in Sheridan, opened back in 1892 near the old Fort Logan military base, serving military folks and civilians alike. Although Fort Logan closed after World War II, the bar has stood the test of time (and Prohibition) and retains relics of its storied past; its current liquor license dates to the day Prohibition ended.