Drink Festive: Every Holiday Pop-Up Bar in Denver

Every year, many of the city's best bars and restaurants deck their walls with festive decor to celebrate the holiday season, but this year, the merriment is off the charts. We've rounded up over forty places going all out with Christmas-themed pop-ups with a little something for everyone — whether you're feeling naughty or nice.

Here's where to drink festive this year:

Ace Eat Serve
501 East 17th Avenue
Open through January 5
Cozy Cabin is a holiday pop-up inspired by a mountain escape. The Uptown restaurant's patio has been outfitted with snowy decor to become a festive mountain lodge with fire pits, wintery trees and a ski lift perfect for holiday photos. The patio is partially enclosed so guests can choose between curling up in the heated space with one of Ace's signature ramen bowls or enjoying the crisp winter air with a shareable Mountain Lodge Sangria, among other holiday drink specials. The open-air patio boasts a casual environment that is first-come, first-serve, while the enclosed patio requires a reservation. Ace will be collecting toy donations for the Denver Housing Authority in exchange for a complimentary cocoa and a $10 voucher, redeemable at Ace or its sister concept next door, Steuben's.

Adrift Tiki Bar
218 South Broadway
Open through December 31
Adrift is bringing back its Snowdrift pop-up bar this season for a tiki-meets-tinsel extravaganza. Snowdrift features snowy palm trees, an igloo beach bar and loads of Yuletide cheer. The cocktail list includes the Partridge in a Pear Tree, Chi Chis Roasting on an Open Fire and Comets Coffee Grog. Bites include Crispy Christmas Crab Cakes, Holiday Huli Huli chicken and Santa's Steak Dinner. Adrift is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Arvada Tavern
5705 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada
Open through December 31
The Arvada Tavern welcomes back the Sippin' Santa tropical-themed holiday pop-up bar. The holiday oasis includes over-the-top decor, kitschy glassware (which is available for purchase), and a brand-new roster of festive cocktails. A few of the clever creations include Frosty the Merman, Sugar Plum Mai Tai and Tom and Sherry. Some returning holiday favorite cocktails are the Jingle Bird, Holiday on Ice and the original Sippin' Santa. Arvada Tavern is open daily from 5 to 11 p.m.

Avanti Food & Beverage
3200 Pecos Street
Open through December 28
Avanti is hosting its holiday/tiki-themed pop-up. Avantiki is taking over the second-floor Wolf Bar and includes island-style holiday decor and a drink menu with holiday classics such as spiked egg nog and cocoa plus tiki-inspired libations like a lychee mai tai and a family-style punch bowl. Many of the food concepts inside Avanti will be dishing up island-inspired dishes for the occasion. Avantiki will also host several daytime events, including a holiday market and a gingerbread house-making session throughout the season.

The entrance fee to the bar is $5, and each guest will receive a complimentary Fernet piña colada shot at the end of the visit. Avantiki is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday and 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Reservations are encouraged and can be made online.

Bao Brewhouse
1317 14th Street
Open through January 3
Earlier this year, Bao Brewhouse introduced Nocturne Nights, a late-night libation bar experience featuring a curated drink flight for $45. For its holiday edition, every Thursday and Friday from 10 to 11 p.m., guests can choose from a list of naughty or nice cocktails featuring festive flavors, garnishes and glassware accompanied by a glass of Prosecco and a digestif, all for $45. Special holiday desserts such as a crème brûlée cheesecake and Thai doughnut with yuzu matcha tea glaze are also available for purchase. There are only ten spaces per night, and reservations are encouraged. The holiday experience is exclusively in Bao's upstairs Tea Room.
Bezel Cocktail Lounge
1550 Court Place
Open through March
Bezel, the cocktail bar inside the Sheraton Hotel off the 16th Street Mall, has brought back its holiday pop-up, the Bezel Lodge, for the third year in a row. Expect fireplaces, cozy blankets, a chair-life photo-op, specialty holiday cocktails and ski-themed decor plus small plates such as black truffle grilled cheese and American wagyu sliders. Bezel is open from 4 to 11 p.m Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday.

The Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge
7415 Grandview Avenue, Arvada
Open through December 30
The Bluegrass Lounge in Olde Town Arvada presents its sixth annual Christmas pop-up bar, Noel. This year's theme is Christmas in Colorado and promises a winter wonderland experience complete with shotskis. The cocktail menu features ten specialty holiday drinks such as the Resting Grinch Face and the Ornamentini, plus seasonal beer and wine, spiked cider and cocoa, and non-alcoholic cocktail options.

Burndown
476 South Broadway
Open through January 6
This multi-level bar and venue has one of the best rooftops in the city. Whether it's warm enough to imbibe outdoors or not, you can expect plenty of holiday cheer alongside killer views during the Festivus for the Rest of Us pop-up bar on the third level.
Call to Arms Brewing
4526 Tennyson Street
Open through December 30
For the third year in a row, this brewery is going big with its Big Holiday Energy pop-up. The extravagant setup includes a thirty-by-seventy-foot heated tent outside with a light show, holiday-themed beers, full Christmas trees and massive ornaments hanging from the ceiling. Call to Arms will also draw inspiration from the classic Christmas film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation by featuring moose mugs, several movie-inspired experiential stations and a VIP drinking area. Call to Arms is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 2 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Comedy Works South
5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village
Open through December 31
The Lila B. Lounge at Comedy Works South has transformed into Elfie's Enchanted Lounge, a winter wonderland pop-up bar with twinkling lights and festive cocktails available from 5 p.m. to close Wednesday through Sunday. To book a private event in the space, contact [email protected] or call 720-274-6866.

Blind Tiger Lounge
3040 Blake Street
Open through December 31
The Blind Tiger Lounge in RiNo has turned its contemporary cocktail lounge space into Santa's Secret Speakeasy holiday pop-up bar. The secret drink menu will be decided by a coin flip every day and will determine whether the drinks are naughty or nice. Santa's Speakeasy is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Delorean
1753 South Broadway
Open through December 27
This ’80s-themed watering hole that opened in August and landed on our latest list of the Top 100 Bars in Denver is decked out for A Totally ’80s Christmas. Enjoy the retro decor while nibbling on sugar cookies and sipping seasonal cocktails like the Rudolph With Your Nose So Bright (cranberry, ginger beer and bubbles) or the Frageelé (a traditional piña colada for two served in a leg lamp tiki mug). Reservations are not required but are available via OpenTable.

The Eddy Taproom & Hotel
1640 8th Street, Golden
Open through December 31
For the third year, the Eddy is hosting Miracle at the Eddy, with holiday-themed cocktails in a cozily decorated taproom space complete with kitschy mugs and glassware available for purchase. The festive holiday setting nestled against the base of the mountains is sure to put guests in the holiday spirit. Reservations are available online.

The Electric Cure
5350 West 25th Avenue, Edgewater
Open through December 31
This irreverent Edgewater bar always delivers a darkly good time, but nothing can top its four-year-running Krampus Room holiday theme, dedicated to the season's most terrifying spirit of folklore. Promising holiday havoc and flaming cocktails, the Electric Cure wants to remind returning and new patrons, "Krampus has been expecting you." Guests are invited for photo opportunities with Ol' Krampus himself and the chance to win two tickets to the recurring Krampus Themed Haunted House, hosted by the Thirteenth Floor.

Emerald Eye
1403 Larimer Street
Open through December 31
Subterranean Larimer Square bar Emerald Eye is joining the naughty list and hosting the immersive cocktail pop-up concept Krampus' Cove. On its third year running and first stint in Denver, Krampus' Cove will bring a forest of black Christmas trees dotted with doll heads, skeletons and faux body parts, and will feature sinister burlesque and drag shows throughout the season. Some devilishly delicious cocktails include the Better Watch Out, Ginger Dread and Red-Rum-pum-pum-pum. Krampus' Cove will be open from 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The Family Jones
3245 Osage Street
Open through January 2
This LoHi distillery and cocktail bar recently reopened after a refresh and is decked out for the holidays with festive decor and a drink selection to match. Sip on libations such as the Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, made with Automatic Jones Rock & Rye and creamy egg nog, or the Baby It’s Cold Outside, with Atticus Jones Rye, Bootleg Betty's warm apple smash and candied orange.

Grande Station
2299 Main Street, Littleton
Open through January 2
This family-owned restaurant is hosting Prancer's Pub, a holiday pop-up featuring festive food activities like fondue dipping and tableside s'more roasting under twinkling holiday lights. For a dash of small-town Christmas cheer, wander Historic Main Street and drop in Grande Station for a delicious holiday dinner and festive cocktails. Reservations are available online, and the restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Halcyon Hotel
245 Columbine Street
Open through December 31
The new and improved Halcyon on Ice is back for the second year in a row. The Cherry Creek hotel has transformed its rooftop lounge into a wintertime getaway complete with an ice-skating rink, holiday food and drink menus, plus curated music to enhance the alpine energy. No reservations are required. Ice skate rentals are available for $5 a person, though guests are also welcome to bring their own.
Hey Kiddo/Ok Yeah
4337 Tennyson Street
Open through the end of January
Ok Yeah, the cocktail bar in the back of Id Est Hospitality's Hey Kiddo, has teamed up with the Macallan for an indulgent winter pop-up that includes build-your-own mulled cider and hot toddies in the cozy, enclosed rooftop space, which has been decked out with zero-waste, foraged decor by local artist Lena Deschamps.

Inside Ok Yeah, Deschamps has transformed the bar into the Heart of the Season with plenty of pops of red including handmade origami installations. The drinks menu includes single malt scotch flights, rare pours and rum egg nog plus rotating bites such as handrolls and oysters.

Reservations are strongly recommended for the seated experience at OK Yeah while walk-ins are welcome at the rooftop Hot Toddy Bar.

Honor Farm/Hell or High Water
1526 Blake Street
Open through December 31
Honor Farm is hosting Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal, a Home Alone-themed holiday bar complete with booby traps, oodles of holiday nostalgia and some seasonal mischief around every corner. There will also be themed drag shows every Friday and Saturday night for the duration of the festivities. While Kevin is defending the house downstairs, the Grinch will be stealing Christmas and starting the party for the second year in a row at Hell or High Water on the mezzanine level.
The Inverness Denver
200 Inverness Drive West, Englewood
Open through January 4
Stop by the Fireside for some holiday cheer at the Blazing Bright pop-up bar, which will be serving food and cocktail menus inspired by beloved holiday film classics such as The Grinch (Roast Beef and Who Hash) and A Christmas Story (Peking Duck Potstickers). Other seasonal treats include a Nutcracker-inspired Sugar Plum Cake  and an Eggnog Crème Brulée à la National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The bar will also host a customizable hot cocoa bar with mounds of festive toppings and holiday spirits available for spiking drinks. Reservations are available online.

Kimpton Claret Hotel
6985 East Chenango Avenue
Open through January 21
The DTC hotel is transforming its second-floor Cypress Terrace into the Moët Chalet, a French-inspired winter wonderland decked out in classy après-ski decor.The chalet pop-up includes cozy furniture, a chair lift bench, Christmas trees, a hedge wall and loads of Moët-branded items including ice buckets and ski goggles. Moët champagne will be served along with specialty holiday cocktails featuring Moët spirits.

Lady Justice Brewing
3242 South Acoma Street, Englewood
Open through December 31
This woman- and queer-owned brewery in Englewood is introducing its first-ever immersive taproom experience this holiday season with Ski Jorts City, inspired by one of its signature beers, Ski Jorts Lager. It pays tribute to ’70's queer apres-ski culture complete with a space decked out with flannel, denim, a cozy fireplace and plush seating. Various fundraising events and themed activities such as trivia and comedy nights are on the calendar as well. Visit the brewery's event page for more details.

Larimer Lounge
2719 Larimer Street
Open through early April
The Larimer Lounge has transformed its back patio (known as the Treehouse) into a pop-up dubbed Ski House RiNo complete with alpine-inspired cocktails and DJs spinning beats that capture the magic and energy of the slopes. If you're looking for exciting après-ski events this season, leave on your goggles and puffer jackets and hit the dance floor at the Larimer.

Linger
2030 West 30th Avenue
Open through December 31
Linger invites you to "sleigh all day" at its returning rooftop holiday pop-up bar, Litmas, complete with a Christmas mug shot photo booth, cozy outdoor igloos and a lavish light display starting at 4 p.m. daily.
Little Man Ice Cream Factory
4411 West Colfax Avenue
Open through December 31
The Little Man Ice Cream Factory has brought back Santa's Factory for the second year in a row. Events include photos with Santa, bingo with Mrs. Claus, private ice-cream-making parties, gingerbread house building, letters to Santa craft stations, live holiday music and community caroling. The iconic in-house slide will be taken over by a Grinch Who Stole Christmas theme and Santa's throne will be set to a Winter Wonderland backdrop. Available for purchase will be holiday-themed Little Man swag, frozen pints and a variety of artisanal candies that serve as perfect stocking stuffers. Featured ice cream flavors include Egg Nog, Gingersnap and White Chocolate Candy Cane.

Los Chingones RiNo
2463 Larimer Street
Open through December 28
For a sexy spin on holiday fun, head to the RiNo outpost of Los Chingones for its XXXmas Bar. Open from 3 to 11 p.m. daily, it promises a "wildly over-the-top and raunchy" experience. This pop-up is 21+ and reservations are recommended.

Lounge 5280 at DIA
Denver International Airport, Concourse B, Level 3
Open through January 3
The holiday pop-up trend has even reached the airport now! If you find yourself stuck at DIA this holiday season, you can visit Santa's Official Layover Lounge. Expect festive cocktails, holiday-inspired menu items, a hot chocolate bar and surprise visits from familiar favorite holiday characters.

Milepost Zero Food Hall
1601 19th Street
Open through December 30
Drop into Milepost Zero, the food hall at McGregor Square, to visit Sleigh Bar. Specialty holiday cocktails include the Reindeer Fuel, Figgy Pudding Punch and the Frostbite Fizz. Indulge in the Ho-Ho Happy Hour every Monday in December.

My Neighbor Félix
Multiple locations
Open through December 31
Tinsel, tinsel everywhere. All locations of My Neighbor Félix are fully decked out with festive decor for the holiday season as each bar celebrates Felix Navidad. Stop by to sample its seasonal cocktails, which include a Santa's Milk & Cookie shot in an edible glass, a hot toddy and the tequila-spiked My Hallmark Moment.

Naughty List
1937 Market Street
Open through January 1
Tony Tenderoni's is hosting this year's version of Naughty List, a holiday pop-up that caters to all, whether you're naughty or nice. This year, it's partnering with Precious Gift Drive — you can drop off a new toy to donate. It will also donate 10 percent of sales from its Die Hard cocktail. Online cash donations are also accepted, and every donor will receive a complimentary Barney Beer, well cocktail or Holiday Shot.

Omni Interlocken Hotel
500 Interlocken Boulevard, Broomfield
Open through December 31
The Omni Interlocken Hotel is debuting its holiday pop-up, Jolly, curated to emanate the cozy feeling of a snow day spent huddled by the fireplace sipping hot cocoa, but with a classy touch. The chic holiday bar is located in Omni's newly renovated Living Room space and features cocktails like the Sugar Plum Sparkler, the Ginger Bread Old Fashioned, and the Milk and Cookies Martini alongside some light holiday fare. It is open from 5 to 10 p.m. daily and the Jolly holiday pop-up is not exclusive to guests.

Peaks Lounge at Hyatt Regency Denver
650 15th Street
Open through January 26
Head up to the 27th floor for a holiday pop-up view with mountain views at the Winter Lodge at Peaks Lounge. The space has been transformed into a cozy alpine-inspired retreat complete with seasonal bites such as cheese fondue and drink specials like the Tequila Toddy and Not Your Grandma’s Egg Nog. During Golden Hour from 4 to 5 p.m. daily there are also Veuve Clicquot specials in a fireside setting.
Retrograde
530 East 19th Avenue
Open through December 31
This speakeasy-style lounge in Uptown has become the Retrograde Holiday Starlight Lounge for the season. Decked out in classy holiday lights and embellishments, the cozy space is the perfect place to escape the cold and sip selections from its brand-new cocktail menu. The lounge is first come, first served and is located through a hidden entrance inside Sweet Action: Head to the walk-in freezer door and flip the light switch to get inside.

Run for the Roses
1800 Wazee Street
Open through January 6
This subterranean Dairy Block bar has teamed up with Luxco — home to spirits like Yellowstone Bourbon, Penelope Bourbon, Pearl Vodka, Quiet Man Irish Whiskey and El Mayor Tequila — and Meow Wolf creature designer Kate Major for its holiday pop-up, which includes enchanting decor and a winter cocktail menu with options such as the Red Rider BB Gun and the World’s Best Cup of Coffee. It's open from 5 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday through Sunday.

Señor Bear
3301 Tejon Street
Open through January 6
For the seventh year in a row, this Latin hot spot is celebrating the season with its Polar Bear Express pop-up bar. The lineup includes classic holiday cocktails with innovative Latin riffs.

Steuben's Uptown
523 East 17th Avenue
Open through January 5
This year, Steuben's Uptown is curating a holiday pop-up bar that draws on the nostalgia of childhood Christmas mornings. Home for the Holidays includes twinkling holiday lights and a fully enclosed and heated patio for guests to cozy up with a cocktail and wait for Santa. Expect homey cocktails, seasonal shots and a shareable North Pole Punch drink. Steuben's is also collecting donations for the Denver Housing Authority: Bring in a toy donation in exchange for a complimentary housemade cocoa and a $10-off voucher at Steuben's or its sister concept, Ace Eat Serve. This promotion is honored once per guest each week.

Wonderyard Garden + Table
2200 Larimer Street
Open through January 15
This Ballpark neighborhood bar and restaurant has been transformed into an immersive holiday pop-up featuring a 2,000 square-foot covered patio decked out with a 15-foot Christmas tree, a fleet of reindeer and a life-sized installment of Santa's sleigh. The seasonal cocktail list includes the Jolly Ginger-tini and the Santa Spritz. If you're stirring up some holiday mischief, indulge in the classic shotskis, shareable cocktail trees and shot-filled ornaments. Reservations are available online.