We could talk craft beer all day, and in fact we probably have on more than one occasion, but to gloss over the amazing things that Denver is doing with alcohol would only give you half of the real Mile High experience. Liquor, wine and cider are all craft industries here and these are the folks who are doing it the best.
Family team of Kameron, Kraig and Michelle get creative with their liquor in this eclectic and hip distillery in RiNo. Vodka, seasonal gins, whiskey (once it ages) and the occasional local collaboration, such as grappa made with grape skins from Infinite Monkey Theorem, make The Block Distilling Co. a definite cocktail connoisseur stop. Don’t forget to ask the name of the still (yes, they named her). Fun fact: They also made all of the furniture in the taproom.
Sharply dressed barbacks, custom-made drinks, and low-key, authentic speakeasy ambiance make Green Russell an excellent place to kick off the evening (if you can find the entrance). Watch as they hand-chip your ice cube from a block of ice, then sit back and enjoy the amazing craft cocktails with a friend, or five (max party size is six).
Tucked inside of one of our oldest hotels, The Oxford (1891), the art deco style and a bottle-shaped room are not the only distinguishing features of this Denver speakeasy. Officially opened the day after prohibition, the lack of any windows at The Cruise Room makes one speculate if this were not an actual speakeasy in the early 1900s.
Forget what you know about cider; Stem is bringing flavour and drinkability back to the genre. With no added sugar (most of the sugar from the apples is burned off during the fermentation process), you are left with only the clean flavor the brewers intended; meaning you’ll want to have more than just one!
Half playground, half cidery, half brewery (wait a second… how many halves is that?), the C2 Ciders house of fun takes its cider seriously, taking home multiple awards for its Siren Series.
*Honorable mention goes to Infinite Monkey Theorem (below) for their Pear cider.
The theory goes, “Given an infinite amount of time, a chimpanzee punching at random on a typewriter will almost surely type out all of Shakespeare’s plays. Now while that may be true, Denver’s urban winery of has delivered some amazing wines in a much shorter timeframe. Take home one in a can as a great novelty!
A craft winery and cellar door, Bigsby’s hosts multiple Colorado blends with some serious style. Try the Everyday Porch Pounder (EPP) and you’ll know what I mean.
So while the beer may have brought you here, do not miss out on all that Denver has to offer. But one caveat: We are at elevation, so those swanky cocktails may hit harder than at home if you’re not swigging a glass of H20 in between. Don’t go home early, stay hydrated. Cheers!