This hip little bar has single-handedly made Globeville a destination. Hosting DJ sets and dance parties, pop-up markets and speed dating sessions, and even book readings and drawing classes, it feels like a second home to its regulars, complete with quaint-meets-quirky parlor-room decor; a cozy patio; and, of course, kicky cocktails like the Full Cry with sotol, Port, oolong tea, and lemon.

From the owners of the also notable Arvada Tavern and Union Lodge No. 1 (see below), this suave Berkeley retreat turns out some of the city’s most sophisticated sippers bar none. Ask the affable bartenders for their recommendations, which might involve bison grass vodka, Fino Sherry, and honeysuckle liqueur or sloe gin, Scotch, root beer and black walnut bitters, and root beer whipped cream.

If there’s a First Couple of the Denver drinking scene, it’s McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, who aptly bill their Cole watering hole as “a nerdy cocktail bar, a natural wine bar, and a sh*tty dive bar” all in one. Come for a lavish libation like the Fourth Colour, featuring gin, Macvin du Jura, carrot, plum, bergamot, and peat; stay for a fascinating glass of wine most people have never heard of; linger even longer over the Old Number 7-11 — a Jack and Coke with a hot dog. Making some acquaintances along the way is almost guaranteed.

Grape geeks unite at this alleyway RiNo retreat, where the extensive selection is rife with natural, organic, and biodynamic small-production finds, each cooler than the last: Extra-brut Pinot Blanc Champagne or sparkling Shiraz from Victoria, Australia? Piedmontese Ruché or single-vineyard Counoise from San Benito County? How about a blend of Chenin Blanc and Colombard from Baja California or amphora-aged Poulsard from the Jura? The list literally goes on and on, and Noble Riot’s staff is well-versed in it all — while serving up buckets of fried chicken to absorb every last drop.

This RiNo supper club is the complete date-night package — from its ultra-sultry, Art Deco–inspired looks and live jazz shows to smashing seasonal menus that meet the mood and then some. Get into the groove at the bar with a dreamy cocktail like the Mr. Five by Five (rye, Armagnac, banana liqueur, absinthe, and Nocino) and a dish of gin-roasted olives, or go for the gusto with a wine-paired three-course tasting for two on the mezzanine: Memories are in the making either way.

With a vintage aesthetic that evokes a cross between some eccentric turn-of-the-century artist’s parlor and an overseas getaway for golden-age movie stars, this LoHi slice of glamour serves up cocktails (and light snacks) in keeping with its considerable style. Lean into an evening here with a strawberry- and basil-infused Aperol Spritz; move on to the complex Tropic Treasure with pisco, mango, banana, macadamia, barley, sudachi, orange, curry leaf, and egg white; cap it all off with a snifter of brandy.

The posh lobby of The Ramble Hotel is home to what opened in 2018 as the first outpost of one of New York’s best-known bars, where the illustrated seasonal cocktail list displays the staff’s intricate craft: A Nurturing Rain with tequila, vermouth blanc, lemongrass-infused shochu, rhubarb, fennel, and green peppercorn here, a Terrapin Station featuring white rum, Midori, mint, vanilla, and heavy cream there. A small but smart selection of snacks completes the experience (don’t sleep on the drunken cookies).

In one iteration or another, My Brother’s Bar has been operating for nearly as long as Denver has been a city (since 1873). Amid wooden furnishings under tin ceilings, it looks and acts its age — as well it should. There’s beer and whiskey and burgers, including the famous JCB with jalapeño cream cheese, galore. There’s easy camaraderie among the patrons inside and out on the patio. There is, in short, a sense of homecoming that newbies can feel as keenly as longtimers.

When it comes to consummate wine service, there’s arguably no more famous name in the entire state of Colorado than the Frasca Hospitality Group, so the top-tier, globe-spanning bottle list presented by the staff at its Union Station lounge is no surprise. What may come as a surprise, however, is the playlist: As the name suggests, Sunday Vinyl pairs its pours with tunes from a collection of albums as vast as its cellar, covering every musical genre from jazz to hip hop to yacht rock. Soak it all up over elegant snacks like the caviar-topped hash brown with labneh and chives or lamb tartare with feta, za’atar, and lavash.

Decorwise, it’s like Halloween and Christmas collided in this tiny, wonderfully campy Edgewater getaway — and the same could be said of the splashy, flashy libations, be they served in a Frankenstein or a flamingo mug, decorated with plastic eyeballs or mini disco balls, or garnished with grass jelly cubes or a mini-bottle of Malört. Not surprisingly, festivities abound here, from horror-movie trivia to drag queen bingo.

Subterranean, swanky, and splurge-worthy: That’s Steven Waters’ throwback sanctuary beneath Dairy Block in a nutshell. Seasonal cocktails show forethought and flair — take the Snapdragon with rhubarb-infused rye gin, rosé vermouth, hibiscus, and pink peppercorn. But the lengthy list of classics is not to be denied: The reserve section in particular features drinks whose prices reflect the rare, decades-old spirits that go into them, from 1960s-era Bénédictine to vintage Bacardi, while other options are charmingly printed on a deck of cards. (Pro tip: Opt for a table when possible, as the handsome barstools can be a tight squeeze.)

Modeled after a lounge on the Queen Mary, this LoDo icon in the Oxford Hotel opened the day after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and still looks every inch the Art Deco haunt it did then, from the carefully restored murals to the mirror-backed jukebox. It drinks that way too: Classic cocktails are the way to go here — Gimlets, Sazeracs, Sidecars, and all.

At this pre-Prohibition–themed downtown destination, the bartenders really commit to the bit, putting on a heck of a show as they whip up such classics as Sherry Cobblers, Brandy Crustas, and Mint Juleps as well as contemporary creations like the Awesome-O 3000 with cinnamon toast–spiced rum, cachaça, orange, and condensed and coconut milks. Every last one is a banger, but it’s the signature Gin Fizz that mesmerizes connoisseurs and Instagrammers alike.

Easygoing atmosphere sets the home-away-from-home tone at this East Colfax favorite, but its undercurrent of eccentricity keeps regulars on their toes. That goes for both drinks like the My Scoville Romance — featuring chile-infused mezcal, activated charcoal, and tamarind-glitter simple — and the food courtesy of Misfit Snackbar, which might serve up ratatouille-filled pani puri one day, fried bologna sandwiches with fried-egg aioli and bread-and-butter relish the next. Unusual Boilermakers make for great nightcaps.

In the treasure trove of old dive bars that is East Colfax, the PS Lounge is a major gem — kitsch-filled, cash-only, and totally laid-back. Established by Pete Siahamis 40-plus years ago, it’s beloved for bestowing free Alabama Slammers on every patron who enters along with roses for the ladies. A jukebox and a pool table seal the deal.

Jake Soffes owns three other notable Denver watering holes — LoHi’s Lady Jane, LoDo’s The Wild, and RiNo’s Two Moons Music Hall — but his flagship Cap Hill establishment stands out for an urban loft–like ambiance that spells comfort to its habitués by day and intimacy to couples by night. Part coffeehouse, part cocktail haunt, it pours turmeric lattes and concoctions like the Highway Robbery (vodka, rum, amaro, cantaloupe, and absinthe) with equal aplomb — though its grilled cheese sandwich is as good a reason to visit as any.

A bright and breezy energy suffuses this Latin sibling of Forget Me Not in Cherry Creek (see below) while extending to the sugarcane spirit–splashed cocktail program, which yields both easygoing sippers like the Strawberry Daiquiri with pink peppercorn and tarragon and more potent numbers like the Rum Old Fashioned. Need sustenance before a second round? Guava cheese dip with plantain chips or a vegetarian Cubano with smoked pineapple, Meunster, and avocado should do the trick.

In the nightlife desert of Cherry Creek, the Culinary Creative group has built a blooming oasis out of a former florist’s shop. A bustling patio set beneath a mural of the namesake blossom fronts the intimate space, where the bar crew turns out cocktails that burst with botanicals like elderflower, bergamot, and cherry blossom; DJs enhance the mood some nights, while crudos and tartares, salumi and cheese boards, and the signature lobster crunch wrap provide endurance to sip the night away.

Bamboo walls and colored lights strung up in fishing nets, totem carvings and murals of seaside villages, hanging boats and blowfish sculptures: This South Broadway tiki bar whisks its guests off to a tropical paradise the instant they set foot inside — and it keeps them there with a roster of cocktails served in coconuts or flaming punchbowls or funky mugs. Beyond classics like Zombies and Singapore Slings, seasonal originals warrant a spin — take the Day-O Daq with rum, banana liqueur, cinnamon simple, coconut cream, and lime — alongside island-inflected snacks such as Spam musubi and poke nachos.

What a blast from the past. Between the lava lamps and vintage arcade games, the Wham! and Siouxsie and the Banshees memorabilia, and the old videos screening on mounted TVs (Prince! New Order! Bon Jovi!), it’s easy to forget what decade it is inside this 1980s-themed bar. Given the lack of windows, it’s also easy to forget what time it is — which means that hours spent over cocktails in Gremlin- or Garbage Pail Kid–shaped tiki mugs and TV dinner–inspired snacks like pizza rolls can go by in the blink of an eye.

This decades-old, neon-splashed biker bar has it all: multiple television sets, a pool table, a jukebox, and a menu that features not only wings and burgers but old-school Chinese food like egg rolls and chow mein, of all things. Enough said.