The 100 Best Places to Drink and Do in Denver
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The best places to drink and do in Denver, according to the experts: Spirited Awards, The 50, and Esquire have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Yacht Club comes out on top.
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Sunday Vinyl and Traveling Mercies hold the next two places. Westword shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Eater next.
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Rank 1. Yacht Club
Cocktail Bar
A cocktail bar that calls itself a nerdy cocktail bar, a natural wine bar, and your favorite dive bar, and then has the audacity to be all three. The Old Bay Martini landed it on Esquire's radar and the Spirited Awards named it the top U.S. cocktail bar, but the room itself is the tell: hot dogs share menu space with wine you've never heard of, and nobody in here seems to think that's unusual.
The awards
- Spirited Awards Spirited Awards: 2024 · Winner · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
- The 50 The 50: #67 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Esquire Esquire: The Best Bars in America
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Winner · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
- The 50 #67 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Esquire The Best Bars in America
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Rank 2. Sunday Vinyl
Wine Bar
The conceit here is that every night out feels like a dinner party at a sommelier's apartment, right down to the records spinning in the background. Bobby Stuckey, the master sommelier behind Frasca, built this wine bar around the idea that great wine and great music belong together. Wednesday flights pair pours with a specific artist's catalog, moving from Billie Eilish to Hendrix depending on the week. A James Beard semifinalist for its beverage program.
The awards
- Wildsam Wildsam: The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Esquire Esquire: The Best Bars in America
- Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast: Forward 50 Restaurants
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Esquire The Best Bars in America
- Wine Enthusiast Forward 50 Restaurants
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The awards
- Esquire Esquire: The Best Bars in America
- 5280 5280: The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Esquire The Best Bars in America
- 5280 The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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The awards
- Huckberry Huckberry: The 50 Best Dive Bars in America
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Huckberry The 50 Best Dive Bars in America
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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Rank 5. Death & Co
Cocktail Bar
The martini here gets shaken with both vodka and gin, which is either a provocation or a correction depending on your religion. Death & Co is a cocktail bar that started in New York and landed in RiNo, bringing the same intricate, unhurried approach to drinking. The room is loungey and deliberate, the kind of place where settling in for three rounds feels like the obvious move rather than a guilty one.
The awards
- Esquire Esquire: The Telegraph · The Best Martinis in America
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Esquire The Telegraph · The Best Martinis in America
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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The awards
- Wildsam Wildsam: The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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The awards
- Punch Punch: Best New Bartenders · Mak Kelly
- Westword Westword: 2024 · Best Bar for Girls’ Night · Best of Denver
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
- Punch Best New Bartenders · Mak Kelly
- Westword 2024 · Best Bar for Girls’ Night · Best of Denver
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
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The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Four Star
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Rank 9. Cohesion Brewing Company
Czech Beer Bar
The awards
- Punch Punch: The Who’s Who of Beer Cool
- Westword Westword: 2023 · Best Beer Service · Best of Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Punch The Who’s Who of Beer Cool
- Westword 2023 · Best Beer Service · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 10. Adrift
Tropical Cocktail Bar
Blowfish sculptures and boats hanging from the ceiling set the tone before you've ordered a thing. Adrift is a full-commitment tiki bar on South Broadway, with bamboo walls, fishing-net lights, and totem carvings doing their best to convince you Denver isn't landlocked. Cocktails arrive in coconuts, flaming punchbowls, or funky mugs, running from Zombies and Singapore Slings to seasonal originals leaning on cachaca, sherry, and cacao. Spam musubi keeps things honest.
The awards
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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Tucked next to chef Johnny Curiel's flagship, this agave bar doubles as a serious kitchen, and the two halves push each other into strange, good territory. The mezcal list is long and thoughtful, the cocktails inventive, and the food pulls from Mexico City's restless energy with Japanese and other detours woven in. A Michelin star and a New York Times nod followed quickly. Plan around the bar counter if you can.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Punch Punch: Best New Bars
- Bon Appétit Bon Appétit: America's Best New Restaurants
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Rank 10. Noble Riot
Wine Bar
A wine bar in RiNo that keeps fried chicken and tinned fish on the menu alongside Khikhvi, Nerello Mascalese, and a Mencía from Oregon that has no business being that good. The list leans hard into natural, biodynamic, and small-production bottles, and the staff can talk you through all of it without making you feel like a student. Grape nerds and people who just want a glass with snacks coexist peacefully here.
The awards
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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Rank 10. The Cruise Room
Art Deco Cocktail Bar
The awards
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 10. Williams & Graham
Creative Cocktail Bar
The bookstore on the corner of Tejon is not a bookstore. Push the right shelf and you're inside one of Denver's favorite cocktail bars, a speakeasy that takes both halves of the conceit seriously: a library of over 500 spirits backs a menu of originals alongside some 60 classics. No standing room means the wait is part of the deal, so arrive with patience and someone to talk to while you queue.
The awards
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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A portrait of an imperial bulldog greets you at the door, which is a fair warning. Pony Up is a cocktail bar in LoDo that earns its personality through drinks like a tequila-shochu-sherry situation spiked with Korean chili paste, and shots of George Dickel chased with roast-beef jus. That jus comes from the kitchen, which runs French dips as its signature, an odd pairing that somehow makes complete sense by the second round.
The awards
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Tucked below the Dairy Block, this cocktail bar serves its menu on a deck of playing cards, which tells you everything about the room before you've ordered. Plush banquettes, leather chairs, patterned wallpaper, and cabinets of rare vintage bottles conspire to make it feel like a speakeasy that never quite left. The martini section alone could occupy an evening, and the reserve cocktails lean into vintage spirits for those feeling loose with their wallet.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 17. Xiquita
Mexican
The menu at this Uptown Mexican restaurant isn't fully translated into English, which the staff treat as a feature rather than a bug. Chef Erasmo Casiano's cooking runs from dry-aged hamachi crudo to duck carnitas tacos, and the cocktails lean on prickly pear, tomatillo, and jicama. Esquire named the Martini Cochinero among the best martinis in the country, which tells you something about where the bar program sits.
The awards
- Esquire Esquire: Martini Cochinero · The Best Martinis in America
- Westword Westword: 2025 · Best New Restaurant · Best of Denver
- 5280 5280: The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Esquire Martini Cochinero · The Best Martinis in America
- Westword 2025 · Best New Restaurant · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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The awards
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
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The awards
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
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The awards
- Thrillist Thrillist: The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
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The awards
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2023 · Best Pickle Shots · Best of Denver
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Rank 23. Rougarou
Southern
Southern cooking and a cocktail program that pours buttermilk and benne seed into the glass share equal billing at this casual Five Points restaurant and bar. The chef runs with heirloom grits and collard greens but also hot-and-sour catfish and sorghum-tamarind pork shoulder, so the kitchen respects the tradition without being hostage to it. The team behind the preeminent cocktail bar Yacht Club runs the drinks side, which explains the ambition in a room that looks relaxed about the whole thing.
The awards
- 5280 5280: The 13 Best New Places to Eat and Drink in Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best New Restaurants in Denver
- Westword Westword: 2026 · Best New Bar · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 13 Best New Places to Eat and Drink in Denver
- Eater The Best New Restaurants in Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best New Bar · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Secretly High-Tech Cocktails · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
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- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Bars In Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Westword 2023 · Best Drink Deals at a Venue · Best of Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Eater Johnny burger · Denver’s 20 Most Iconic Dishes
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Rank 26. The Electric Cure
Tiki Bar
The awards
- Westword 2024 · Best Satanic Gay Tiki Bar · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Westword Westword: 2023 · Best Bar Decor · Best of Denver
- Westword Westword: 2025 · Best Neighborhood Bar That Feels Older Than It Is · Best of Denver
- Eater Eater: The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Bar Decor · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Neighborhood Bar That Feels Older Than It Is · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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Rank 32. Hell or High Water Tiki
Tiki Bar
The awards
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- 5280 Best for a Big Night Out · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Use of a Leopard Speedo · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Culinary-Inspired Cocktails · Best of Denver
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
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- Westword 2026 · Best Art Museum Collaboration · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Museum If You Only Have an Hour · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Dino Discovery · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Hidden Gem: Chicky the Prairie Dog · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best New Playground: Nature Play · Best of Denver
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- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST
- 5280 Best for Filling Bellies · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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- Westword 2026 · Best Piece of the Denver Pavilions · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Reason to Go to the 16th Street Mall · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Movie Theater — First Run · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2025 · Best Stop for an Après-Ski Pint Off I-70 · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Pitstop for a Quick Beer · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Way to Golf Without Golfing · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Inexpensive Date Night · Best of Denver
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The restored neon sign out front has been pulling people off Broadway since this building has been a bar, which is basically forever. Bar 404 is an old-school neighborhood watering hole on North Broadway, the kind where the vibe is loose and the programming punches above its weight: free jazz nights, live music, and a food program that Westword keeps recognizing alongside the concerts.
The awards
- Westword 2024 · Best Concert Program at a Bar · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Free Jazz Night · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Venue for Music, Community and Food · Best of Denver
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The vaulted ceiling, Victorian-era paintings, and sculpted details make the Bluebird feel more like a recovered ballroom than a live music venue, which somehow makes the indie rock louder. It holds around 550 people, putting touring acts close enough to feel like a secret and giving local bands a room that announces they've arrived. Westword has named it Denver's top stepping-stone venue, and Colfax gets a little better every time the marquee goes up.
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Marquee · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Stepping-Stone Venue · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Neighborhood Options at a Venue · Best of Denver
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- The Pinnacle Guide The Pinnacle Guide: 1 Pin
- Sunset Sunset: Better Bars · Where to Eat and Drink
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- Westword 2026 · Best Place to Paint Pottery You’ll Actually Use · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Pottery Classes · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Divey Venue · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Independent Venue for Local and Traveling Acts · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Rock Club · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2024 · Best Free Summer Concert Series · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Concert Programming · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Outdoor Venue · Best of Denver
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