This hip little bar has single-handedly made Globeville a destination. Hosting DJ sets and art shows, pop-up markets and food vendors, themed parties, readings, and even 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 syrup, and lemon.

From the owners of the also notable Arvada Tavern and pre-Prohibition–themed Union Lodge No. 1, 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 cilantro-infused gin, green cardamom syrup, green chile liqueur, and absinthe or rum-like Mexican charanda, strawberry-cumin shrub, corn liqueur, and paprika tincture.

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 snazzy libation like the Laughing Bones with rhum agricole, green pineapple, celery, and curry leaf; stay for the most fascinating glass of wine most people have never heard of; keep staying for the Old Number 7-11 — a Jack and Coke with a hot dog. Making some friends along the way is almost guaranteed.

Jake Soffes owns two other notable Denver watering holes — Cap Hill’s Hudson Hill and LoDo’s The Wild, both of which double as all-day coffee shops — but Lady Jane stands out for its postcard-perfect ambiance a la 1960s-era Palm Springs. The cocktails are equally striking, combining seasonal ingredients in intriguing ways: The mezcal- and tequila-based Dad Jokes for instance, is flavored with corn, chiles, and butter, while the Design District mixes charanda añejo with plantains, guava, and Mosaic hops.

Behind a bookcase on a LoHi corner sits an internationally acclaimed cocktail bar. The intimate, dim-lit space features large booths, but the best seats in the house line the grand wooden bar itself, where the crackerjack staff asks get-to-know-you questions before recommending a concoction made with any of hundreds of spirits lining the shelves, both classic and rare, along with all sorts of handmade bitters, syrups, and tinctures: Take the Keep ’Em Coming, which combines salami-infused vodka, mustard-infused aquavit, and nitro relish syrup with cucumber and lemon. Small plates like roasted bone marrow with bacon jam and duck drumettes with foie gras mousse and huckleberry preserves round out the famously bespoke experience. Meanwhile, just around the corner, sibling venue The Occidental offers a far grittier vibe but equally crafty drinks.

Just a few steps away from Noble Riot, this cozy, homespun lounge welcomes all for a mindful drinking experience, with or without booze. Myriad superfoods, adaptogenic botanicals, and even crystal and flower essences as well as the namesake honey flourish in alcohol-free potions, low-ABV brews, and cocktails alike; kick things off with a full-strength L Word, featuring butterfly pea–infused gin, cherry liqueur, lychee, and lavender, then take a breather with the cacao-based, mushroom-infused Chocolit.

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. Kick-off the evening with the Natsukashi, combining carrot-infused gin and sesame-washed vodka with lemongrass shochu and celery bitters; move on to the Ishan with Scotch, mango eau de vie, green cardamom, lime juice, and tonic water; 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 gorgeously illustrated seasonal cocktail list displays the staff’s intricate craft: A Hurry Up and Wait with Armagnac, Scotch, Pineau des Charentes, carrot eau de vie, and honey here, a Clear Sky featuring tequila, rum, Fino Sherry, watermelon, tomato, and lime there. A small but smart selection of snacks completes the experience (don’t sleep on the drunken cookies).

In the heart of Five Points, this handsome taproom, all beautiful woodwork and copper accents, has garnered national buzz as a showcase for sour and wild ales. Its list of offerings both domestic and imported, on tap and in bottle, goes on for pages, rife with rarities from the likes of Belgium’s Gueuzerie Tilquin and Colorado’s own Casey Brewing & Blending. And the kitchen’s output is equally special: An order of savory blue cheesecake with mushrooms, fennel, and sundried tomatoes or cured lamb belly with braised endive, rhubarb, and green lentils has a way of spoiling a person for wings and poppers.

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 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. Snacks likewise vary from the easygoing (deviled eggs) to the elegant (beef tartare with smoked-oyster aioli).

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 Middle Ground with rum, Batavia arrack, pineapple, pink-grapefruit liqueur, honey, and lime. 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 Cointreau 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 like the Art Deco haunt it did then. It drinks that way too: Classic cocktails are the way to go here, from Gimlets to Sazeracs.

Behind the door of what appears to be the walk-in freezer of Uptown ice cream parlor Frozen Matter awaits one of Denver’s, well, coolest cocktail lounges. That glowing backbar and the B movies screening on one wall are all part of the sci-fi bit to which the bartenders are committed, naming their out-there drinks after cult flicks like Time Chasers — which combines strawberry-infused Manzanilla Sherry, milk-clarified Fernet, chicha morada, miso, and lime — and Cybernetic Showdown, featuring duck fat–washed Träkál, salted honeydew–switched vermouth blanc, and lemongrass.

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 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.

If walls could talk. Housed in a historic former hotel, this Cap Hill pub is rumored to have been a Prohibition-era den of iniquity; it was most definitely a Beat-era hangout for Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady, and such famous guests as Tony Bennett and Bill Murray have gathered round its piano for the singalongs it still hosts today. Both in the memorabilia-filled lounge and out on the covered patio, the generous pours come cheap, while the steak dinners are worth ordering for the baked potato alone.

In the nightlife desert of Cherry Creek, the Culinary Creative group has built a blooming oasis out of a former florist’s shop. A hopping patio set beneath a mural of the namesake blossom fronts the airy yet intimate space, where the bar crew turns out cocktails that themselves burst with flowers, fruits, and herbs; DJs enhance the mood some nights, while oysters, caviar service, and salumi and cheese boards help get guests into the groove regardless.

This decades-old, neon-splashed biker bar has got 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.

Though there’s nothing wrong with coming here for tacos and margs, this Littleton joint is much more than a Mexican restaurant: It’s a two-story shrine to agave spirits, housing a collection of not just tequila and mezcal but also bacanora, sotol, raicilla, and still other distillates that’s unmatched in metro Denver. Most are offered by the 1.5-ounce pour for sampling, savoring, and learning about the wide variety of agave species and styles of production; flights showcase a different region or style each month, accompanied by detailed tasting notes.