Williams & Graham

The bar that launched Denver's speakeasy movement, Williams & Graham hides behind a functioning bookshop door at 3160 Tejon Street and has been executing at an elite level since 2011. The cocktail programme runs deep — classic structures built with precision, seasonal menus that rotate quarterly, and a back bar stocked with enough rare spirits to support any off-menu request a knowledgeable drinker might make. The room is handsome, dark, and deliberately old-fashioned, with a full kitchen that sends out food worthy of the drinks. A second location at Denver International Airport extends the brand to departing travellers, but the Highland original remains the definitive experience. Denver's founding cocktail bar, and still one of its best.