Cocktail Bars in Denver
29 cocktail bars in Denver, including two on North America's 50 Best and one Spirited Awards winner.
- Yacht Club★ TOP 10NORTH AMERICA'S 50 BESTCocktail Bar
Yacht Club
Self-described as the "anti-club club," Yacht Club at 3701 N. Williams Street is the bar that put Denver on the global cocktail map, ranked No.41 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2025 and No.67 on the 2026 extended list. Owners Mary Allison Wright and McLain Hedges, both 2026 James Beard Award finalists for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, built the program around elevated highballs, natural wines, and a now-legendary hot dog combo that has become an unlikely calling card. The room is deliberately unprecious, vinyl records, neighborhood regulars, and the kind of warmth that makes first-time visitors feel like they have been coming for years. Yacht Club proves that world-class cocktails and a total absence of pretension are not mutually exclusive. It won Best U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2024 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
3701 Williams St, Denver, CO 80205Mon & Wed-Sat 4pm-2am; Closed TueFull profile - Death & Co Denver★ TOP 10NORTH AMERICA'S 50 BESTCocktail Bar
Death & Co Denver
The Denver outpost of the New York institution occupies a RiNo space at 1280 25th Street that splits between a main bar, a coffee operation (DC/AM), and private event space, a multi-format approach that reflects the brand's evolution beyond the single-room cocktail bar. The menu carries Death & Co's signature precision, spirit-forward builds, balanced sours, and a seasonal rotation that incorporates local Colorado ingredients, while the Denver team has developed its own identity within the broader network. Open from 3pm daily, which gives it an afternoon-drinking dimension that most cocktail bars ignore. The cocktail program is as structured and well-documented as any in the country, and the training pipeline ensures consistent execution across every shift.
1280 25th St, Denver, CO 80205Sun-Thu 3pm-11pm; Fri-Sat 3pm-12:30amFull profile - Williams & Graham★ TOP 10Speakeasy
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 program 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 travelers, but the Highland original remains the definitive experience. Denver's founding cocktail bar, and still one of its best.
3160 Tejon St, Denver, CO 80211Daily 5pm-1amFull profile 
★ TOP 10Cocktail BarAdrift
Adrift is a tiki bar on South Broadway in Baker, dressed in bamboo walls, hanging boats, fishing nets strung with coloured lights and blowfish lamps. The list runs from classics such as the Zombie and the Singapore Sling to seasonal originals, served in coconuts, tiki mugs and flaming punch bowls, and the kitchen sends out Polynesian-inspired plates served family style. Inside tables are booked ahead, the bar is first come, first served, and Tuesdays are an all-day happy hour.
218 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80209Full profile
★ TOP 10Cocktail BarCooper Lounge
The Cooper Lounge sits on the mezzanine of Denver Union Station, with the 28-foot arched windows on one side and a view over the Great Hall on the other. It is styled as a lounge from the age of rail travel, serving cocktails, a long wine list and plates until 9:30pm, plus brunch. Reservations open two weeks ahead for parties of up to eight.
1701 Wynkoop St, 3rd Floor, Denver Union Station, Denver, CO 80202Full profile
★ TOP 10Cocktail BarRun For the Roses
Tucked in the alley between Blake and Wazee Streets beneath a red neon "Cocktails" sign, Run For the Roses at 1801 Blake Street offers a seasonal menu of crafted cocktails, rare and vintage spirits, and elevated snacks in a room that channels the golden age of cocktail culture without the museum-piece stuffiness. Owner Steven Waters built the program around classic cocktail architecture, stirred spirit-forward builds, properly balanced sours, and a back bar that includes bottles most Denver bars cannot source. The first-come, first-served policy and no-reservations stance keep the room democratic, and the alleyway entrance gives the experience just enough mystery. A bar that takes the cocktail seriously without taking itself too seriously.
1801 Blake St #10, Denver, CO 80202Tue-Sun 5pm-12am; Closed MonFull profile- B&GC★ TOP 10Cocktail Bar
B&GC
B&GC is a hidden bar below the Halcyon hotel in Cherry Creek, set in the former Cherry Creek Post Office and reached from the alley. The bar takes its cue from American cocktail culture in the years after the Second World War, with a cocktail list and a short food menu. Reservations go through OpenTable or by text message, and checks carry an included 20 percent service charge.
245 Columbine St, Denver, CO 80206 (Halcyon Hotel, alley entrance)Full profile - Bonded Denver★ TOP 10Cocktail Bar
Bonded Denver
Bonded is a late-night bar on Larimer Street in RiNo, renamed from American Bonded and run by the Pouring With Heart group. It bills itself as a house party, with DJs and dancing at weekends, a patio, game nights on Wednesdays and a happy hour that runs until 8pm. It opens every evening and stays open until 2am.
2706 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205Mon 6pm-2am, Tue-Fri 5pm-2am, Sat 3pm-2am, Sun 5pm-2amFull profile 
Cocktail BarLady Jane
Lady Jane opened in August 2018 in Denver's Lower Highlands as a neighborhood cocktail bar dedicated to serving drinks in a welcoming and safe space. Its cocktails are bold, seasonal and approachable, built on local ingredients, and the menu changes constantly with the whole team contributing.
2021 W 32nd Ave, Denver, CO 80211Mon-Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri 4pm-12am; Sat 2pm-12am; Sun closedFull profile
Cocktail BarSemiprecious
Opened in May 2025 by Mike Capoferri of Thunderbolt LA fame, Semiprecious at 2839 W. 44th Avenue brings international bar pedigree to Denver's Sunnyside neighborhood in a space that splits the difference between dive bar relaxation and cocktail bar ambition. The program applies the same flavor-science approach that earned Thunderbolt its reputation, clarified cocktails, house ferments, and a technical precision that hides behind a deliberately casual presentation. The room is neighborhood-friendly, the prices are reasonable by Denver standards, and the cocktail list goes well beyond the basics without alienating the after-work crowd. A bar that proves destination-quality drinks can live in a neighborhood-bar format.
2839 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80211Tue-Thu & Sun 4pm-12am; Fri-Sat 4pm-2am; Closed MonFull profile- RougarouCocktail Bar
Rougarou
Named Best New Bar in the 2026 Best of Denver by 5280, Rougarou at 2844 Welton Street brings Southern roots to Five Points with a cocktail program that draws on New Orleans, Louisiana Cajun country, and the American South. Owned by the same team behind Yacht Club, Mary Allison Wright, McLain Hedges, and chef JohnDavid Wright, Rougarou serves drinks like the muffaletta martini and the bananas foster julep alongside Southern-inflected food in a room that is a little bit fancy and a little bit funky. The wine and cocktail program complements rather than competes with the kitchen, creating an integrated dining-and-drinking experience that most bars-with-food struggle to achieve. The pedigree of its ownership ensures the cocktail execution matches the culinary ambition. It was a Top 4 finalist for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2026 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
2844 Welton St, Denver, CO 80205Daily except Wed, 5pm-12amFull profile - The Peach Crease ClubCocktail Bar
The Peach Crease Club
The Peach Crease Club is the first joint project from the husband-and-wife bar veterans Alex Jump and Stuart Jensen, in a 1970s-inspired Denver room with a twelve-seat bar, vintage records and a dedicated DJ booth. The list runs full-proof, low-ABV and non-alcoholic cocktails drawn from culinary dishes and the couple's travels, alongside minimal-intervention wines, uncommon sakes and light bites.
4180 Wynkoop St, Suite 130, Denver, CO 80216Mon 4pm-12am; Tue closed; Wed-Thu 4pm-12am; Fri-Sat 4pm-1am; Sun 2pm-10pmFull profile - Call Me PearlPINNACLEHotel Bar
Call Me Pearl
Call Me Pearl is the cocktail lounge of The Rally Hotel at McGregor Square, opened in November 2023 in a two-storey room under a large chandelier, with windows onto Coors Field and a mountain silhouette running the length of the back bar. The menu runs to some 28 pages, with spirit-free drinks, cocktail and caviar pairings, oysters and seafood snacks, and each drink is sketched by a local artist. It holds one pin in The Pinnacle Guide, the only pinned bar in Colorado when the 2026 pins were announced.
1600 20th St, Denver, CO 80202Daily 4pm-11pmFull profile - The Cruise RoomHotel Bar
The Cruise Room
The Cruise Room opened in the Oxford Hotel the day after Prohibition was repealed in 1933 and calls itself Denver's original cocktail bar, running continuously ever since. Its art deco room was modeled on a lounge aboard the RMS Queen Mary, and it is known for its martini and for a bartender's-choice happy hour.
1600 17th St, Denver, CO 80202Mon-Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri-Sat 4pm-12am; Sun 4pm-10pmFull profile - Traveling MerciesCocktail Bar
Traveling Mercies
Traveling Mercies is a small oyster and cocktail bar on the third floor of Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, opened in December 2023 by chef Caroline Glover and Nelson Harvey of the nearby restaurant Annette, in a room that once overlooked an airport runway. The cocktail list leans on rum and lesser-known classics, alongside sherry and gin martinis and coastal wines with plenty of acidity. Food centres on the raw bar, with oysters and shrimp cocktail, plus comfort plates such as wedge salad and rice pudding.
2501 Dallas St, Unit 311, Aurora, CO 80010Tue-Thu 4pm-9pm, Fri 4pm-10pm, Sat 3pm-10pm, Sun 3pm-9pm, closed MonFull profile - American LoreWhiskey Bar
American Lore
American Lore is a bar and custom cowboy hat shop on Tennyson Street in Berkeley, from the hatmaker Parker Thomas, where guests can have a felt hat shaped while they drink. The bar side has a full back bar stocked with whiskey and tequila, house cocktails and cheap cold beer, under low light with local sports on the screens.
3965 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212Tue-Thu 12pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-12am, Sun 10am-10pm, closed MonFull profile - Ay PapiCocktail Bar
Ay Papi
Ay Papi is a Puerto Rican and Latin themed cocktail bar in Cherry Creek North, built around a mural of the owner as a child with his father in Yauco, Puerto Rico. The drinks lean on rum and frozen cocktails, with snacks, DJs on Friday and Saturday nights and regular art, fashion and music pop-ups. It belongs to the same group as Forget Me Not and Sorry Gorgeous.
248 Detroit St, Denver, CO 80206Mon-Thu 3pm-12am, Fri-Sat 3pm-1am, Sun 1pm-12amFull profile - ESP HiFiWine Bar
ESP HiFi
ESP HiFi is a records-only listening bar on Santa Fe Drive, modelled on the Japanese jazz kissa, where the bartender also plays vinyl from the shelves through a valve-amplified sound system. The drinks lean on minimal-intervention wine, with highballs, cocktails, coffee and charcuterie alongside. It also runs a wine and record club.
1029 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204Mon-Tue 5pm-11pm, Wed-Thu 5pm-12am, Fri 4pm-12am, Sat 11am-12am, Sun 11am-11pmFull profile - Forget Me NotCocktail Bar
Forget Me Not
Forget Me Not is a cocktail lounge in Cherry Creek North, set in a former florist's shop, with a patio and a list of cocktails, large-format drinks, wine and bar snacks including an oyster programme. It is run by the group behind Sorry Gorgeous and Ay Papi, opens every afternoon and turns livelier late at night. A 20 percent service charge is added to every bill.
227 Clayton St, Denver, CO 80206Daily 3pm-2amFull profile - Fort GreeneCocktail Bar
Fort Greene
Fort Greene is a small neighbourhood bar in Globeville, opened in 2015 in a building that has housed bars for decades, furnished with plants and mismatched vintage chairs. The menu offers nearly as many non-alcoholic drinks as cocktails, plus natural wines and beer, with food from a resident kitchen. It hosts DJ sets, patio cookouts, tarot readings and drawing classes, and takes no reservations.
321 E 45th Ave, Denver, CO 80216Mon-Wed 4pm-11pm, Thu-Sat 4pm-12am, closed SunFull profile - OccidentalCocktail Bar
Occidental
Occidental is the loud, casual sibling of Williams & Graham on the corner of 32nd Avenue and Tejon Street, opened in 2015 by Sean Kenyon and Todd Colehour. Behind open garage doors it pairs irreverently named house cocktails, each credited to the bartender who made it, with cheap beer and a zero-proof list. Last call is at 1:30am.
1950 W 32nd Ave, Denver, CO 80211Mon-Fri 4pm-2am, Sat-Sun 2pm-2amFull profile - Ok YeahCocktail Bar
Ok Yeah
Ok Yeah is a small cocktail bar at the back of chef Kelly Whitaker's Hey Kiddo restaurant on Tennyson Street, run by his Id Est Hospitality group. There is no printed menu: bartenders build drinks to each guest's taste and mood, alongside daily hand-roll specials. Seats are booked through Tock.
4337 Tennyson St, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80212Full profile - PigeonCocktail Bar
Pigeon
Pigeon is a screen-free listening bar in Capitol Hill, opened in April 2026 by Andy Rauworth with Eric and Alison Corrigan, the team behind Pon Pon. Records play on turntables instead of TVs, tables light up as chessboards, and the bar mixes cocktails and old-fashioned sodas from house-made syrups. A counter called Toad, run by chef Elliott Delka, serves Colorado-sourced Japanese dishes such as gyoza and tofu katsu.
1431 N Ogden St, Denver, CO 80218Sun-Mon 4pm-12am, Wed-Thu 4pm-12am, Fri-Sat 4pm-1am, closed TueFull profile - Pony UpCocktail Bar
Pony Up
Pony Up is a LoDo bar known for its French dip sandwiches and inventive cocktails, decorated with neon signs, a portrait of an imperial bulldog and references to The Outsiders. Its signature shot pairs George Dickel whisky with a roast-beef jus chaser, and the kitchen stays open until 1am, which makes it a late stop for hospitality workers. A sibling, Side Pony, runs on West Colfax as a coffee and cocktail bar.
1808 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202Sun-Thu 4pm-1am, Fri-Sat 4pm-2amFull profile - Pretty NeatCocktail Bar
Pretty Neat
Pretty Neat is a cocktail bar on South Broadway opened in November 2023 by Xanthus and Cristy Be Dell, who previously ran beverage programmes for music festivals. The mid-century room has a loft with green velvet seating and board games, and the list sticks to well-made classic and house cocktails at moderate prices, with mocktails and small plates. A private back room seats about 20.
114 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80209Full profile - Room For MillyCocktail Bar
Room For Milly
Room For Milly is a cocktail bar on Platte Street between downtown and LoHi, opened in 2020 and decorated in bright colours and patterns inspired by travel. The menu covers cocktails and alcohol-free drinks with snacks, and the bar runs a cocktail and snack club. Sundays are an all-day happy hour.
1615 Platte St, No. 145, Denver, CO 80202Mon-Thu 3pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 3pm-12am, Sun 3pm-8pmFull profile - The Devil's DrinkSpeakeasy
The Devil's Drink
The Devil's Drink is a subterranean bar on Platte Street that calls itself an underworld speakeasy, opened in 2023 by Andrew Harris and moved to its larger current home in September 2025. The red-lit room serves more than a dozen versions of the espresso martini alongside house cocktails, and there is a separate room with pool tables. The owners also run The Upside Down Bar on Mariposa Street.
1553 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202Daily 3pm-1amFull profile - The TatarianCocktail Bar
The Tatarian
The Tatarian is a neighbourhood cocktail bar on Tennyson Street in Berkeley, named after a species of maple and opened in 2018 by Lenka Juchelkova and Mike Huggins, who also run Union Lodge No. 1 and Arvada Tavern. The room is styled after a woodland retreat, and the seasonal list leans on unusual pairings such as Scotch with shochu and miso or aquavit with fennel liqueur. It opens from the afternoon at weekends.
4024 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212Mon-Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat 2pm-11pm, Sun 2pm-9pmFull profile - Union Lodge No. 1Cocktail Bar
Union Lodge No. 1
Union Lodge No. 1 is a downtown cocktail bar a block off 16th Street, furnished with a rustic, old-school Americana feel to evoke an American bar of the late nineteenth century. The list centres on pre-Prohibition style cocktails, with seasonal additions. It is owned by Lenka Juchelkova and Mike Huggins, the team behind The Tatarian and Arvada Tavern.
1543 Champa St, Denver, CO 80202Sun-Wed 5pm-11pm, Thu-Sat 5pm-1amFull profile
More of Denver
These are the cocktail bars specifically. The full Denver guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 35 with a map and filters.
