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 tarot 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 both boozy and alcohol-free to welcome one and all.

From the owners of the also notable Arvada Tavern and Union Lodge No. 1 (see below), this suave Berkeley retreat named for a type of maple tree turns out some of the city’s most sophisticated sippers bar none. Ask the affable bartenders for their recommendations, which might involve Scotch, shochu, miso, and tamari or aquavit, fennel liqueur, cardoon-and-thistle aperitif, and blue cheese (really).

From the plush emerald banquettes beneath moon-like pendant lights to the views from its 12th-story balcony, this penthouse lounge in the Novel RiNo building is a stone-cold stunner — and the drinks live up to the vibe, whether infused with saffron gin and rose water or honey gin and bee pollen, alongside luxe snacks like truffle-parmesan popcorn and flatbread with creamed leeks and Castelvetrano olives. (For a similarly sexy experience, check out Sorry Gorgeous’ two Cherry Creek siblings: the Latin-themed, rum-soaked Ay Papi and Forget Me Not, where a party’s always waiting to happen in a former florist’s shop.)

Behind a bookcase on a LoHi corner sits an internationally acclaimed cocktail bar. The dimly-lit space is dotted with booths for tender tête-à-têtes, 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 the hundreds of spirits lining the shelves, both classic and rare; all sorts of handmade bitters, syrups, and tinctures; and such surprise ingredients as goat cheese, asparagus, bamboo shoots, and sun-dried tomatoes. Small plates like roasted bone marrow with bacon jam and fried frog’s legs with curry aioli round out the experience. (Meanwhile, adjacent sibling venue the Occidental offers a far grittier vibe but equally crafty drinks.)

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 rosé of Nerello Mascalese from Sicily’s Mt. Etna? Georgian Khikhvi or Ligurian Pigato? How about a Mencía not from Spain but Columbia Gorge, Oregon, or a blend of Malbec and Pinot Noir from Colorado’s own West Elks AVA? The list literally goes on and on, and Noble Riot’s staff is well-versed in it all — while serving up tinned-fish boards and buckets of fried chicken to absorb every last drop.

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 Mr. Brightside with rye, Oloroso Sherry, peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon, and Cabernet Sauvignon here, a Care Package with apple brandy, amburana-aged caçhaca, local cider, and brown butter 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.

In a third-floor refuge from the bustle of the Stanley Marketplace, this snazzy, jazzy little joint is a date-night no-brainer. Here, couples reconnect over sophisticated cocktails like the Drinking & Smoking with pisco, peat moss, almond, wintergreen, pineapple, and orange blossom alongside seafood-centric snacks by Annette’s Caroline Glover: Think smoked trout rillettes and mussels escabeche on toast as well as oysters on the half shell (obvi).

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 infused with Spam or Vegemite, served in a Frankenstein or a flamingo mug, or decorated with plastic eyeballs or mini disco balls. Not surprisingly, festivities abound here, from horror-movie trivia nights to Tiki Tuesday throwdowns.

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. Charmingly printed on a deck of cards, it includes drinks whose prices reflect the rare, decades-old spirits that go into them, from 1960s-era Bénédictine to vintage Bacardi. (Pro tip: Opt for a table when possible, as the handsome barstools can be a tight squeeze.)

The portrait of an imperial bulldog at the entrance lets first-timers know they can expect the unexpected at this LoDo go-to — and the bar crew proves it, serving up rocking concoctions like the Calcifer’s Heart with tequila, shochu, Fino Sherry, pear, and Korean chili paste as well as shots of George Dickel with roast-beef jus chasers. (The latter come courtesy of the kitchen, which specializes in fabulous French dips, of all things.) Also worth a stop is Pony Up’s West Colfax sibling, Side Pony, which doubles as a coffeehouse.

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, aged 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.

Behind the door of what appears to be the walk-in freezer of Uptown ice cream parlor Frozen Matter awaits one of Denver’s coolest cocktail lounges, pun intended. That glowing backbar and the B movies screening on one wall are all part of the sci-fi vibe that the bartenders enhance by naming their out-there drinks after cult flicks: Take, for example, the Fungicide — a blend of preserved plum–infused pisco, báhn mì shrub, honey, saline, lime, and egg white — or Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, a crushable concoction of Ecuadorian chawar blanco, fermented lemonade, charred strawberry–sesame preserves, and Greek yogurt.

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 Jamaican-inspired curried beef ravioli with jerk-seasoned marinara one day, fried bologna sandwiches with fried-egg aioli and bread-and-butter relish the next.

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.

Inspired by Japan’s jazz kissa, this ultra-chill listening bar (full name: ESP HiFi) is a whole vibe built around a remarkably eclectic record collection, a stellar sound system, and an equally well designed beverage list, ranging from cocktails like the Sun Song — a highball with mezcal, cantaloupe, cucumber, and lime — to geeky wines such as skin-contact Chasselas from Chile and Mission rosé from Baja, Mexico. Grown-up nibbles, including charcuterie boards and burrata with white balsamic, honey, dates, and pistachios, boost the mood.

Malört, Montucky, and Malibu, oh my. This South Broadway haunt is relatively new, but it plays the part of a creaky, cranky old dive with relish, pouring “trash drinks” like the Spaghetts — a bottle of Miller High Life with a shot of Campari or Aperol and a squeeze of lemon — for locals who linger for hours, catching the game, checking out the occasional food truck in front, making buddies of strangers, and just generally showing how life is done.

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 He Man- 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 orange chicken, of all things.