Patio vibes at New Terrain Brewing Co.
Beer tastes better on a sunny patio (that’s a fact). So when I’m craving the ultimate patio vibes, I make a trip to New Terrain Brewing Co. in Golden. The spacious outdoor seating area has it all: a stage for live music, frequent food trucks, and views of the foothills.
And because it abuts a recreation area, you could also hike or mountain bike while you’re there. I’ve even seen some people arrive at the brewery on horseback, which is certainly unique. Plus, the beer is great, too! — Tiney Ricciardi
16401 Table Mountain Parkway, Golden; 720-697-7848. Open noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. newterrainbrewing.com
Denver Press Club
The first thing to know about the Denver Press Club is that you don’t have to be a journalist to visit.
Here’s what you will find: a dark, cozy bar where “friends of journalism” gather to talk and sip cocktails. I recommend an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan from the bartender. These classic drinks match the old-school vibe in America’s oldest press club.
The club also offers beer and wine, but the handcrafted cocktails, sometimes with journalism-themed names, are the way to go. Order, take a seat and strike up a conversation. Who knows who you will meet? — Noelle Phillips
1330 Glenarm Place, 303-571-5260. Open 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. denverpressclub.org
Black Shirt Brewing
This River North outpost has been a staple for nearly all 11 years I’ve been back in Colorado — first as a friendly and adventurous taproom to visit across the city, and now, after a move nearby a couple of years ago, as my neighborhood bar around the corner. The place has changed in that time, both in ownership and beer offerings, but its patios and worn-in bar are as inviting as ever.
Originally, Black Shirt’s focus was on red ales, which produced some fun, offbeat takes on IPAs, porters and other styles. While I miss those, its evolution into brewing a wider range of beers has brought new favorites like A Taste of Honey, a go-to brown ale on a winter Friday afternoon when I bring my laptop along to finish up work.
A food menu added several years back brought fun and tasty pizzas to Black Shirt, including a by-the-slice option. If you want my favorite whole pie, order the War Pig, which comes with a chipotle-maple glaze drizzled atop prosciutto, bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, cotija and other toppings. It goes especially well with Black Shirt’s original flagship, Colorado Public Red, a hoppy red ale that still has a place on the tap list. — Jon Murray
3719 Walnut St., Denver, 303-993-2799. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. blackshirtbrewingco.com
Seed & Smith’s Dart vape pen
Of all the myriad ways to consume cannabis, my favorite is smoking a vape pen. And while there are plenty of options to choose from at any given dispensary, I have one trusty device that I use exclusively: the Dart vape pen from Denver’s Seed & Smith cannabis company.
This sleek, oblong device takes specialty cartridges, called pods, that are filled with THC oil extracted from plants that Seed & Smith grows in-house. It’s also a no-fuss apparatus with one heat setting and no buttons. Simply inhale and enjoy.
Pods cost $30-$40 and if you buy three or more, you get a free battery. — Tiney Ricciardi
5070 Oakland St., Denver, 720-506-2533. Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seedandsmith.com Grow tours available 11 a.m., and 1, 4 and 6 p.m. via tours@seedandsmith.com.
School House Kitchen and Libations
The School House will take you to class when it comes to whiskey. The Olde Town Arvada restaurant may just have the most extensive whiskey menu in the state. Want a $3 shot of Old Crow? Got it. Want to splurge on a $75 1-ounce pour of Pappy Van Winkle 23-year? It’s available.
The whiskey menu not only covers American whiskeys but also includes sections for Canada, Japan and Ireland. Whiskey enthusiasts also can find pours from India, Israel, Mexico, Tasmania and South Africa. And if you want to learn about various styles such as barrel proof or Colorado bourbon, order a flight. — Noelle Phillips
5660 Ole Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada; 720-639-4213. Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. schoolhousemenu.com
Sienna Wine Bar
Here’s a comfy spot in a walkable neighborhood with an outdoor patio in which to linger over a glass (or two). Sienna had been located in a smaller shop on 12th Avenue in Congress Park for 12 years (proof of its popularity) before moving a few doors down to its current spot, in the former Pudge Bros pizza place on the corner of 12th and Madison Street, in 2022. Sienna has a surprisingly varied wine list, as well as beer, cider and sake, along with small plates like baked brie ($15), bruschetta ($13) or a cheese plate ($21) and (bonus!) a just-for-kids menu to keep the little ones occupied while you imbibe. And Sienna’s n/a cocktail list is the bomb.
The laid-back Bohemian decor and cool vibe at Sienna will make you want to linger awhile. — Barbara Ellis
3434 E. 12th Ave., Denver; 303-355-2202. Open 3-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Happy hour 3-6 p.m. siennawinebar.com
Hops & Pie
When it opened in 2010, Hops & Pie was one of the first of a new wave of craft beer-heavy taproom restaurants in Denver, and it quickly established itself as an indispensable, and cozy, destination for beer tourists, locals searching for rare or unusual beers, and anyone who just wanted a great slice of pizza. Fifteen years later, it is still that place.
I don’t live very close to Hops & Pie, owned by Drew and Leah Watson, but I make my way there as often as possible — for my birthday, for Great American Beer Festival week, for meetups with friends. These days, you can find both sourdough regular crust pizzas and Detroit-style, along with different gourmet sandwiches each week and, of course, some of the best beers from Colorado and elsewhere that are available in the city. Oh, and the COVID years blessed Hops & Pie with a sweet new patio as well, more than doubling its capacity in the busy Tennyson Street corridor. — Jonathan Shikes
3920 Tennyson St., Denver; 303-477-7000. Open 3 to 9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. hopsandpie.com; menu at order.toasttab.com
Three Rivers Dispensary
Three Rivers Dispensary is a rarity these days: a weed shop that sells primarily Colorado-grown flower. The clerks are educated on the jars in front of them and will guide anyone with an idea of what they like to do while smoking. Painting? Going fishing? Walking in the park? The people – and product – at this South Broadway shop offer a refreshingly down-to-earth perspective. — Miguel Otarola
135 S. Broadway, Denver; 720-485-4353. Open 8 a.m. to 9:55 p.m. seven days a week. threeriversdispensary.com
Thin Man
Displaying religious icons and pacifist views that might annoy the fire-and-brimstone crowd, this bar west of City Park is a godsend. Their arsenal of taps, flavored shots and bottles seem to never run dry, and whatever fruity cocktail they prepared in giant quantities always tastes just right. If the bar and tables inside are taken, the outside patio has plenty of room for the masses. – Miguel Otarola
2015 E. 17th Ave., Denver, 303-320-7814. Open 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.
High Noon canned cocktails
On the golf course, my birdie juice of choice had long been White Claw hard seltzer. They were fizzy, not overly sweet, and ultimately refreshing, especially iced down on hot days. Then one course’s beverage cart ran out of them, so I tried a High Noon vodka seltzer. And there was no looking back.
High Noon, made by E&J Gallo, isn’t a flavored malt beverage like White Claw and other hard seltzers. It’s vodka (or tequila) and fruit juice with a 4.5% ABV and only 100 calories, so you don’t get that heavy feeling after drinking a can. And with 13 flavors, there’s something there you will like (watermelon, yum).
Now, if only someone could invent a beverage that would improve my chipping. — Barbara Ellis
Available at supermarkets (about $23 for a 12-pack) and golf beverage carts everywhere (12-ounce cans sell for about $8 each, depending on the course).
Hudson Hill
Modern cocktail bars all seek to provide the kind of airy vibe that Hudson Hill has naturally for the last nine years. Its windows face a bustling section of 13th Avenue and fill the room with light. The signature drinks, though they’ve risen in price recently, are similarly vision-focused. Lavender, gold and pink beam inside delicate cocktail glasses. – Miguel Otarola
619 E. 13th Ave., Denver. Open 8:30 to 11 p.m. Monday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Happy hour 4 to 6 p.m. hudsonhilldenver.com
Lincolns
Lincolns in downtown Denver is a cash-only speakeasy where all drinks are $5 all day, every day. The Abraham Lincoln-themed bar has an old-timey vibe and is hidden underground behind a giant vault door about one block from Union Station. The chill, moody bar is the perfect place to grab drinks and catch up with friends. — Olivia Doak
1801 Wynkoop St, Denver. Open 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, noon to 2 a.m. Saturday and noon to midnight on Sunday. Cash only. Follow @lincolnsdenver on Instagram.
Augustina’s Winery
Some people bring trail mix or instant coffee on a backpacking trip. I bring wine. Specifically, Boulder Backpacking Wine from Augustina’s Winery in Nederland. Yes, it comes in a glass bottle. Yes, it adds 2.65 pounds to my pack. But there’s no greater reward after a long hike than peeling off sweaty socks, plunging into a cold alpine lake, followed by a campfire and a generous glug of this dry Colorado red.
Made with 100% Colorado-grown grapes, the Boulder Backpacking Wine is a smoky, earthy Cabernet Franc, made by longtime Nederland resident and geologist-turned-vintneress Gussie Walter. if you’re more inclined to just go sip without having to actually summit anything (understandable), you can swing by the tasting room in Nederland and try five wines for just $4. — Ella Cobb
20 Lakeview Drive, #103, Nederland. Open 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Thursday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, 1-6 p.m. Friday and 1-7 p.m. Saturday. augustinaswinery.com.
Barcelona Wine Bar
A terrific selection of Spanish (and other) wines and satisfying tapas offered at a lovely bar, served by friendly wait staff. And OH, THAT BREAD. It’s served gratis when you order food, and is to die for: warm and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with olive oil for dipping. Seats at the bar fill up fast, especially for happy hour. Try dining at the tiny chef’s counter (if it’s available) for a special treat. — Barbara Ellis
2900 Larimer St., 303-816-3300. Open Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday noon to 1 a.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight. Happy hour 4 to 6 p.m., brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. barcelonawinebar.com
Crow Bar
If brick walls could be cozy, then cuddle up to a cocktail at the Crow Bar. This snug neighborhood bar oozes vintage lounge vibes, with a dash of East Colfax grit. Sit belly-up to the bar on a worn, buttoned-back swivel stool for the best conversation in North Denver (or to watch sports). Or plant it in the back game room for pinball, Deer Hunter or Super Mario on NES.
With velvet-backed booths, quirky art, retro decor, plants galore and a photo booth, its clientele – from soccer moms to touring punk bands – is as vast as its drink menu. Giving living room vibes, forgotten photo booth strips decorate the mirror (that’s been there since Denver’s old-school Rosa Mia) behind the bar. – Christy Fantz
4395 Yates St., Denver. Open noon to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday. facebook.com/crowbardenver.
Gruvi’s Dry Secco
If you’re doing a dry month (or a dry nine months, for expectant moms) and find yourself missing wine, try Denver-based Gruvi’s Dry Secco ($11.99 for a four-pack). It’s not quite as dry as prosecco, but replicates the feel of a good glass of bubbly, with 0% alcohol. Gruvi (a family-owned company) also produces a zero-proof rose and two low-alcohol reds, if white wine isn’t your thing.
Also available: non-alcoholic lager, stout, wit or IPA ($10.99 a six-pack). The sangria, rose and red blends run about $18 for a four-pack. — Megan Wingerter
Available at Whole Foods, Total Wine, Cut-Rate Liquor and more Front Range stores.