Lido Wine Merchants: There’s no substitute for a stock-up visit to a megaliquor store, but when it comes to trying unfamiliar new bottles, nothing beats the small, smart neighborhood wine shop with friendly service. Lido Wine Merchants in downtown Littleton has a tight, affordable collection of wines in every hue for any occasion, from summer-afternoon Vinho Verdes from Portugal to special-occasion pinot noirs from Burgundy. | 2529 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-798-0122 | Tucker Shaw
Cool new soda: Jones Soda Co., developer of novelty soft-drink flavors such as Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potato, Fruitcake, Cranberry, and Turkey and Gravy, is getting some competition from Japan’s Pepsi distributor, Suntory Ltd., which has unveiled a new Pepsi flavor for the summer in Tokyo. Pepsi Ice Cucumber, a greenish-colored beverage with a crisp cucumber flavor, is on sale only this summer and only in Japan. No word on whether the product will ever be available in the U.S. | Andrea Labak
A sip of Colorado: Taste locally made beer, wine and whiskey 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Spotted Dog in the Inverness Hotel. Specialists include Peach Street Distillers and Carlson Vineyards, Palisade; Colorado Premium Vodka, Manitou Springs; Stranahan’s Whiskey, Denver; Ska Brewery, Durango; Breckenridge Brewery, Denver; Oskar Blues Brewery, Lyons; Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs; Avanti Winery, Littleton; and New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins. | 200 Inverness Drive West, Englewood, 800-832-9053
