One of the best things about the holiday season is getting to see old friends. If you’re a longtime Denverite, all sorts of people return to the city to celebrate, making it a great time to catch up with far-flung pals from back in the day.
This weekend is a great time to take some of these long-lost compatriots out for a night on the town, especially if they haven’t partied in Denver in recent years. Here are a few ideas for places to show off to returning friends — in case they forgot that Denver is awesome.
Williams and Graham (3160 Tejon St.) is the latest addition to Denver’s cocktail-crafting scene. Disguised as a Prohibition-era bookstore, Williams and Graham offers high-end cocktails and food to the discerning drinker. It’s a long way from the Denver dives of yesteryear that an expatriate might remember.
If it’s been a really long time since your pals went on a Denver booze-cruise, guide them to Forest Room 5 (2532 15th St.). This bar never fails to impress out-of-towners with its dim, wood-adorned interior and quirky ambience. It plays into their ideas of Denver as a slightly dangerous frontier town, the Rocky Mountain wilderness looming darkly at the edge of the city. It’s a lively place, nonetheless, and quite civilized.
Downtown, TAG Raw Bar (downstairs at 1423 Larimer St.) shows off one of the things Denver does best: upscale-casual. Like its older brother upstairs, TAG, the Raw Bar serves up unique cocktails with names such as “Rosemary’s Baby” (tequila, chartreuse, fresh rosemary, raspberries and lime) and “Hot for Teacher” (apple whiskey, maple extract, fresh citrus). The feel is a little more casual than upstairs, with brighter colors and a lighter food menu.
Returning Boulder buffs shouldn’t be left out, either. The town’s transformation into a food-lover’s paradise hasn’t missed the city’s drinking scene.
Take a prodigal pal to The Kitchen (1039 Pearl St.) — it has two separate bars to explore. The Kitchen Upstairs is an extension of the downstairs restaurant, with a similarly thoughtful menu and wine list. The list of beers is huge, too, and it has been known to whip up a fabulous cocktail. The Kitchen Next Door (1035 Pearl St.) has a more tightly edited menu of drinks, and the food is more like pub fare, including burgers and sandwiches.
The Bitter Bar (entrance behind 835 Walnut St.) is a hub for Boulder’s cocktail scene, mixing its own classics with vintage recipes and recent experiments. Ply your friend with clever drinks including “The Cider Forest” — bourbon with an apple cider ice cube — and the “Re-Tox,” a jokey mix of gin, lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper.
Who knows? Maybe one of these joints will persuade a buddy to move back.
Shows.Tonight, Milk (1037 Broadway) hosts “Remix: Live” with Mark de Clive-Lowe. The multitalented instrumentalist and DJ has a gift for improvising his sets on the spot, chopping up beats, samples and original music into a big, free-flowing dance mix. The bill also includes lots of local talent, including DJs K-Nee, Big Styles, Peter Black and members of Future Jazz Project.
The show starts at 9 tonight; admission is $10 at the door. Visit coclubs.com for more info.
Also tonight, The Denver Post’s Reverb blog throws a post-Thanksgiving dance party at Beauty Bar (608 E. 13th Ave.) that’s tailor-made for shaking off Thursday’s sluggishness. Starring Reverb favorite DJ Savior Breath, the show also features a set from audio-visual DJ Bobby C Sound TV and a super-secret guest who’s yet to be named. Admission is free. Doors open at 9 p.m. — learn more at heyreverb.com.
As usual, it’s a busy weekend at Beta (1909 Blake St.). Tonight, the club’s Bassic Fridays welcomes duo Africa Hitech, bringing bass-heavy, sexy, sinister grooves to the main floor. On Saturday, progressive-house DJ and remixer Thomas Gold visits the club, and Thursday brings glitchy, eclectic Phonat on his first-ever United States tour.
Tickets for each show are $10 in advance at fla.vor.us; more details available at betanightclub.com.
