Is your go-to cocktail a chilled martini glass filled to the rim with shaken spirits and murky, briny olive juice? Then this miniature guide was made specifically for you. While a dirty martini can be found on virtually every bar menu, there are certain spots that really do it justice.
Here are 8 places to get your filthy, dirty martini fix in Denver.
Cretans Wine Bar and Restaurant
Where: 231 Clayton St., Denver
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 4 – 10 p.m. and Friday – Saturday, 3 p.m. – 12 a.m.
The Lowdown: Cretans is an upscale wine bar and restaurant in Cherry Creek North that just so happens to have delicious pour-over martinis. Although these cocktails may not be the stereotypical dirty martini, they pack quite the salty and sour punch that perfectly pairs with chilled vodka. Check out the martini pepperoncini ($16)— made with pepperoncini brine, lemon zest and your spirit of choice.
Chez Roc
Where: 229 Clayton St., Denver
Hours: Thursday, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. and Friday – Saturday, 6 p.m. – 2 a.m.
The Lowdown: From the same concept group that introduced Cretans and Quality Italian to Cherry Creek, this Moroccan-inspired cocktail lounge serves up tasty dirty martinis in a dimly lit and intimate setting. Chez Roc offers the murkiest (in the best way) dirty martini that puts all others to shame. Aptly named Le Dirty ($18)—this cocktail is made with olive oil vodka and grape leaf brine, topped with skewered Shankleesh olives.
Poka Lola Social Club
Where: 1850 Wazee St., Denver
Hours: Sunday, 3 – 9 p.m., Monday – Wednesday, 3 – 11 p.m., Thursday, 3 p.m. – 12 a.m., Friday, 3 p.m. – 2 a.m. and Saturday, 1 p.m. – 2 a.m.
The Lowdown: This quaint bar inside the Maven Hotel is known for bringing good vibes and offering a constant selection of creative cocktails. However, the one cocktail you won’t find on the menu is a dirty martini. So why is Poka Lola on this list? Well, the Dealer’s Choice allows you to order any spirit and style. And surprisingly, the dirty martini is a hit every time.
Range Restaurant
Where: 918 17th St., Denver
Hours: Open daily, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Lowdown: The Range Restaurant is located inside the Renaissance Denver hotel, with unique frontier-inspired dishes and cocktails. The Push It ($15) martini is deliciously salty with pink peppercorn-infused vodka, dry vermouth and salt rim. If you’re looking to counterbalance all the sodium and soak up the alcohol, then try an order of candied habanero pork belly ($14).
Bastien’s Restaurant
Where: 3503 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 4 – 9 p.m., Friday – Saturday, 4. – 10 p.m. and Sunday, 4 – 9 p.m.
The Lowdown: Nothing pairs better with a dirty martini than a tender and juicy steak. It just so happens that Bastien’s is home to the sugar steak and offers the ultimate tangy and briny martini. The Filthy Martini is made with your choice of vodka or gin, dry vermouth, olive and banana pepper brine, topped with cracked pepper and olives.
The Corner Office
Where: 1401 Curtis St., Denver
Hours: Bar is open daily until 11 p.m.
The Lowdown: Located inside the Curtis Hotel, Corner Office offers the perfect spot to relax after work with a filthy, dirty martini or two. The Red Eye ($14) is made with Corazon Blanco, dry vermouth, olive juice and hellfire shrub. It’s truly 5 o’clock somewhere at The Corner Office.
Bear Creek Distillery
Where: 1879 S. Acoma St., Denver
Hours: Wednesday – Thursday, 4 – 10 p.m., Friday – Saturday, 2 – 11 p.m. and Sunday, 2 – 8 p.m.
The Lowdown: Bear Creek Distillery is home to a plethora of finely distilled spirits like bourbon, vodka and rum. The bar seamlessly blends its spirits into a handful of craft cocktails, including a deliciously simple but well-done dirty martini.
El Five
Where: 2930 Umatilla St., Denver
Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 5 -10 p.m. and Friday – Saturday, 5 – 11 p.m.
The Lowdown: El Five is famous for Spanish-style tapas and unbeatable city views, but did you know the cocktail menu offers an out-of-this-world dirty martini? The El Five martini ($15) is made with olive oil fat-washed gin or vodka, house olive brine, Manzanilla olives and lemon oil. Fair warning, you won’t be able to limit yourself to just one; these martinis are dangerously smooth.