As the days get shorter, Denver bartenders are getting bolder. From red curry and coconut concoctions to smoking punch bowls, these cocktails are truly imaginative and a bit wild, but even more delicious. Poka Lola, The Family Jones, Riot BBQ and NADC Burger are serving up bold, one-of-a-kind sips you’ll want to try before the season’s out.
Where: 1850 Wazee St., Denver
When: Sunday 2 – 9 p.m., Monday 3 – 9 p.m., Tuesday – Wednesday 3 – 10 p.m., Thursday 3 – 11 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. – 12 a.m., Saturday 2 p.m. – 12 a.m.
The Lowdown: Poka Lola Social Club proves Denver’s cocktail scene isn’t afraid to get a little unconventional. A brûléed banana–infused bourbon with pineapple, cacao and tiki bitters in the Hollaback Girl, balancing tropical sweetness with a toasty, almost dessert-like finish.
Things take an unexpected, and spicy turn with Bad Spray Tan, a bold mix of Mount Gay “Eclipse” rum, red curry, pineapple and coconut cream. It’s smooth, golden and just the right kind of streaky. And for those chasing something icy, Hot Swirl Summer blends a house strawberry daiquiri with a Zacapa 23 Piña Colada, creating a layered frozen drink that feels both classic and unexpected.
It’s a lineup that’s inventive without losing its sense of fun and proof that sometimes the strangest ideas make the most memorable cocktails.
The Family Jones Spirit House
Where: 3245 Osage St., Denver
When: Sunday 4 – 10 p.m., Closed Mondays, Tuesday – Thursday 4 – 10 p.m., Friday – Saturday 4 – 11 p.m.
The Lowdown: The Family Jones Spirit House is pouring a summer menu with a distinctly Colorado edge. The Blucifer Martini nods to the city’s most infamous blue sculpture with blue cheese–infused gin, lavender and a wash of blue spirulina, plus piri piri olives add a subtle snap of heat. Juniper Soak is served in a miniature porcelain bathtub, its mix of gin, bergamot, strawberry, cucumber and probiotic ginger beer as refreshing as it is eccentric. Then there’s the Daq N’ Chips: a bright, herbaceous rum daiquiri finished with avocado fat-wash and served with house chips and salsa, which is a pairing that just makes perfect sense.
Riot BBQ
Where: 2180 S Delaware St., Denver
When: Sunday – Monday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Closed Tuesdays, Wednesday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
The Lowdown: Living up to its name, these cocktails are truly a riot. Stop by Riot BBQ’s back patio for unique cocktails designed for easy drinking. The Bourbon Peach Smash is a nod to Palisade Peach season and balances juicy peach with bourbon’s warm, oaky notes, brightened by fresh mint and lemon. The Clementine Margarita cuts through the heat with zesty clementine juice and a clean lime finish. But it’s the Spicy Cucumber Margarita that steals the show with a jalapeño-infused tequila, crisp cucumber and agave sweetness, all rimmed with Tajín for a fun kick.
READ: At the Intersection of Texas Barbecue and Chef Manny Barella’s Mexican Roots, Riot BBQ Is Rekindling a Love for Denver’s Rich, Although Troubled Barbecue Past
NADC Burger
Where: 1441 Larimer St., Denver
When: Open Daily 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
The Lowdown: NADC’s new cocktail list channels the tropics without losing its edge. It’s newest cocktail – Night Fever – in collaboration with celebrity-owned mezcal brand Dos Hombres tempers smoky mezcal with musk melon and cucumber for a clean, cooling sip. This collaboration, which runs from now until September 15 will donate a portion of the proceeds to the KIND Campaign – a non-profit with a mission of ending bullying against women. Other honorable mentions include: Deathwish – dark and rich, mixing rum and allspice with pineapple, pomegranate, and passionfruit boba for bursts of sweetness between sips. And the Tokyo Fishhouse Punch is layered and aromatic with a Japanese whisky, peach, coconut, pandan and lime that moves from fruit to spice with each sip.
