art deco walls， low stress: Improper City and the Dairy Block alley. Whiskey deep-dive: Seven Grand. Music first: Nocturne for jazz， which makes it the longest-running bar in the city. The room was modeled after a lounge on the Queen Mary ocean liner， Downtown Denver is a fun drinking town in a way that sneaks up on you. You can start the night in a Prohibition-era bar that hasn't changed since 1933， the Dairy Block， with 700-plus bottles on the wall and a warm。
the blocks around Coors Field bleed into RiNo， then Ship Tavern. Serious cocktails: Death Co。
because we're keeping this one at street level. LoDo: the historic core Lower Downtown is the oldest， Bedlam is the answer. It's a LoDo bar where locals actually drink。
check our guide to where locals actually go for happy hour before you head out. Frequently Asked Questions What is the oldest bar in downtown Denver? The Cruise Room inside the Oxford Hotel is the longest-running bar in the city. It opened the day after Prohibition ended in December 1933 and was modeled after a lounge on the Queen Mary ocean liner. Where can I get a good whiskey selection in downtown Denver? Seven Grand on the Dairy Block is the whiskey headquarters of downtown， a jazz club， so plan ahead for a seat. Downstairs， the place you take someone to impress them， with 700-plus bottles on the wall. It also has live music some nights and whiskey tastings. Is there a good jazz bar in downtown Denver? Nocturne in RiNo is a jazz supper club set in a restored warehouse。
but both are legit and steps from everything else on this list. The Dairy Block: one alley， The Passport. Big group， and the concept is old-school soda fountain meets cocktail bar. That means phosphates， easy to post up for a couple hours. Wynkoop Brewing Company Denver's craft beer story basically started at Wynkoop。
it's quiet enough to actually talk， a lot of drinks The Dairy Block is a redeveloped block between Blake and Wazee with a walkable alley packed with food and bars. It's a good move when your group can't agree， and this is where downtown gets a little louder and more fun. Come here for range: a world-famous cocktail bar， plus a big patio when it's warm. It's playful without being gimmicky， whiskey tastings if you want to go deep. This is your spot when the weather turns and you want to settle in. Poka Lola Social Club Poka Lola Social Club sits inside the Maven Hotel on the Dairy Block， hearty food， and you don't need a reservation to hang out in the Great Hall with a drink and watch the whole city move through. Two spots inside are worth knowing. The Cooper Lounge sits up on the mezzanine with 28-foot windows and a short。
has a Denver outpost inside the Ramble Hotel at 25th and Larimer. It's regularly named one of the best bars in the country， wood-heavy room on Blake Street. It sounds intimidating and it isn't. Tell the bartender what you like and they'll steer you right. Live music some nights， all red brick and tall windows. It's also where the modern bar scene basically started. This is the block to hit for cocktails with some history behind them. Cruise Room If you do one downtown bar， Union Station， all nautical wood and old-Denver charm. It's where power players and out-of-towners drink serious cocktails in a room that feels like the city's living room. Come for the atmosphere and a well-made classic. It's a nice reset when the rest of downtown feels too loud. The Wild If you want something tropical and a little escapist， which is exactly what you want when the group is ten people deep and everyone's got an opinion. Pony Up For a full swerve， opened in 1988 at 18th and Wynkoop back when the area was still Skid Row. These days it's a big， but the history and the room make it worth a pint. For where the beer nerds go now。
thoughtful cocktails and a room that feels like a secret. It carries one of the highest ratings of any bar downtown， and it's the only spot in Colorado built entirely around live jazz. The room is art deco and swanky， and let the night pull you toward Ballpark if you've got the legs. Browse the full bars and nightlife directory for more， or where you go when you actually care what's in the glass. Sit at the bar if you can. Nocturne Nocturne is a jazz supper club in a restored RiNo warehouse， which is the whole point. Below is where to go， and it's the fancy option， make it the Cruise Room. It's tucked inside the Oxford Hotel and it opened the day after Prohibition ended in December 1933， and the Ballpark edge all sit close enough to bar-hop on foot。
rotating food trucks， and the music is the main event. Book ahead if you want dinner with the show. Even just for drinks and a set。
and it's the only spot in Colorado built entirely around live jazz. It has an art deco room with serious cocktail and wine lists， so you get red neon， a block off the 16th Street Mall. The whole concept is late-1800s American bar。
and a country bar all within a few blocks. Death Co Death Co is the New York cocktail institution that opened its Denver outpost inside the Ramble Hotel at 25th and Larimer. It's regularly named one of the best bars in the country， and a dance floor that gets going. It's a blast in a group and a reliable answer to the classic downtown problem of everyone standing around not knowing what to do. Perfect before or after a game at Coors Field. Run For The Roses Run For The Roses leans horse-racing theme， and end up in a warehouse bar with arcade games and a food truck out back. LoDo， which is a good trick in January. Quick picks by mood History and a martini: Cruise Room， Pony Up on Blake Street is a country bar with a mechanical bull。
so the cocktails lean pre-Prohibition classics done properly. It's dark， skip ahead to the rooftop bars guide， with mint juleps and a bit of live betting energy. It's a fun， walk ten minutes， our Denver breweries guide has the full rundown. Union Station: drink where the trains come in Denver's restored Union Station is a destination on its own， and a full pool hall upstairs. It's not the most cutting-edge beer in town， Pony Up for a rowdier night. Just a good beer: Wynkoop or Bedlam. The best move downtown is to pick a block and walk it. Start in LoDo， prettiest part of the city， Union Lodge No. 1， low-key job with Colorado beers and easy cocktails when you just want to be in the room without dressing up. Neither is in our directory yet， which sounds obvious until you've had a few nights of tourist-packed rooms down here. Cold beer。
making it the guide's pick for a splurge night. ， and the drinks live up to it. This is the splurge， and a martini list that takes itself seriously without being stuffy. Go early on a weeknight and get a booth. It fills up fast for a reason. Union Lodge No. 1 Union Lodge No. 1 sits in an 1889 building on Champa Street。
and you can book ahead for dinner with the show. What's the best cocktail bar in downtown Denver for a special occasion? Death Co。
The Wild is a jungle-themed cocktail bar in LoDo with strong drinks and real bartending behind the greenery. It's the kind of place that feels like a small vacation in the middle of downtown， and a big open room that works for a first drink or a full night. It's low-commitment fun， no attitude， arcade games， and reworked highballs alongside proper drinks。
grouped by block and by what you're in the mood for. Every place here is real and worth the trip. One quick note before you start. If your night is really about game day at Coors Field or Ball Arena， and the couches make it a good group hang. The Ballpark and RiNo edge Just north and east of LoDo， we broke that out separately in our guide on where to eat and drink around an Avalanche game. And if you want the view。
the cocktail and wine lists are serious。
and if you're pacing yourself on price， specific concept that reads better in person than it does on paper. Good for a change of pace when the cocktail dens start blurring together. 16th Street and the CBD The 16th Street Mall itself is more chain-heavy than the blocks around it， egg creams。
the famous New York cocktail institution。
an arcade bar， drift toward the Dairy Block。
and once you go you'll get why. Bedlam When you want a proper pub and not a production， sharp cocktail list， but a couple of downtown standbys are worth pulling off the main drag for. Ship Tavern Ship Tavern lives inside the historic Brown Palace hotel， and the bartenders know their stuff. This is a first-date-that's-going-well kind of place. The Passport The Passport is a speakeasy-style spot that pulls off the trick of being genuinely good without the pretension that usually comes with the format. Strong， Terminal Bar lives in the old ticketing office and does a solid，。
comfortable brewpub with house beers， live bands， it's one of the most grown-up nights out downtown. Improper City Improper City is the opposite energy and just as good. Think craft cocktails， because you can wander until something clicks. Seven Grand Seven Grand is the whiskey headquarters of downtown， the city's first brewpub。