Lower Downtown Denver: Lodo at Night

With a mantra of “No Crap On Tap” and with more beer options than anyone in town, beer fans will not be disappointed. If you’re looking to do shots, this is not the place for you, but if sitting back and enjoying a cold micro-brew is your idea of a good time, this is one of the best places on earth. Falling Rock has a great patio for people watching on Rockies game days, and is about as close to a beer garden that Denver has to offer.

The only time better than summer to enjoy a cold beer here is around the Great American Beer Festival, held in October. Falling Rock has a tapping parties all week of beer that you simple can’t get anyplace else. Kegs are brought in from all over the country, and some are brewed just for the occasion. This is truly a beer-lovers mecca.

Wine bars are all the rage lately; Lodo’s Wynkoop St has two a stone’s throw apart. Venice is on the corner of 17th and Wynkoop…just walk on towards 18th. On your right, about half-way down the block, is Trios Enoteca. They have a killer wine-list, great appetizers, and offer top-notch live music quiet enough to be able to talk over it. It’s so refreshing to listen to live music while enjoying the company of the people that you’re with.

Although you wouldn’t know it when you’re sitting up front, this is also one of the last cigar bars in Denver. The smoke filtration system in the back room doesn’t let a hint of smoke into the main area, but if you have a smoker in your group, this hidden gem shouldn’t be overlooked.
There is no outdoor seating, which is defiantly a minus, but the friendly and knowledgeable staff, the liquor selection, and the overall casual feel of this bar, more than make up for it.

What Falling Rock is to beer, the Whiskey Bar is to, you guessed it, whiskey. Pints Pub, by the Art Museum (Golden Triangle), has a better scotch selection, but the world of whiskey isn’t all about scotch, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Bourbon, Irish Whiskey, Scotch, Rye, you name it and it’s here at the Whiskey Bar.

There isn’t much food available, but the staff won’t mind if you grab some great empanadas or pizza next door at Buenos Aires (Argentinean Pizza) and bring it back. This is a great neighborhood bar with a formidable whiskey selection.

If you’re looking for some local music, this is a place that you just shouldn’t miss. Just a half a block from the Whiskey Bar, why not grab a glass of Whiskey and head on over for a set or two. This place can get crowded, and it should, because it features national tourers as well as some excellent local bands.