Six speakeasies in Denver 

Hidden Bars to uncover in the Mile High City

By Kristian DePue

Colorado is known for beer, but the craft cocktail scene is really crackling. So much so that you have to go to secret spots to find some of the best drinks in the Mile High City. 

Prohibition may be long over, but speakeasies are still thriving — if you know where to look. Here are six of our favorite celebrated, shrouded saloons in the capital city. 

The bar at Retrograde

The bar at Retrograde

Retrograde 

Retrograde can be found behind an ice cream parlor in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood (a.k.a. Uptown). Towards the back of the brilliantly lit Frozen Matter, you’ll find a walk-in cooler door with what appears to be a light switch to the left. Flip the toggle and a host will appear to escort you through the refrigerator façade and into a retro-future bar that looks like something from a 1960s science fiction film or a production design by Sir Ken Adam — the art director behind the fantastical sets in the early James Bond films.  The horseshoe bar is largely lit by back-bar shelving with colored lights that rotate red, green, purple, and yellow. The artisan drink menu is creatively themed and changes seasonally, once pouring cocktails each named after old B-horror movies. 

Holy Power Sour at Williams & Graham (photo by Brianne Keefer)

Holy Power Sour at Williams & Graham (photo by Brianne Keefer)

Williams & Graham 

This clandestine venue fronts as a corner bookstore in Denver’s Lower Highlands. The host will take your name, write it down on a piece of paper, and slip in through a slot. When the bar is ready for you and your party, a bookcase opens to a moody haunt with décor resembling an old library you’d see in a Hitchcock film – complete with vintage reading lamps. The lighting is very low, and your eyes may take time to adjust – but once they do, the ambience is an experience in itself. The bar has a deep catalogue of spirits, a reverence for classics, and a talent for nuance and creativity. 

The Strange Neighbour and Satan's Whiskers at B&GC (photo by Brianne Keefer)

The Strange Neighbour and Satan's Whiskers at B&GC (photo by Brianne Keefer)

B&GC

Approach the host at the Halcyon hotel in Cherry Creek and ask for the B&GC phone number. Text that number – don’t call. You’ll be given a time to arrive. There may be a wait, so be prepared. When your booking approaches, walk to the alleyway behind the Halcyon and find an unremarkable door with a gold, antique-style doorbell. Ring it. When allowed in, you and your party will be escorted through mundane halls of simple drywall and concrete until you reach another featureless door opening to a retro-classy, mid-century room that starkly contrasts the halls you were ushered through. The interior takes inspiration from the prosperity of the decades following World War II, and guests have compared it to “Mad Men.” 

The Black Sheep at Green Russell (photo by Brianne Keefer)

The Black Sheep at Green Russell (photo by Brianne Keefer)

Green Russell

Named after Colorado gold miner William Green Russell, this subterranean bar is in the underbelly of historic Larimer Square, the oldest commercial block in Denver. The pre-Prohibition theme transports guests to the “Roaring Twenties,” a time of flappers, jazz bands, women’s suffrage and Model T’s. You can find the dimly lit lair down a flight of stairs behind Wednesday’s Pie. The underground escape hosts a long bar, weathered brick, plush armchairs, and a vintage telephone booth. Serving handcrafted cocktails, the bar offers a variety of house infusions, sodas, bitters, freshly squeezed juices, and small batch spirits. Fresh baked pie is also served from the aforementioned shop. 

House martini at the Cruise Room (photo by Brianne Keefer)

House martini at the Cruise Room (photo by Brianne Keefer)

The Cruise Room

Opening the day after the repeal of Prohibition, The Cruise Room is Denver’s longest running bar – and has remained open since December 6, 1933. It’s an upscale, authentic time capsule within the Oxford Hotel in Lower Downtown. The chic Art Deco interior was modeled after a glamorous lounge on the RMS Queen Mary and has been preserved in detail for nearly 87 years. The long narrow room is lined with booths on one side and the bar on the other, glowing with the ambience of red lighting. It’s famous for martinis, gimlets and Manhattans. Given its history, you should drink what the luxury socialites ordered nearly a century ago: classic cocktails, like a Tom Collins, Sidecar or Martinez. 

Smoked Old Fashioned at Millers & Rossi (photo by Brianne Keefer)

Smoked Old Fashioned at Millers & Rossi (photo by Brianne Keefer)

Millers & Rossi 

In the heart of the River North neighborhood, Millers & Rossi is a unique gallery-meets-speakeasy. With RiNo being characterized by a great appreciation for local artists and culture, the lounge is a perfect experience for both residents and tourists. The impressive photography, paintings and sculptures featured at Millers & Rossi is meant to showcase the community’s exceptional, diverse creatives who live, sweat and bleed in Mile High. 

Behind the gallery is an inviting lounge lit with Edison bulbs, crafting cocktails with great attention to detail – and the meticulous food menu offers small plates inspired by Sicilian food.