110 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | lights of 17th Avenue in front of the Thin Man. Inside, the narrow tavern glows in a crimson hue from bulbs strung across its rafters. The thick white marble bar top is lined with folks sitting in heavy wooden chairs, leaning on their elbows over steam- ing mugs of hot mulled spiced wine. Bois- terous chatter and fuzzy garage rock from the house speakers fi ll the air. As the night carries on and the temperature drops, an- other couple shuffles in from the cold, shaking off the chill and fi nding a couple of seats in the corner as the cozy room gets a little bit toastier. Best Satanic Gay Tiki Bar The Electric Cure 5350 West 25th Avenue, Edgewater theelectriccure.com Is it a gay bar, a tiki bar, or a sarcastic, sa- tanic den-o-sin? Maybe a wicked mix of all three? What is certain is that the Elec- tric Cure is an uproariously fun bar with themed drag shows, cult-movie nights and neon-lit, cluttered vintage decor. And while it doesn’t take itself too seriously, there are hard-core pros behind the plank. The lat- est cocktail menu “sets the low bar high for blasphemy and nonsense” with cheeky offerings like the Grimace Shake — a pur- ple-colored nod to the McDonald’s mascot made with cachaça, ube, miso, passion fruit whipped cream and potato crisp sprinkles. “Why the fuck not” is the mantra here, and that’s an attitude we can’t get enough of. Best New Bar My Boy Tony 4280 Tennyson Street myboytony.com Berkeley’s My Boy Tony is warm, welcom- ing and beautifully designed — think dark walls, millwork and mid-century modern leather couches and chairs. Named after owner Eli Cox’s best friend, who passed away, it is, at its heart, a neighborhood bar. What sets it apart is the focus on community mirroring the inclusive spirit of Berkeley Supply, which Cox also owns. Sit inside for a few hours, and the warm hugs and handshakes make it clear that ev- eryone knows someone here. The natural wine list comes from the relationships Cox built through his popular burger pop-up Smash & Grab, while the beer and spirits were inspired by what he and his friends want to see on lists as fans. Mocktails round out the offerings, making My Boy Tony a drinking bar for all. Best Food Truck Lineup at a Bar TrashHawk Tavern 1539 South Broadway 303-320-7798 trashhawktavern.com It’s been just two and a half years since this bar debuted on South Broadway, but it already feels like an old haunt. The walls are covered with knickknacks of all kinds, there’s usually a crew gathered on the pa- tio or shooting pool in the back, and while you won’t fi nd any craft cocktails here, you will fi nd cheap mixed drinks and Malört. You’ll also usually fi nd a food truck out front. TrashHawk regularly hosts a rotat- ing lineup of some of the best mobile food businesses in town, making it even more tempting to become a regular. Best Food Truck Lineup at a Brewery Station 26 Brewing 7045 East 38th Avenue 303-333-1825 station26brewing.co Station 26, which is housed in a renovated fi rehouse, has been a staple in Northeast Park Hill for over a decade. Offering a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere, it serves a range of award-winning beers to cater to every palate, including its fl agship IPA, the Juicy Banger. But it goes hard be- yond beer, too, hosting events like trivia nights and live music. Our favorite amenity, though, is the rotating weekly lineup of ex- cellent food trucks. And Station 26 updates and shares the truck schedule regularly, making it easy to plan your next visit. Best Kid-Free Brewery Odyssey Beerwerks 5535 West 56th Avenue 303-421-0772 odysseybeerwerks.com Odyssey made the move to 21-and-up dur- ing the pandemic, and it has paid dividends. Reviews and comments on social media reinforce that this isn’t about people hating children — many patrons have kids of their own. But there’s something about sitting at the bar or crowding around a table and be- ing surrounded only by other adults. It has a sort of nostalgic, Cheers-like feel, hark- ing back to a time when most beer-focused establishments weren’t fi lled with babies. If every place were like this, the beer scene would be worse off, but we love that Odys- sey is doing something different. Best Vintage Beer List Bull & Bush Brewery 4700 Cherry Creek Drive 303-759-0333 bullandbush.com The Bull was doing vintage beer before it was cool. While regulars still miss the Christmas tasting events, when hundreds of beers from owners David and Erik Pe- terson’s personal collection were on offer, the brothers, along with brewer Gabe Mo- line, now celebrate by offering patrons a different beer and whiskey every day in December, many of which are vintage re- leases. You’ll also fi nd some special releases throughout the year, including in Febru- ary for Stout Month. But no beer from Bull & Bush is more lauded than Royal Oil, a barrel-aged English-style barleywine that is only released every few years and tends to go fast when it does. Best Beer Club Hops & Pie 3920 Tennyson Street 303-477-7000 hopsandpie.com Many breweries have mug clubs that are built around rewarding loyal customers, usually with a Food and Drink continued from page 108 continued on page 112
