Food and Drink continued from page 82 Hill. Tucked away at garden level, the pa- tio serves as a courtyard between a couple of other businesses, though it has plenty of space where you can imbibe the brewery’s big Belgian beers, and also supplies some quiet respite near the hectic intersection of Colfax Avenue and York Street. Best Brewery Expansion Denver Beer Co. Multiple locations denverbeerco.com Since it opened its fi rst taproom on Platte Street in 2011, Denver Beer Co. has been one of the hottest spots in the city for re- laxing on the patio, drinking local beer and people-watching. It later added a similarly buzzy place in Arvada, and in 2021, it expanded into a vibrant, sprawl- ing south Denver taproom, eatery and beer garden, complete with a separate ice cream parlor. This third spot, which also comes with its own beers, lives up to DBC’s standards of being the kind of place where you want to stay for a while. But the brewery isn’t done: In 2022, it will add a second patio on Platte Street, and after that, a fourth location in Lowry that promises to be the best one yet. Best Brewery Taproom Atmosphere Wah Gwaan Brewing 925 West 8th Avenue 720-598-6964 wahgwaanbrewingco.com As a kid, one of the most comforting things to do in the middle of a Denver snowstorm was to take a fi eld trip to the warm and steamy insides of the Denver Zoo’s Tropi- cal Discovery and pretend you were on va- cation. Although there’s no (literal) steam at Wah Gwaan Brewing, the new taproom gives adults that same feeling with its Ja- maican inspiration, reggae tunes, vibrant murals and beers made with tropical in- gredients like durian, mango, pomegran- ate and coconut. Plus, there are tie-dye pop-ups, First Friday nights and the oc- casional spontaneous dance party, not to mention food trucks featuring dishes from Haiti, Ethiopia, Kenya and other less common cuisines. What’s going on? Wah Gwaan is going on. 84 Best New Brewery Taproom Cohesion Brewing 3851 Steele Street 303-997-7016 cohesionbeer.com It’s rare for a brewery to come along these days and offer something totally differ- ent, but that’s what Cohesion did when it opened last August. The elegantly deco- rated brewery focuses almost exclusively on Czech-inspired lagers — not just in name and style, but in every detail of Czech brew- ing and beer culture. Examples include Co- hesion’s custom-roasted grains and water fi ltration system, along with its side-pouring faucets and water-bathed mugs that make an impression on customers. But the best part is the way the beer is poured in different sizes and in three different foam options: hladinka, snyt and mlíko (a nearly full glass of sweet, creamy head that feels almost like drinking a latte). Make Cohesion your new foamy home on the range. Best Brewery Taproom Bierstadt Lagerhaus 2875 Blake Street 720-570-7824 bierstadtlager.com Perhaps no brewery was hit harder by the pandemic than Bierstadt Lagerhaus, a large, two-level space that relied almost exclusively on people showing up to eat, drink lagers and have a good time. But Bierstadt fought back, adding cans, creat- ing a patio and inventing food-prep kits to go, all the while continuing to brew its world-renowned beers. Today the brew- pub, with its party games downstairs and retro-funky elegance upstairs, is even better than before, having built new ga- rage doors and continuing to host fun events. While you can now get its beers, from standards to seasonals, in liquor stores, you don’t want to miss a night here. Bierstadt has become one of the hubs of craft beer culture, and Denver wouldn’t be the same without it. Best Happy Hour Old Fashioned American Bonded 2706 Larimer Street 303-942-1201 americanbonded.com A properly made Old Fashioned is a thing of boozy beauty. Smooth and strong, it’s a clas- sic cocktail that’s made a huge comeback, and while many places in Denver do them well, none is quite as dependable as the iteration at American Bonded. Made with your choice of bourbon or rye, it’s available anytime but is just $6 during happy hour, which runs 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and all day on Sunday. Bonus: the rooftop patio and eats from T.S.R. (This Shit Rules), which serves out of the bar’s kitchen. Best Happy Hour Uchi 2500 Lawrence Street 303-444-1922 uchidenver.com Founded in Austin, the Denver location of Uchi debuted in 2018 and quickly became a hotspot for sushi lovers. While dinner here is a sublime experience, guided with gentle expertise by the stellar staff, it can get pricey, fast. Enter happy hour, which is available from 4 to 6:30 p.m. daily. A staggering eigh- teen dishes are available at a discounted price; they range from nigiri and temaki (hand rolls) to hot bites like scallion pancakes and a wagyu meatball. There’s even a dessert option so that you can truly make a whole meal of the experience, as well as boozy deals on select cocktails, sake, beer and wine. Best Everyday Bar Deals Rocky Top Tavern 4907 Lowell Boulevard 303-477-0265 rockytopdenver.com Popular with both Regis University stu- dents and longtime continued on page 86 APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com
