LoDo, or Lower Downtown, is a fascinating juxtaposition of Denver’s heritage and its modern renaissance. Former 19th-century, red-brick warehouses stand next to a dairy repurposed into an entertainment microdistrict, while Larimer Square, the city’s oldest commercial block, keeps attracting exciting food and beverage tenants. The neighborhood falls in the shadow of Coors Field, driving home the fact a tall cold one is never far away. Canned lager might hit during an afternoon Rockies game, but LoDo has much more to offer the thirsty visitor — all in a blissfully walkable several-block radius.

Your liquid journey can begin when your actual journey ends thanks to an easy, 40-minute train that frequently runs from Denver Airport straight to Union Station. The stunning Beaux-Arts and Romanesque open-air train hall seamlessly integrates restaurants, cozy shops and The Crawford Hotel, where guests walk past a ticket counter to access the elevator to their sumptuous rooms. The former ticket counter was reimagined into Terminal Bar; Cooper Lounge, an airy second-floor concept overlooking the station, exudes a more exclusive vibe.

Bollinger Champagne and citrus tart at Baumé © Kelly Magyarics

Hotel bars are definitely a thing in this part of town. Step through the door of The Cruise Room at The Oxford Hotel and you’re instantly transported to an opulent ocean liner. Built in 1933 by the designer of the Observatory Lounge on Queen Mary, this space is awash in a crimson glow, with an Art Deco metal-covered menu and murals inspired by ports of call of the ship’s maiden
voyage — each with a toast in the native language. Original sips include High Tea, with Earl Grey-infused gin, bergamot, rose petal and lemon; and bartenders stir a perfect Reverse Martini.

At The Maven Hotel in the Dairy Block, guests receive a wooden chip daily to redeem for a happy hour drink at Kachina Cantina or Poka Lola Social Club. Both spill onto the sidewalk for those warm Denver days; the latter has a fun take on the Porn Star Martini cheekily named P.S. I Love You, and you won’t even miss the booze in the complex Ride or Die, with strawberry-kiwi, basil, matcha and white balsamic.

Nearby, access the don’t-call-it-a-speakeasy Run for the Roses via an alleyway with a neon “cocktail” sign and a door fashioned as a racing ticket window that delivers you to a dimly lit, underground setting. Peruse a deck of recipe cards to order drinks such as Doctor’s Orders, with tequila, and The Pathfinder: carrot, ginger, lemon and celery — practically a health elixir.

To get your vino on, two-course lunches with wine pairings are de rigueur. At Mercantile, an asparagus and endive salad with lemon vinaigrette matches the citrus and herbal notes of a Pfalz Müller-Thurgau, and salmon over farro and sun-dried tomato cozies up to Chianti’s acidity and dusty cherry notes.

A few doors down at Tavernetta, it’s difficult to select a secondo among the house-made pastas, but francobolli (“postage stamps”) tossed with English peas, pancetta and cippolini onions stands out with a glass of Sicilian Etna Bianco or Rosso.

While you can pair your tasting menu at BRUTO with wine, staff recommend a more inclusive beverage experience that draws on saké, cocktails and cider for the 11-course chef ’s counter dinner. The evening offers no menu spoilers but may include bites like tender sweetbreads over crispy grains with red vermouth, or a boule of its legendary charred bread with funky orange wine.

Don’t leave town without booking a table at Baumé, the recently opened dessert and Champagne bar, where you can sink into a plush wing-backed chair and indulge in a tangy yuzu curd-filled tart alongside a spendy-but-worth-it flute of Bolly Special Cuvée. It’s a sweet reminder that, like the lauded bubbly, LoDo has depth, cachet and just the right amount of sparkle.