88 Best Nightlife in Colorado, USA

Student art still lingers on the bathroom walls of this historic elementary school turned hipster haunt. On one end of the 1916 school, Bristol Brewing Company schools patrons with its microwbrews while creative libations are shaken and stirred down the hall at the Principal's Office. Trendy locals flock to the historic site with large patios and lots of charm for the tastiest cafeteria grub around, with five dining options offering pizza, barbecue, salads, and empanadas in an art-covered hallway between the two bars. Axe and the Oak Whiskey House serve up spirits distilled from local grain at this popular hangout.

Longmont’s first brewery has been pouring innovative, independent craft brews since 1993. Left Hand first garnered attention for introducing America’s first nitro bottle and now is an industry leader in stouts and nitros; its Milk Stout Nitro is especially lauded. This brewery is one of the most awarded breweries in Colorado, with more than 29 Great American Beer Festival medals, 11 World Beer Cup awards, and 16 European Beer Star awards. Reserve a brewery tour or just stop in to enjoy a few pints out on the Tasting Room patio, which features 33 taps. Sit indoors or on one of four patios with Rocky Mountain views.

The century-plus-old bar at the New Sheridan Hotel is a favorite hangout for skiers returning from the slopes and, in summer, for everybody else. There's live music weekly.

This popular spot is a tradition in Vail. It's standing-room-only in the afternoon, and a bit mellower in the evening. Most nights there's guitar or piano music, and there's bingo in the winter.

Beer fans shouldn't miss Ska Brewing, a homegrown brewery that boasts a large "tasting room" with 20 taps. The decor is bowling-alley inspired, drawing from the two-tone era of ska music, and includes tables crafted with wood from former lanes at a Denver bowling alley. If the weather allows, you can sip your beer on the parklike patio or second-story deck, beneath enormous, metal brew tanks. Pair your beer with a sandwich or artisanal pizza from the Container restaurant, made from two repurposed shipping containers attached to the brewery. Stop by on a Thursday night for live music or 4 pm Monday through Saturday for a brewery tour.

With an intimate, couch-lined space modeled after old-time speakeasies (complete with a secret back entrance), this could very well be Boulder's greatest bar, since the staff is passionate about handcrafted cocktails. They're not shy with advice—including the perfect ice shape to suit your booze. Eat before you go since food is limited to a few small dishes.

The faux candlelight, modern chandeliers, and lounge-y vibe lure an upper-crust crowd who knock back favorites from the local craft beer and sparkling cocktail menus. Try the Bootwarmer, a mix of local spiced whiskey, lemon juice, and honey. The appetizers are just as delicious—consider the shucked oysters with a Colorado hot sauce.

Home to Aspen Brewing Company, Aspen Tap serves a small menu of pub food, liquor, wine, and, of course, microbrews from the city's only brewery. The centrally located bar includes a patio that's great for people-watching and sipping an Ajax Pilsner.

Arguably the most famous brewery in Boulder, Avery has grabbed impressive awards for its innovative ales and lagers; the Avery IPA was Colorado’s first packaged IPA. The brewpub offers a solid menu (complete with meat from the smoker), free brewery tours, and a dog-friendly patio. Try the White Rascal, which won silver for best Belgian-style witbier in the 2018 World Beer Cup competition.

Known for its chicken-fried steak, big burgers, and even bigger breakfasts, the Bear Creek Tavern is a plain-spoken fixture favored by bikers and locals. It's a 40-minute drive west of downtown Denver. The views near O'Fallon Park are spectacular.

This intimate, live-concert venue has hosted musical acts ranging from country-western legends to '80s rock bands to Jack White for crowds of just over 400.

This lounge inside the DoubleTree by Hilton serves beverages, appetizers, and light snacks. On weekends, entertainers perform in the bar, and occasionally outside on the beer-garden stage.

This local bar, which serves decent wings, sandwiches, and other typical (albeit above-average) pub grub, is a popular spot for patrons to nurse their favorite brew while catching up with colleagues and friends.

Try happy hour with a Latin twist at this happening spot, which has one of Boulder's most vibrant patios—not to mention perhaps the best margarita in town. The long, wavy bar wraps around two sides, with large garage doors that open to the outside.

One of the hot spots in the base village is the colorful Cheeky Monk, which bills itself as a Belgian beer café.

After touring CooperSmith's brewery (free; by appointment only), you can enjoy a meal from the seasonally rotating menu in the pub, with its gleaming wood floors and exposed brick walls. Or you can chow down on pizza while shooting pool across the alley at CooperSmith's Poolside. Quaff a Punjabi Pale Ale (an IPA) or one of the other 30 to 40 beers on tap.

Business lunches and after-work gatherings take place at the Hotel Boulderado's Corner Bar, a contemporary American pub with both indoor and spacious outdoor seating. The happy hour, from 3 to 6, brings good-value beers and martinis along with 40% off wines and appetizers. Don't miss the weekend brunch with expertly paired cocktails.

This is a favorite hangout for country music lovers and two-steppers.

This boisterous spot is a kick-back-and-relax sort of place right on the pedestrian mall, where locals hang out at the bar and enjoy the patio.

At this upscale bar and restaurant with a bowling alley, winter rates start at $150 per hour not including shoes.

Be sure to sit at the bar in this Main Street joint and chat up the local bartenders, who serve up opinions on town politics and advice on where to eat, as well as delicious cocktails made from whiskey and gin distilled on-site. Bands liven up Main Street on weekends and throughout the summer, bringing in tourists and plenty of local flavor. The food truck on the patio serves the best fish-and-chips in town.

This high-end microbrewery is on the site of the old Union Pacific Railroad headhouse—with the train paraphernalia to prove it. It's a bit expensive for a brewpub, but if you hang out after Broncos games you might encounter local sports celebrities celebrating or commiserating, and certainly you will find fellow fans.

Awash in flocked wallpaper and lace, the Diamond Belle Saloon is dominated by a gilt-and-mahogany bar. With its prime location—on the ground floor of the historic Strater Hotel—plus live ragtime piano music and servers dressed in period costumes, the Diamond Belle can really pack them in. Try the Brazilian mint martini; if you're hungry, order the much-hailed Diamond burger. Ask for the "secret menu."

Downstairs at Eric's—a "family sports bar" that welcomes kids—is standing room only when there's a game. There are 25 arcade games and 29 HDTVs scattered around the bar, so you don't have to worry about missing a touchdown. Fifty brands of bottled beers and another 30 on tap make this a favorite of aficionados.

For the best après-ski scene among both visitors and locals, head to this rollicking saloon complete with Wild West decor, including cowboy hats and buffalo skulls over the pinewood bar. When the ski slopes close, the bar is usually packed.

This fluorescent-lighted, bargain-basement Mexican dive with a checkerboard floor and pool tables in the back feels cramped. Still, the limos parked outside hint at its enduring popularity: "the Pec" is where Ol' Blue Eyes used to pop in, and where visiting musicians, including the Marsalis brothers and former president Bill Clinton, still jam after hours. Cash only.

At the base of the American Eagle lift, Endo's Adrenaline Café is the place to be for après-ski cocktails.