Winners of this year’s prestigious Spirited Awards from the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation are set to be announced on July 23 – and it’s looking like a Colorado cocktail bar has a great shot at winning big.

Not one, but two Colorado establishments are included among this year’s four finalists for the category of ‘Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar’ and they’re both in Denver – Rougarou and The Peach Crease Club.

Let’s start with Rougarou. With a shockingly high 4.9-star rating on Google reviews, diners not only rave about this spot’s cocktails, but its Southern-inspired dishes, as well. Hot and sour catfish, blackened Colorado trout, New Orleans BBQ shrimp, crab salad, and boiled peanuts seem to be among favorites when it comes to the bites, but don’t forget about the drinks – after all, that’s why they’re on the Spirited Awards shortlist as one of the ‘best new cocktail bars’ in the U.S.

Their drink menu is innovative, to say the least, with a focus on martinis, ‘tropical-ish’ cocktails, and a section of ‘Of the Moment’ options, where the creativity continues. Trust me when I say you’ve never had drinks like this before. Take the ‘Daisy Mae’ for example – mezcal, amontillado sherry, elderflower, peach booch, and chestnut honey. Then there’s the ‘Fly Famous Mockingbird’ with Jamaican rum, orange wine, smoked tomato, rhubarb, pineapple, and MSG. Even their ‘Apple Martini,’ which sounds basic in name, comes with plenty of twists – cognac and riesling with green apple, almond, and absinthe. As someone who has traveled the state and seen a lot of cocktail menus, I’ve never seen one quite like this.

The competition in the ‘best new American cocktail bar’ category is steep though, as is exemplified with The Peach Crease Club‘s inclusion. This spot has 4.8-stars on Google Reviews, with patrons raving about the atmosphere and, of course, the cocktails.

To start with the atmosphere – which is hugely important when it comes to finding a great place to sip a drink – the company describes it as “designed with the warmth and ease of 1970s interiors” and that holds true. It’s got a 12-seat bar, intimate tables, and booths, with a “curated audio experience with vintage records and a dedicated DJ booth.”

Here’s the real hook, though – while many cocktail bars turn to packing as much booze as possible into their drink options, The Peach Crease Club gives the consumer more control. Their menu is up-front about alcohol content, showcasing full-proof, low-proof, and non-alcoholic cocktails in a way that makes it easy for everyone to get exactly what they’re looking for. While the ‘Waldorf (Calvados, celery, Pineau des Charentes, pecan, verjus, and blue cheese) has an ABV of 15 percent and the House Martini (Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon, Grey Goose Altius, Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth, olive oil) has an ABV of 31.5 percent, their ‘Fennel’ cocktail (fennel, citrus, vanilla, strawberry rosé vinegar) has an ABV of 0.08 percent. Finding a bar that’s so upfront about the alcohol content of each cocktail right on the menu is very rare, but it’s just another way that The Peach Crease Club shows how much attention goes into the service they provide.

It’s also worth noting that The Peach Crease Club is plenty creative, too – take the Papaya Salad cocktail, for example. This one includes Mekhong, sake, mango, green papaya, chili, lime, and fish sauce with an ABV of 18.4 percent.

As far as food goes at The Peach Crease Club, expect snacks, meat and cheese boards, caviar, and something called smørrebrød. The latter is an open-faced sandwich typical of Scandinavian cuisine consisting a rye bread with a variety of ingredients stacked on top. The fish option, for example, comes topped with smoked trout salad, capers, pickled red onion, cucumber, and herbs while the ‘bressaola’ comes with cheddar spread, bressaola (a type of thinly sliced aged beef), radish, horseradish, and pickled mustard seed.

Also among the four finalists for ‘America’s best new cocktail bar’ in the Spirited Awards are Vandell in Los Angeles and Schmuck in New York – both of which look like strong contenders, as well.

May the best bar win – either way, Coloradans should give the local options a try. Both Rougarou and The Peach Crease Club come highly-rated and seem like home runs when it comes to the Mile High City nightlife scene. They’re different from each other and they’re different from just about any other bar you’ll find. A trip to either will be a memorable experience.

Learn more about Rougarou here and learn more about The Peach Crease Club here.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)