These Denver bars named among best new cocktails bars in the U.S.

Denver is shaking and stirring up some seriously good cocktails — and catching national attention along the way.

The 20th annual Spirited Awards, part of the esteemed Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans, announced its roster of top 10 honorees this week, which are essentially the semifinalists in the national competition categories. The awards, hosted by the nonprofit Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, “celebrate excellence across the global bar and cocktail industry,” according to the organization.

While many of the honorees hailed from cocktail powerhouse cities such as New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans, Denver made an impressive showing in the “best new U.S. cocktail bar” category. Out of 10 semifinalists, three came from the Mile High City.

Those include The Peach Crease Club, a RiNo concept from local cocktail power-couple Alex Jump and Stuart Jensen; Rougarou, a new bar in Five Points from the team behind the esteemed beverage haunt Yacht Club; and Semiprecious, a self-described “neighborhood bar” which came to Denver by way of Los Angeles, where ownership operates two other cocktail joints.

“What’s truly special about the Spirited Awards is that it’s voted on by peers in the industry,” Jump said in an emailed statement. “With three of the 10 Best U.S. Cocktail Bars in Denver, that says a lot not only about The Peach Crease Club, but also about our city’s thriving cocktail scene as a whole.”

Lady Jane, a cocktail staple of the Highland neighborhood since 2018, and Yacht Club were also nominated in the “best U.S. bar team” category. Both places have been recognized for national awards recently. Lady Jane was named an “outstanding bar” semifinalist for this year’s James Beard Awards, while Yacht Club won the title of Best U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2024 Spirited Awards.