I hit up drinking enthusiast and Denver resident Adam Dyer (left), who blogs about booze at Scotch Adam, to enlighten us all about some cool bars (with a whiskey theme) in his hometown.

Take it away Adam:

Denver, a city that worships sunshine, the mountains, and outdoor sports answers to the call of happy hour like no place I’ve ever lived. We are a city of drinkers, a population of craft ale makers, whiskey distillers, and other drunks who appreciate the taste and savor the buzz of good hooch.

Below, I offer up a selection of a few downtown Denver bars. Since I’m a scotch fan there’s an emphasis on delicious whiskey cocktails.

Pint’s Pub (221 West 13th Avenue)

This is a fave of mine.  The bar boasts the largest selection of single malts this side of Scotland (no kidding). I am talking ridiculously huge.  And the staff knows their stuff, too.  My buddy and I recently sat at the bar, asking all kinds of questions about single malts. Bartender Scott moved like a warlock from bottle to bottle, pouring drams of hooch for thirsty revelers. Trying a range of various single malts is your best bet to get the most of this place. Note to locals: you could go here every day for months, drinking yourself silly and barely put a dent in the selection. If you like your malt to pack a wallop try the Peat Monster. For a smoother, more nuanced brew sip an Old Pulteney, a highlands scotch that the bartender referred to as “Seaside Sherry.” By the way: If beer is more your thing, Pint’s also offers an amazing housemade cask beer that is some of the most flavorful ale you’ll find in Denver. (Watching them pour beer is crazy to see: They use a hand pump that looks like something Oprah would use to get water in the movie Beloved.)

Green Russell (1422 Larimer Street)

Green Russell in Larimer Square is a new place that opened in November. In order to get to the speakeasy style bar, you walk through an open-one-day-a-week pie shop that is mostly empty and kinda creepy (and sort of feels like it’s straight out of a David Lynch film).  A few things you should know upfront: This place has a few rules that sound more off-putting than they really are. First, they don’t allow any standing around; you have to have a seat (so it’s best to call ahead and make a reservation). No cell phone using. They have a phone booth where you can call your dealer or bicker with your girlfriend/boyfriend. Lastly: Texting at the bar is seriously frowned upon. If you can forgo fidgeting with your gadgetry, you’ll be glad you did. The bar boasts one of the most unusual cocktail menus I’ve ever seen. One drink is called “bartender’s recommendation” where the bartender actually builds a unique cocktail just for you based on your preferences. (Impressively, they grow the herbs used in their libations.  And bartenders crush ice by hand in these odd little bag-things that look like they are made of cheesecloth.)  I had a cocktail called “The Bitter End.”  It was a mix of rye whiskey, ginger liqueur, prosecco, and fernet branca.  It was a bit pungent for my taste, with one friend saying “It tastes like a spa treatment,” which was mostly the fernet branca floater (Don’t drink fernet branca alone.) The bartender also made me a cocktail that was a variation on a Manhattan and had a twist instead of a cherry.  It may in fact be the best Manhattan I’ve ever had. Even better than Schiller’s in NYC. (OK, maybe better.)

Colt & Gray (1553 Platte Street #120)

Colt & Gray’s interior looks like it was ripped from the pages of a Restoration Hardware catalog (and I mean that in a good way): whitewashed wood mixed with dark brushed steel fixtures. The place is mega cozy and makes for a great drinking spot. They feature drinks from famous pre-prohibition watering holes. I’d recommend The Fancy-Free Cocktail. It’s from New York’s Monte Carlo Bar circa 1916 and it’s basically a Manhattan with bitters instead of Vermouth. Denver doesn’t have a cocktail to call their own like they do in Manhattan but there are a few worthy contenders: The Rocky Mountain Handshake--deceptively sweet and easy to drink--is a solid mix of Avery Reverend and Leopold Whiskey (both Colorado based) with some Ramazotti bitters.  Avery is a quadruple Belgian style ale that is 10% alcohol by volume.  Leopold is a local distillery that makes kick-ass vodka, gin, whiskey, and some flavored whiskeys as well. The two of them together have the ability to flatten you on your ass. Another shit-kicker whiskey cocktail here is the Indian Summer Solstice. The cocktail consists of peach infused bourbon and egg whites.  It sort of reminds me a little of candy necklaces–not that I eat candy necklaces on a regular basis.

Churchill Bar at The Brown Palace (321 17th Street)

The Brown Palace Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Denver (built in 1892) and it serves a solid selection of single malt scotches in the Churchill Bar. The scotch selection isn’t bad (but it certainly can’t touch Pint’s Pub). On my recent visit I settled on what I’m familiar with, a Talisker 10 year–it’s a peaty brew, but less peaty than Islay scotches.  The Churchill Bar is OK.  It’s fun to see the old hotel at least once, but this is not some place I want to spend a ton of time. (However, I should add that the Churchill is also a cigar lounge; so if you’re into that, you might like it more than I.)

If you’re an adventurous soul, you can hit up all these places in a single night or you can while away a few hours in any one of them savoring the taste of yummy whiskey.

Thanks Adam!

All right, now let's hear from you. What's your whiskey choice? Where do you like to drink in Denver?

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