Five of the Best Downtown Cocktail Bars Where You Should Have a Drink Now

Looking for a craft cocktail? Put these hip downtown watering holes on your visit list for stylish environs and elevated libations.

Craft cocktail bars just keep popping up downtown. With elevated cocktails and stylish vibes, here are five cocktail bars in Colorado Springs where you should definitely raise a glass.

Chiba Bar

Quirky and fun, this cyberpunk cocktail lounge has a drink and dinner menu with an Asian fusion twist. Try a Lychee Buck, a gin mule with lychee fruit, or a Saketini. There’s also a great Japanese whisky menu to choose from. Drop in at dinner for a drink and nigiri, or after 9 p.m. for a live DJ.

19 E. Kiowa St., facebook.com/chibabarcos

Shame and Regret

One of prolific restaurateur Joe Campana’s more recent ventures, Shame and Regret is an alleyway watering hole where cocktails are named after bad dates and remorseful nights. The Swipe Right is made with bee pollen-infused Spring44 Vodka, fresh lemon juice, honeysuckle simple syrup, crème de rosé and rose flower water. Or try the It’s Not Me It’s You, a gin cocktail created with butterfly pea flower-infused gin, fresh lime juice, fresh mint and club soda.

15 E. Bijou St., shameandregret.com

Brooklyn’s on Boulder

Step inside the “haberdashery” and ring the doorbell for access to the speakeasy that serves as Lee Spirits tasting room. You’ll find an intimate environment, where the bar almost seems to act as a stage for Brooklyn’s few bartenders, who mix drinks exclusively with the delicious Lee Spirit’s gin and whiskey. Ask for fan favorites Carlos Garcia or Philip Taylor who will give you a perfect cocktail and a good laugh. Our favorite is the Aviation, built with Lee Spirits gin and crème de violette. But even a classic like gin and tonic at Brooklyn’s won’t disappoint.

110 E. Boulder St., brooklynsonboulder.com

The Archives, a bar in Downtown Colorado Springs.
The Archives. Photo Courtesy of KV Photography.

The Archives

Though it’s not hidden, you’ll get a Prohibition feel when you head underground to The Archives for a craft libation. Owner Dylan Currier—formerly of Cowboy Star and Sakura Speakeasy—is often behind the bar, creating artfully classic cocktails, as well as other interesting options. Try the Aphrodisiac, made with pear-infused vodka, fresh lemon juice and brown sugar-cinnamon syrup. Drop by this spot late, as the atmosphere tends to get better as the night goes on.

15 S. Tejon St., thearchivescos.com

District E11even

From Mood Tapas Bar, follow the hallway art gallery to the heavy bank safe door, or enter District E11even through the back alley. Once inside, dark lighting and eclectic wall art gives off a sexy vibe. While there is a large whiskey list, Bar Manager David Frink has created a unique cocktail list with creative drinks like Lord of Bones, an Old-Fashioned made with bone marrow-washed whiskey, or a martini made with olive oil-washed gin.

218 N. Tejon St., districtelleven.com 

This article was originally published in February 2020.


Read More

Sexy Cocktails and Where to Find Them

Take a New International Tour for Tasty Ethnic Cuisine 

Brewing 101: A Day with Phantom Canyon’s Head Brewer

A Wine Lover Learns Beer

Follow Us On Social

RELATED ARTICLES

Drink Zero Proof: Where To Find the Best Mocktails in Colorado Springs

It’s hard to dispute the health benefits that a booze break offers both your body and mind, and recently I took a hiatus from...

Colorful Colorado at the Garden Opens Fun New Patio Bar

With the opening of Colorful Colorado at the Garden, there’s a big splash of fun on the downtown scene. The pop-up patio bar is...

Cheap Drinks? Crafts & Drafts Passport Has the Deals

Looking for a cheap way to check out the bars, breweries, distilleries and coffee shops of Colorado Springs? The annual Crafts and Drafts Passport...