The Kopstootje, the traditional way to drink Bols Genever in Holland.

​Gin may have come from genever, but you can't really put the two in the same box, according to Jacob Grier, Portland-based bartender and brand representative for Bols Genever. "Genever is really its own category," he explains. "We compare it to early tequila importers. They labeled the spirit 'Mexican whiskey' because they didn't know what else to call it."

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The concept of the modern "breastaurant" is a purely American one, born of man's desire for Buffalo wings and light beer, and often resulting in unrequited love for a lass twenty years his junior.

But what really weaves a "breastaurant" into the American fabric is that everything is bigger at such an establishment. Oversized TV's, bar stools, beer mugs and other aspects of the business loom larger than the norm. Is it any wonder the breastaurant concept has ballooned over the past two decades? Below, a brief rundown of popular breastaurants, large and small.

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​February is Stout Month for the Mountain Sun group, which means all three locations will be featuring a rotating draft selection of stouts (including some stellar guest taps), along with various other happenings in honor of the increasingly popular style. It's an annual tradition that's become a much anticipated festival of sorts.

So much so that this past Saturday, the folks at the Vine Street location decided to host an exclusive preview of what's in store. For $50, dark ale enthusiasts were treated to a sampling of specialty stouts paired with creative snacks from executive chef Annabelle Forrestal, as well as a sneak peek at their brand-new, long-awaited brewing facility.

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Eric Dutton

Vesta Dipping Grill launched the barrel-aged cocktail trend in Denver.

​Six months ago, Eric Dutton, bar manager at Vesta Dipping Grill, unveiled a Vieux Carre he'd let sit in wood for a few weeks -- the first barrel-aged cocktail we'd seen on a Denver menu. Since then, though, we've noticed barrel-aged cocktails popping up on a handful of lists, making this a true trend on Denver's drinking scene.

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Leopold Bros. Distillery

​Brothers Todd and Scott Leopold have been distilling since 1999, but only in the last two or three years have they really had the freedom to exercise their creativity in the market. "We've been in the business for thirteen years, and it's almost like there weren't bars for the first three quarters of that time," Todd says. "Pegu Club in New York and Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco didn't open until 2005 and 2006. It's exciting how much the market has changed. We haven't really done anything new; the market is just coming to us now."

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A Brite tank in the middle of Kalamath Street.

The final numbers are still being tallied, but Breckenridge Brewery saw close to 30 percent growth in 2011 -- about double the growth rate of the craft beer industry as a whole -- which makes this week's installation of more brewing tanks excellent timing.

"We're psyched about it," says Terry Usry, a representative for the brewery, which has its main location at 471 Kalamath Street.

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The Kentucky Inn, Denver's best dive bar in 2011.

​Several of our favorite dives dried up last year, including Club 404 (which will reopen under new ownership), Brown Barrel and the Mickey Manor. And 2012 has already been tough on fans of old-time watering holes: Both Gabor's and Music Bar closed their doors. Fortunately, the Denver area still has an abundance of old-time dives, which we've been visiting in anticipation of choosing the Best Dive for the Best of Denver 2012, which will hit the streets on March 29. (But who are we kidding? We'd be bellying up to these bars anyway.) Here, in no particular order, is our current list of the ten best dives in Denver!

Photos by Jim Wills and descriptions by Cafe Society writers, including Drew
Bixby, author of Denver's Best Dive Bars.

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courtesy of Joshua Smith

​"Treat everyone right, because you never know who's sitting at your bar," says barman Joshua Smith, who currently commands the beverage program at TAG in addition to slinging drinks at Williams & Graham a couple of nights a week. That lesson was hammered home for him a few weeks ago, when he scored a big opportunity after impressing the right person with his skills behind the stick.

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​We've seen a lot of beer cocktails make best-beverage lists over the past year, and they range in complexity from a glorified michelada -- a classic Mexican blend of lime juice and lager -- to the Naughty Girl Scout, a drink on the list at Euclid Hall that uses a variety of spirits plus Left Hand milk stout to emulate a Thin Mint cookie.

If you're into the trend -- and we are, since beer adds delightful flavor and tingly carbonation to cocktails -- you'll want to check out Beermixology.com, a new website from a group of influential drinkers, bartenders and beer writers from Denver and beyond that encourages drinkers to mix their booze and brews.

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​While downtown yesterday afternoon, we thought we'd stop by Chloe for a happy-hour drink and start the new year out right. Opening the unlocked front door just before 5 p.m., we found what looked like the remnants of a very big New Year's Eve party -- but not a soul inside tending to the venue.

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