Liquor store recs for Denver?

December 26, 2022 1:30 PM

Which liquor stores in Denver are most likely to have a bottle (or two) of hard-to-get, allocated bourbon? I will be in the city on 12/29 and am prepared to pay well.
posted by John Borrowman to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

If you are looking for a specific brand, Wine Searcher will let you search local stores for wine and other liquor. I would still verify on their website or call them before you make the trip.
posted by soelo at 1:55 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]

make quick run to hazel's in boulder. a bunch of bourbons characterized as small batch, dunno about 'allocated' - probably call first to see what's available. ianabp (bourbon person)
posted by j_curiouser at 2:48 PM on December 26, 2022

You could try Small Batch Liquors in Berkeley.
posted by neushoorn at 2:52 PM on December 26, 2022

I’ve found Facebook groups to be very useful for this information. Try “Denver bourbon” or similar, you’ll get all the inside info, along with an incredible amount of whining about allocated availability.
posted by skewed at 3:07 PM on December 26, 2022 [3 favorites]

Argonaut has a large selection of a lot of things (it’s a great place to find rare beer) and is centrally located.
posted by heurtebise at 5:48 PM on December 26, 2022 [4 favorites]

Argonaut or Applejack
posted by nickggully at 5:53 PM on December 26, 2022

Seconding Argonaut for the economies-of-scale angle, but it might be worth ringing up Mr. B's, who do more of the boutique/curated thing.
posted by 7segment at 8:19 PM on December 26, 2022

Response by poster: FYI ... the woman who answered the phone at Argonaut would not even discuss availability of allocated bourbons, under penalty of losing her job.
posted by John Borrowman at 6:06 AM on December 27, 2022

...the woman who answered the phone at Argonaut would not even discuss availability of allocated bourbons, under penalty of losing her job.

This is likely because allocated bourbons go for premium prices, and they likely have a call list of preferred/high-spending customers who get first dibs on anything that comes in.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:28 PM on December 27, 2022