Dew Drop Inn

Tucked on a tree-lined block at 17th and Downing in Denver's Uptown neighborhood, Dew Drop Inn takes the sober-curious drinker seriously without making a production of it. The bar's dedicated 'clear-headed cocktails' section — six inventive zero-proof drinks, two NA beers, and an NA prosecco — sits alongside the regular cocktail list on equal footing. That parity is the point: this is a neighborhood bar first, and everyone at the table is supposed to have a good time.

The NA standouts documented by 303 Magazine's 2025 sober summer roundup are the Be Nice, built on NA gin with lavender bitters, and the Cosmonaught, a citrus-forward riff using NA orange liqueur, cranberry, and fresh citrus. The bar was opened in May 2021 by longtime Denver bar operators Leigh Jones, Margaret Moore, and Kiendl Smith — the same team behind the Horseshoe Lounge and Embassy Tavern — with food anchored by chef Fush, a 22-year Falling Rock Tap House veteran whose kitchen turns out spicy red curry mussels, Japanese-style fried chicken, and gluten-free-friendly small plates that hold their own against the drinks.

Dew Drop Inn earned Westword's Best New Bar 2022 honor and has since picked up a Best Mussels in Denver 2025 nod from the same publication, which called it a bar that 'continues to thrive as a neighborhood go-to.' The space is small and unhurried — exposed brick, warm wood bar, a sidewalk patio out front for warmer months. Reservations are not accepted, dress is casual, and the dual happy hours (open until 6pm and again from 10pm to close, Monday through Friday) make it as practical as it is charming. It's a solid choice for mixed-drinking groups, sober diners who want a full night out without a separate 'mocktail menu' experience, or anyone looking for a pre-show drink before the nearby Ogden Theatre.