http://donsclubtavern.com/ Don's Club Tavern - Blog RSS Feed 2.0 en-us Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:10:02 GMT Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:10:02 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=610 blog Go Go Magazine BR Vol 3 10 May 2001 BR BOTTOMS UP by Alex Neth BR BR ACT YOUR AGE DON S CLUB TAVERN BR 723 East 6th Avenue BR 303 832 9904 BR BR There are young bars that act old You know They stock up on fake memorabilia antique signs cutesy ass garbage all designed to distract from their uncomfortable newness Shameful Unfortunately for Denver s bargoing public this particular trend has reached a point of crisis there are now so many callow bars pretending to be grizzled that it s difficult to tell who s real and who ain t This of course is where I come in I know you depend on me for this kind of information boozy shut in that you are so here s the lowest of low downs when in Capitol Hill avoid any place except for Don s Club Tavern BR BR Sure that means you ll miss the spectacle of Denver Joe at Cricket On The Hill and whatever the hell they do at the Snake Pit but your wallet will thank you for it Don s is one of the cheapest bars in the city wells are 3 domestics 2 50 and the priciest hooch in the place runs a whopping 5 50 Those aren t Happy Hour prices either although Don s recently began running specials on Sunday from 7 to 10 p m This isn t the kind of place that runs ladies nights or Budweiser promotions featuring bikini clad 13 year olds or Globbo the beer drinking Colobus monkey This place has been in one spot and owned by one guy Don Aymami for 47 years BR BR The tables have photographs under plastic documenting decades of changing hairstyles and bar wear There are signs saying things like This Bar is Under Arrest and In Heaven Ain t no Beer Gotta Drink it Here Hear hear There s a shuffleboard table here and not one that looks as if was built in my lifetime The cigarette machine was found intact in a Mayan ruin About the only thing here that doesn t exude the heady musty aroma of beer sotted stasis is the bartender BR BR Will Dupree has been working here for a little over a year And like many of Don s customers he couldn t have found a more appropriate environment BR BR It s a really cool place really mellow he said on a recent morning when the rain was slouching earthward like a three cunted cow pissing off a cliff onto a flat rock through a sieve to borrow a phrase from a tiny crazy Texan I knew as a child In the days it s pretty dead but we get a really good young crowd at night It s the entire opposite of the club scene this is where you come if you want to be able to hear and talk to the people you re with and not pay a fortune BR BR Dupree has been in Denver for 17 years and previously worked at one of LoDo s fancy schmancy cocktail bars hustling 10 drinks to the downtown idiocy crowd Don s to his mind is a far better deal overall BR BR It really gets hoppin on Friday and Saturday nights he said We were voted best dive bar in Denver last year by Citysearch But Don won t let us put the plaque up BR BR Don still a hands on owner in his mid 80s hearkens to an earlier era when dive bar wasn t a hip compliment when instead it conjured up images of press gangs and sclerotic opium smokers Even Dupree s best efforts to explain the change in definition have gone unappre ciated BR BR I tried to tell him it doesn t mean the same thing anymore he said Nowadays I think it just kind of means bars that are old BR BR Old Old is what 47 years That s pretty old for a bar Especially a bar that s only known one owner and location There are other places in the metro area that have seniority The Blue Blaze in unincorporated Adams County and Joe s Cavern on Federal are two that spring to mind but there aren t many that wear their age as well Don s successfully bridges the gap between the people who have been going there for years and the fashionable youngsters in the nearby apartments It is a fixture true although that word is applied to just about every public house and ale room nowadays but more importantly it is a fixture that doesn t need fixing BR BR So like I said There s the scoop The skinny The hush hush brought to you on the DL Word When in Capitol Hill swing on by Don s Club Tavern or as it is alternately referred to on the faulty neon sign outside Don s Mixed Drinks Grab a bottle full of beer Play some shuffle board Just don t call it a dive or risk being pummeled senseless by a man three times your age BR BR Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:34:38 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=610 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=609 blog I sat on a bar stool at Club 404 sipping a High Life tracing the scarred wood of the bar with a finger and wondering what drunk s forehead had caused that particular gash BR BR My thoughts were interrupted by the knock of two heavy bottomed shot glasses plunked down on the bar in front of me I looked up Jiff the owner and chief dishwasher of the 404 gestured at me with a bottle of Ouzo the blue neon of a Bud Light sign reflecting off his shiny bald head BR BR Join me asked Jiff BR BR I gave him a nod Why is it always Ouzo You re not Greek BR BR I love the writings of Homer BR BR Yeah Homer Simpson BR BR You ever read The Odyssey BR BR That s pretty deep for a guy named after a brand of peanut butter BR BR Jiff poured our shots We drank BR BR I got a favor to ask Rip he said BR BR Everyone always does BR BR Fine Let s see the tab you re running is up to five bills now maybe BR BR I m just sayin BR BR Jiff grinned at me and poured two more shots BR BR This goombah is pressing me to use his football pools They re as crooked as FDR s spine Now he s threatening me Put a dollar in the jukebox and played Talking Heads Burning Down the House BR BR At least he s got a sense of humor BR BR Yeah he s a riot BR BR What s his name BR BR Vito Corleone BR BR Uh huh And who am I Luca Brazzi BR BR Jiff shrugged That s what he told me to call him BR BR Okay I ll ask around We drank the shots and I finished my High Life I handed Jiff the empty Will this go on my tab BR BR Jiff dropped the bottle in the trash Why don t you go to hell BR BR I drove my 65 Rambler north on Speer over the bridge crossing I 25 and continued into a part of town known as The Highlands In better days it was Denver s de facto Little Italy now it was overrun with your garden variety yuppies crammed into over priced two bedroom bungalows with their Viking ranges Sub Zero refrigerators and vapid lives a granite topped island in every kitchen and a Boxter in every driveway I drove to 38th parked the car and walked over to Gaetano s Italian restaurant a Denver institution and former mob hangout I was looking for a pal of mine Angelo Capelli If anyone was playing gangster and calling themselves Vito Corleone Angie would know about it BR BR Angie took a slug of grappaand chased it with a sip of espresso BR BR The guy s an asshead said Angie He ain t even Italian he s some jerk off from Oklahoma City for Christ s sake BR BR So he s not connected BR BR Connected What the fuck I just say He s a fuckin Okie Jerry Tinker BR BR So why is he allowed to go around pretending he is BR BR He s an idiot And he draws the cops attention away from the real goombahs BR BR Like you BR BR Angie laughed Hey Rip I don t care what happens to that fuck I make sausage you know that BR BR I drank off the rest of my grappa Best sausage in town too Where can I find Jerry Tinker I heard he holds court at Don s Mixed Drinks BR BR I barked out a laugh You mean Don s like Don Vito BR BR Angie finished his drink I told ya the guy s an asshead BR BR Don s Mixed Drinks at 6th and Washington has been around almost as long as Gaetano s It s a neighborhood bar what people now call a dive bar which it isn t It s too clean and nice to be a dive bar and so is the clientele But these so called dive bars do a good business with the kids so good for them It was about 9 30pm when I walked in the door BR BR There was a pool table just inside then a row of booths and past that the long Formica topped bar backed by a kitschy frosted mirror engraved with snow covered mountains There was just a scattering of customers seated at the bar The back of the barroom is outfitted with a jukebox a shuffleboard table and more booths In one of these booths sat two guys in fedoras and overcoats drinking martinis with a couple of bored looking girls I shook my head Fedoras and overcoats It was 90 degrees outside BR BR I walked through the room to the foursome s booth One guy was skinny and trailer park handsome the other guy fat with a face like a waffle iron Maybe somebody hit him with one The girls were college drink cadgers I didn t blame them college and drinks are expensive I eyeballed the Okies BR BR Which one of you is Jerry Tinker I asked BR BR Hey dere ain t no Tinker here the skinny one answered using the worst Brooklyn accent I ever heard BR BR Okay I ll play Which one of you is Vito Corleone BR BR The skinny one piped up again Who wants to know BR BR Rip Griffin Private Dick BR BR Both guys laughed The skinny one elbowed the girl next to him You don t want I should keep my dick private do ya honey BR BR I whipped a leather sap out of my pocket and cracked him with it He yelped and covered his nose blood pouring through his fingers The girls made their way through a group of gawkers and headed for the bar BR BR So who s Jerry I asked again BR BR The skinny guy pointed a bloody finger at waffle face The fat man started to reach into his coat and I smacked his wrist with the sap A bone snapped and Jerry cried out I reached into his coat pulled out a revolver and stuck it in my waistband BR BR You know the 404 Don Vito BR BR Waffle face nodded BR BR Now you don t Capice BR BR Waffle face nodded again BR BR Say you like football right Don Vito BR BR He nodded a third time BR BR I hear the Sooners have good chance to win it all this year It d be a great time to be back in Oklahoma don t you think BR BR Waffle face sighed deeply and nodded his head once more BR BR Good I said and walked back through the barroom The two college girls stood at the bar staring at me I stopped and threw a twenty on the bar Drink up I told them Dorm life stinks BR BR The 404 was packed with drinkers and diners the perfume of draft beer and grilled T bones heavy in the air Jiff poured us another round of Ouzo BR BR I don t think the jerk would have really burned this place down do you Rip BR BR Nah he s just a punk But better safe than sorry BR BR We drank our shots and I drained my bottle of High Life BR BR Want another Jiff asked BR BR What s my bar tab up to now BR BR Jiff looked at my empty then shot me a grin Two dollars and 75 cents BR BR I gave him a wink Keep em coming BR BR David Sipos Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:23:47 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=609 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=607 blog Bill Husted s Bar Grilled BR BR Three pages a day with some help from luck BR BR Bill Husted BR BR The Denver Post BR BR Posted 07 30 2009 01 00 00 AM MDT BR BR BAR DON S MIXED DRINKS BR BR Don s Club Tavern is better known as Don s Mixed Drinks echoing the neon sign that has dressed the building for as long as anyone can remember The tavern has been dealing drinks at 723 E Sixth Ave for 62 years on what is arguably the most eclectic commercial block in Denver including Korean food a cigar store a Tibetan tchotchkes emporium and Don s everyone s favorite dive bar Now owned by the Little Pub Co Don s has recently expanded to the former pet shop next door making room for new bathrooms the ladies room especially needed an update It s the place for a shot and a beer and a game of pool and relative assurance that you won t bump into someone you know It holds about 100 people with 14 stools at the bar BR BR GRILLED STEPHEN WHITE BR BR Author Stephen White 57 writes about Don s Mixed Drinks in his new novel The Siege One character loves watering holes with neon martini glasses adorning their signage Another gravitates toward bars with the words highball or mixed drinks in their names Well Don s fits the bill White a former psychologist has written 17 thrillers most of which have landed on The New York Times best seller list He ll read and sign his new book at 7 30 p m Tuesday at the Tattered Cover Colfax White grew up some in New Jersey graduated from Berkeley as a long haired hippie He moved to Boulder to earn his Ph D in psychology and started his practice with young cancer patients at Children s Hospital Then came private practices in Boulder and Denver Then the writing hits like Dead Time and Private Practices and Kill Me He orders a draft beer BR BR BH I just read a story about Nora Roberts where she says her only rule of writing is Butt In Chair Eight hours a day BR BR White My dissertation supervisor told me the most important thing a writer does is put his butt in the chair So I agree But eight hours Not a prayer BR BR BH What s your typical writing day BR BR White My goal is to get three pages done every day You do that you get a book in four to six months Once I start a book I work six to seven days a week BR BR BH How long does it take to write the three pages BR BR White Sometime it s magic and you get them in 15 minutes Other days it s five hours BR BR BH How do you explain your success BR BR White I like to think I m writing something people like to read But I also know that good fortune is a big part of being successful in this field BR BR BH What s the current condition of hardback fiction BR BR White Sort of like newspapers It s really struggling It s an industry in deep transition BR BR BH You have a website authorstephen white com BR BR White You have to do anything you can to drive traffic and get attention for your book When my son who is now 22 was 4 we walked into the local bookstore and the owner there had a big stack of my first book And she got down on her knees and said Aren t you proud of your daddy for writing a book And he looked around the store and said There s a lot of books BR BR BH Have you ever seen someone reading one of your books on a plane BR BR White Never BR BR BH I have Do you have a mission as a writer BR BR White I d like to keep doing this BR BR BH What does being a psychologist bring to your writing BR BR White It gives me a protagonist And I think over the years I have learned about people s motivations The other thing is I sat for 15 years listening to people talk about their own lives I think I have a sense of dialogue how people speak about their lives that I can t think of another way of getting BR BR BH You have a big fan base in Colorado BR BR White If I could duplicate my sales in Colorado around the country I d be John Grisham BR BR BH Do you read literary fiction BR BR White In the last few years I ve read less fiction and more nonfiction BR BR BH Like everybody BR BR White But maybe for different reasons I read for research first of all And I don t like to contaminate the voices of my characters in my head especially with someone who has a compelling voice The better the book I m reading is the less I want to read it BR BR BH Do you have a favorite writer BR BR White The writer who really changed my life as a reader was John Fowles BR BR BH What restaurants do you like BR BR White Chada Thai Taco de Mexico And I m a big fan of Frank Bonanno s restaurants BR BR BH Movies BR BR White I am more of a DVD person At the theater I always sit behind the big person with the big hat who s laughing too loud BR BR BH What DVD have you liked recently BR BR White Man on Wire It took me back to my young hippie days BR BR BH Do you listen to music while you write BR BR White No I tried when I first started But if it was good it distracted me If it wasn t good it annoyed me BR BR BH Do you have any advice for writers BR BR White One of the things people really underestimate is the impact of luck You have to be good you have to be determined you have to be thick skinned but you have to be lucky too BR BR BH What s your idea of misery BR BR White Isolation BR BR BH But you re doing the most isolating work you could do The isolation of the writer the loneliness of the blank page BR BR White I went from a profession where I was with one person in the room all day One after another Now I m sitting in a room basically with my dog But it s nice to know when that s over there are people out there family and friends BR BR BH Happiness BR BR White To do what I want with whom I want close to the beach BR BR BH Do you write about sex BR BR White I used to in my early books I got it out of my system BR BR BH Was it difficult Uncomfortable BR BR White Oh it s much harder to write about a traffic accident The logistics Things happen much faster And I recognized as a reader I was skipping those sex parts I am a proponent of what Elmore Leonard said I try to leave out the parts that people skip I think that s good advice BR BR BH What s the hardest part of writing BR BR White The days when there is nothing there But I m a writer It s what I do It s how I make a living If you go to your editor and say You know I m not feeling the column today your editor isn t going to pat you on the back and say That s OK Bill I understand BR BR BH What s your favorite city BR BR White I love Tokyo Amsterdam I could spend months in Rome BR BR BH What s your most marked characteristic BR BR White Tenacity BR BR BH What would be the greatest misfortune to happen to you BR BR White To have a stroke that doesn t kill me BR BR BH Church BR BR White No BR BR BH What won t you eat BR BR White I probably won t eat organ meats at this stage in my life BR BR BH What s the most overrated virtue BR BR White Chastity BR BR BH What s your greatest fear BR BR White Bees BR BR BH Motto BR BR White Success in life often depends on one s ability to hit curveballs BR BR Interview conducted condensed and edited by Bill Husted 303 954 1486 or bhusted denverpost com Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:02:16 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=607 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=606 blog Denver Bartender Examiner Trevor Terry BR April 30 2009 BR BR Unless you live in a hole in the ground I m sure you have at least heard someone mention Don s Mixed Drinks before In the last few years it has become known as one of the best dive bars in Denver So yeah that may be old news but for the first time in its 60 years of serving really strong drinks Don s is expanding That s right the West wall of Don s is coming down and they are ushering in a new era BR BR It may seem at first as if this might be ruining a landmark Denver dive bar but if you have been there on a Friday night lately you know the space is desperately needed In addition to more space there are new bathrooms going in That s right no more using the ladies restroom when you really have to go on a Saturday afternoon Basically the few draw backs this sixty year old bar had are being set straight A little more room and a few more creature comforts like bathrooms that fit more than one person at a time are just what this place needs BR BR The total transformation is not complete yet but the tear down and build up has finally begun Much to the relief of the entire staff of Don s as the question of when is the expansion starting became as common a question as what s on special John will not have to strangle anyone for asking that question anymore The wall is partially down and the new Don s should be complete in the next 4 6 weeks If you have never been get down to Don s and see John TJ Mariah Matt and Jackson some of the best bartenders I have encountered in Denver BR BR Stiff drinks and a no nonsense bar is how this place is run so review proper tipping and drink ordering etiquette before heading in otherwise you might not get served There is no kitchen but feel free to bring in a sub from Mr Lucky s right next door They don t have a happy hour but cheap beers and cocktails poured with a heavy hand are their specialty This Denver landmark is probably not going anywhere for another 60 years and their expansion is only going to make your upcoming Don s experience a little more comfortable Check it out now so you can be a bar snob and tell all the newbies that you knew Don s before they expanded Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:53:24 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=606 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=605 blog Poe could have told Sam the story Dee had shared with him in April 2004 while they were sitting at the end of the bar at Don s Mixed Drinks in Denver The early phase of that evening had been marked by a discussion of whether or not Psycho Suzi s in Minneapolis the previous April s rendezvous destination was truly a dive bar Too kitschy said Poe Too cute thought Dee But the barkeep at Don s kept free pouring Dee scotches The whiskey provided her with the courage she needed to tell Poe the story she really wanted to tell BR BR by Stephen White BR BR photo Ed Kahn Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:24:09 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=605 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=604 blog 15 February 2009 BR Don s Mixed Drinks BR BR Zooming down 6th in my car all I saw was a sign with the glowing words Don s Mixed Drinks What could be more intriguing than a place with Mixed Drinks in the name other than perhaps one with Beer in the name And I still remember my first time through the doors 3 years or so ago Since then it has had a somewhat revered aura in my head between the crappy wood paneling the closet sized bathroom the shuffleboard table the ceiling tiles that looked like they were held together by brown stains and that name Don s Mixed Drinks It didn t hurt that on that first trip the whole place was enshrouded in smoke Regardless I was excited to make a trip back BR BR That trip back came last weekend I found it to still be lovably shabby aside from the glare of neon that now highlighted the back bar The name had changed to Don s Club Tavern though to my dismay I found out that may have been the name all along The smoke had also lifted and the clarity opened my eyes to the true identity of Don s a grade A faux dive bar A fro dive if you will To be certain a crappy interior does not a dive bar make The crowd was young smartly dressed and enjoying plenty of Pabst Blue Ribbons I was also unaware that the mixed drinks were mainly of the Red Bull variety Foul Matt and I sat anonymously at a booth in the corner enjoying a nice pairing of a High Life bottle and a mixed drink had to The drinks set us back 12 solid for four bevs and we watched the meat market scene one that was more LoDo than East Colfax unfold About the time we were finishing up our beverages and deciding whether or not we wanted seconds I noticed a sign on the far west wall of the bar which read After 80 years Don s Club Tavern is finally expanding Track the progress at myspace com donsclubtavern Apparently even the shab was not cool enough for Don s anymore Thoroughly defeated we left hanging our heads in silence and mourning the passing of a classic BR BR Don s Club Tavern serves mixed drinks on 723 E 6th in Denver right around the corner from LoDo Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:10:18 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=604 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=603 blog Don s Mixed Drinks Denver CO BR BR 723 E 6th Avenue BR Denver CO BR 303 832 9904 BR BR Denver is an active city with a popular bar scene Microbrews and Martinis are big here found in the redeveloped areas around Coors Field on Blake Street and in the 16th Street Mall area But on the outskirts of downtown in a little transition area is a rather nondescript bar that has stood for nearly 60 years BR BR I think it is called Dan s Drinks my bartender friend recommended when I told him I was heading to Denver I ll look for it I said A search of the Denver phone book came up with nothing A look through Westword the New Times weekly entertainment tabloid was also futile Time to take it to the people BR BR You mean Don s Mixed Drinks the bartender at the highly acclaimed Sports Column sports bar informs me I used to live over there Every bartender knows that place It is something else For Denver it is something else indeed BR BR New ownership promised not to change a thing after Don died recently For almost 60 years this little local hangout has served customers young and old with cold beer and solid cocktails BR BR Don s Mixed Drinks and Club Tavern as the decade s old neon out front proudly if not a bit weakly states looks like your Uncle s basement bar Formica is king both on the bar top and the back bar cooler doors A single pool table full of stories people say on the left is surrounded by years of trophies that pool players representing Don s have won Also flanking the table are four pictures of the famous watercolor dogs playing pool And I thought they only played poker BR BR A veteran crowd of regulars entertain during the day The nighttime gets significantly younger The oldsters return the next day to hear what happened the night before Drinks are cheap and from what I have seen the staff is an interesting mix of characters BR BR The back bar itself is an etched translucent mirror featuring the Rocky Mountains Humor is prevalent throughout the bar by evidence the sign on the back door of this little hole that opens up to a dirt alley Pool the sign states with a drawing of a swimmer BR BR One reason that I couldn t find the bar in the phone book is that it has not been listed for years But if you want to find a little place that seems so out of place in up to date Denver try Don s Mixed Drinks 303 832 9904 Just don t tell them how you got the number D M Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:37:52 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=603 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=602 blog Dive Bar Divas Women Who Love Low Rent Bars BR by Laura Lieff BR Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle BR BR Dive Bar Divas are young attractive women who frequent bars catering primarily to older male serious drinkers This surprising recent new trend is found throughout the Cherry Creek Valley and across the United States It is such a national phenomenon that there is even a hit song entitled Diva in a Dive Bar by the New York band Subway Sun There is also a myspace page dedicated to Dive Bar Divas that can be found by visiting http groups myspace com DiveBarDivas The staff at the Chronicle decided they would hit East Colfax and nearby areas in search of Dive Bar Divas to find out what motivated them The bars we frequented to interview divas attract a wide variety of clientele and while the phrase dive bar was once deemed derogatory in nature today the phrase has undertaken a hip and fun connotation BR BR Our first stop was local Denver staple Don s Mixed Drinks at 723 E 6th Avenue in the Country Club area It has been serving customers young and old with cold beer and solid cocktails for almost 60 years The place looks like a basement bar with a single pool table that is surrounded by years of trophies that pool players representing Don s have won A veteran crowd of regulars entertains during the day while the nighttime gets significantly younger BR BR Blond Leggy Diva BR BR When we arrived at three in the afternoon there were a coterie of hard core older male drinkers but among them there were two real live Dive Bar Divas The first we interviewed was Amber Rubio who was blond leggy and only 25 years old The personality inside this bar is unmatched said this Denver resident Nightclubs are stuffy and crowded but not here There is room to stretch out and these guys are interested in drinking not hitting on you Everyone at Don s is super friendly and no one is afraid to start up a conversation simply for the sake of having a conversation BR BR Rubio says that she can be found at Don s at least once a week because everyone has good stories and the bartenders make you laugh Her dive bar cohort was another 25 year old Hannah Moore who was brunette and a bit of a tomboy She enjoys dive bars because everyone has something in common and it s nice to go somewhere where people recognize you and you recognize them BR BR Both women noted that the inexpensive drinks are a major attraction along with the location in the Country Club area They have both been going to dive bars since they turned 21 They were clearly the center of attention At a crowded singles bar downtown or in Cherry Creek where women put on tons of makeup and are dressed up in the latest most expensive fashions they might not draw much of a crowd but they were treated as celebrities at Don s Mixed Drinks BR BR Cheap Cordial BR BR If knowing your dive bars means that you re a Dive Bar Diva then I m definitely it noted Rubio A diva is someone who knows their spot and owns what they do and that is definitely me and Hannah BR BR Next on our list was The Squire Lounge which has been referred to as the most notorious dive bar in all of Denver Located at 1800 E Colfax Avenue The Squire is the place to hear anything from Journey to ZZ Top and to play anything from pool to video games featuring naked women BR BR Given its quaint corner fa ade The Squire is unexpectedly spacious and as far as East Colfax joints are concerned it s central cheap and cordial Here Dive Bar Divas Dorothy Trujillo and Linda Peifer hold court Right Routine BR BR I like coming to The Squire because you don t have to dress up and you don t have to have a high income salary explained Trujillo Plus the drinks are cheap enough to be able to buy your own BR BR Both divorced Trujillo and Peifer come to The Squire almost every other day because they would rather be some place casual Although they agree that it takes guts to walk into The Squire and that a majority of girls are fearful to come into dive bars they feel that it is their right to walk in to any bar they choose They have been coming for almost a year and don t plan on changing their routine anytime soon BR BR You can get harassed at normal bars but at dive bars everybody is friendly noted Peifer Single women have a right to be here and the guys seem to love our company At a dive bar you don t have to put on airs and pretend to be somebody you re not You don t have to be a supermodel to be treated special and we love it here BR BR Second string Folkies BR BR After leaving The Squire we ventured to the Satire Lounge owned by Denver legend Pete Contos whose six other establishments can be found within the Cherry Creek Valley The Satire has been around for over 45 years and is known for its daily bar specials and Mexican cuisine It is also famous for Bob Dylan performances that are described in Clinton Heylin s book Bob Dylan Behind the Shades Revisited Page 44 reads Bob Dylan s own playing ambitions were directed at the Satire Denver s home away from home for second string folkies Located at 1962 E Colfax Avenue the Satire proves its dive bar status with the cast of characters who occupy bar stools and the time of attractive bartender Tannia Chamberlyne BR BR Patron Bartender BR BR For the last 15 years Chamberlyne has been working at the Satire because she prefers the company at dive bars and would never work at a corporate establishment She explained that dive bars are like a second home for people and that the people they meet inside are like having a second family or an only family as the case may be BR BR The Satire like all dive bars is a place where people can let their hair down noted Chamberlyne The dynamics of dive bars are so different than other places because everyone has stories and it s a mix of young and old and everything in between BR BR Chamberlyne can be found drinking at the Satire on Thursday nights which she says is like having her birthday once a week because she has Fridays off BR BR Magic For Women BR BR This place is interesting because we get every walk of life here and everyone gets along despite the mixed group of people she said BR BR According to Chamberlyne a Dive Bar Diva is a woman who frequents dive bars and feels safe enough to do so I think young women come into dive bars because there is a magic about them explained Chamberlyne Everyone makes you feel comfortable right off the bat and people can be themselves It s like walking into someone s living room and it s not pretentious at all BR BR While Chamberlyne is both a dive bar patron and bartender as an adult she also grew up in dive bars Her grandmother and mother sang country songs in dive bars and her grandmother who was Roy Rogers fianc e before Dale Evans owned a dive bar BR BR I was raised in dive bars so this is the kind of environment I want to be in and these are the people I want to be around added Chamberlyne That s never going to change BR BR Generous Pours BR BR Following our time on Colfax we headed over to the Lancer Lounge located at 233 E 7th Avenue Known for their stiff but inexpensive drinks and varied jukebox the Lancer s locals enjoy holding court at the bar boozing and chatting another day away The patrons call the jukebox the very best in Denver and a single drink at the Lancer appears to have the alcohol content of three drinks at Elway s at a third of the price As if their generous pours weren t incentive enough they have Panic Bar on Thursday nights which mean free drinks from 10 11 p m BR BR Enjoying a summer day on the patio was the pretty youthful and fresh faced 27 year old Brianne Campbell who says she likes dive bars because they are off the beaten path Campbell describes the Lancer as being both cozy and having a lounge atmosphere that is very appealing to her BR BR A wide variety of people come to the Lancer Lounge and it s nice to recognize people and for them to recognize you noted Campbell The people are friendly and it s comfortable here Plus it s a good location with good music and happy hour rolls around three times a day BR BR Campbell along with 40 something boyfriend John Stephenson comes to the Lancer at least once a week Campbell thinks a Dive Bar Diva is someone who likes going to a bar that has a good vibe and isn t trendy BR BR I ve been going to dive bars since I was 19 years old and I always have a good time said Campbell I even found my boyfriend in a dive bar BR BR Bad Road Faces BR BR Our final location was Sobo 151 which is a Czech bar where we found sports enthusiasts trivia fans diners and pool players The local spot which boasts authentic Czech cuisine and many daily specials can be found at 151 S Broadway A fan of Sobo 151 and of Broadway dive bars was strikingly beautiful Victoria Taylor Yes she noted I get the line What is a beautiful woman like you doing in a dump like this all the time The answer is she goes on to note I like it here and this place is not a dump but simply unpretentious The beautiful Taylor clearly likes to drink and shares that in common with the other patrons To me a dive bar isn t gross at all but it also isn t fancy or spic and span said Taylor There is something comfortable about them they have old furniture and you can drink in peace The best dive bars are open every day of the week from eight in the morning to two at night BR BR My guy friends here at Sobo s have 10 000 miles of bad road faces stated Taylor but they have seen it all and always have great stories I go to dive bars just for their stories and to hear about where they have been and what they ve seen BR BR Hardcore Hotties BR BR While Taylor sometimes goes to Sobos for the karaoke she says that the drink prices are the best on Broadway Her favorite nights are Wednesdays and Thursdays because the bar offers 3 Washington apple shots and 2 gin and tonics respectively BR BR I haven t missed going to Sobos on Wednesdays and Thursdays for two years Taylor said proudly How could you pass up deals like that BR BR Although some view dive bars as places to avoid the Dive Bar Divas of the Cherry Creek Valley see these places as their home away from home A Dive Bar Diva is a young attractive woman who wants to be in a comfortable setting where the people and the scenery are both eclectic and welcoming They are women who are drawn to places where they don t have to worry about how they look and they don t have to be concerned with impressing anyone Even if their fellow patrons look like they ve been on the road forever and are hardcore drinkers Dive Bar Divas seem to love their company and their stories and can handle what ever may come their way They are as described by the myspace Web page as the hotties that make the magic at a bar near you Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:27:17 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=602 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=601 blog Best Jukebox 2003 BR BR Don s Club Tavern BR BR In the era of digital boxes networked into 100 000 song libraries mood is half the battle and sadly some places just don t have that good jukebox vibe But the beer soaked retro aura at Don s is a perfect match for the music in its box with discs ranging from the Beatles Abbey Road to Tom Waits s Closing Time to The Essential Patsy Cline The nicotine stained ambience is further bolstered by nice helpings of barroom standards Johnny Cash Hank Williams John Lee Hooker alongside side dishes of 21st century hip hop Outkast Eminem and the greatest hits of assorted departed icons Cobain Marley Joplin Hendrix Gaye If you can t find five songs you want to play here you aren t trying Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:11:28 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=601 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=600 blog Denver s historic Don s Club Tavern also known as Don s Mixed Drinks is a small neighborhood tavern that has served the public since 1947 Don s is a no frills bar known for its strong whiskey drinks and Pabst Blue Ribbon longnecks but more importantly Don s is home to a diverse crowd There you ll find regulars who have been drinking at Don s since the early 1950s But you will also find a lively bunch of twenty and thirty somethings playing pool and shuffleboard BR BR Don s Club Tavern has attracted locals since the 1940s BR BR It has been 60 years and Don s Club Tavern is still going strong Locals will tell you that the past few years have brought on some notable developments to Don s Club Tavern and although a few people object to the changes the modifications have arguably brought out the very best in this Denver neighborhood bar BR BR When a local Denver conglomerate took over Don s Club Tavern in June of 2006 they brought on Jon Turecki to run it Turecki s experience in the industry runs the gamut from busboy to sommelier but they way he sees it the most important thing was to keep the people the place and the feeling as close to the original Don s as possible The whole idea of us taking this place over was to keep it the way that it was says Turecki BR BR Turecki began his career in the restaurant and bar industry at an early age Growing up in Myrtle Beach South Carolina he got jobs working in local restaurants like most other people his age He worked as a busboy all the way through high school and found himself working as a sous chef by the time he was in college With experience in four star and five star restaurants it may sound as if a neighborhood bar like Don s is the last place Turecki would end up Much to the contrary This place is much more intriguing You re not just dealing with the upper crust says Turecki I ll spend the rest of my life in this business It gets in your blood Once you re in it you re in it BR BR I ll spend the rest of my life in this business It gets in your blood Once you re in it you re in it BR BR One of the ways Turecki wanted to rejuvenate Don s was to initiate a much needed expansion Recent renovations have involved knocking down a wall and adding 350 square feet of space installing a glass paneled garage style door that opens in the summer and putting in two brand new bathrooms The once narrow bar can now better accommodate busy weekends when the crowded bar gets up to five people deep Regulars returning for the first time since the expansion look about in wonder and excitement at the added space the new open air window and the spic and span bathrooms but the bar itself maintains the neighborhood feel it has had for 62 years Now it simply has more to offer BR BR It took at least a year to really gain the trust of the local crowd including the regulars loyal to the old ways But the growth of the surrounding area combined with Turecki s team of professional friendly bartenders has allowed Don s to become a true neighborhood bar What we re doing here is neighborhood like It s treating people fairly says Turecki BR BR Although many locals perceive these changes as a new version of their favorite hang out Turecki promises this These are all the changes you re going to see probably well outside of my lifetime if this place goes another 60 years BR BR When asked about Don s status as the Best Dive Bar in Denver as awarded by 5280 Magazine in 2008 Turecki feels a sense of pride But he finds that the real difference between a neighborhood bar and a dive bar is a tough question It s much more of a neighborhood bar now than it is a dive bar and how those go hand in hand I haven t figured out I know that s exactly where I want to be though BR BR Don s Club Tavern may be no frills but it functions just as well as anything The under bar itself is fairly typical and Turecki would not have it any other way He likes his four compartment bar sink and his electric upright glass washer I ve found that it s a lot faster than an automatic dishwasher I feel the glasses come out cleaner says Turecki As far as glassware goes they keep the place well stocked with pint glasses and rocks glasses Said Turecki We have one martini glass and one wine glass We do not do mojitos we do not do any of that nonsense that comes with fru fru bars If that wine glass is out we serve your wine in a rocks glass That s all there is to it BR BR The people at Don s welcome newcomers and regulars alike treating people with a smile and a stiff drink At Don s they want you to come as you are These are things that general manager Jon Turecki wants people to remember BR BR At Don s loyal regulars come in all shapes and sizes BR BR You ve got to let people be who they are says Turecki of his widely diverse customer base You can come in here barefoot or in a tux We treat everybody the same Turecki leads by example employing a team of friendly and professional bartenders who take care of the place and the people asking only that everyone show respect BR BR Jon Turecki is definitely in his perfect career He knows he ll be doing this for the rest of his life Turecki says I never have those days when I say I just don t want to be there That s the beauty of this business If you are really into it it can be very profitable And it can be very soothing and fun BR BR Though Turecki speaks fondly about his career he cautions those considering taking the leap into the beverage industry themselves Don t do it unless you ve done it before Don t do it unless you re familiar with the industry he says Somebody that just wants to make a career change and wants to go into the restaurant or bar business Absolutely not I wouldn t recommend it It s a different business and it could make you go broke if you don t do it the right way BR BR Turecki plans to run other bars in his future but for the time being he feels happy to be part of Don s Club Tavern This bar appeals to every walk of life and it does really well as such It s gotten so much better There s definitely the Don s of before and the Don s of what we have today Ultimately this is the BR BR FSW Article Professional Business Profiles BR Author Monica Parpal BR Photographer Monica Parpal BR Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:18:23 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=600 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=598 blog By Patrick Doyle BR Issue February 2008 BR Section Feature BR BR The Best Bars in Denver BR From swanky lounges to boozy bars we round up more than 40 of the city s best places to imbibe Plus the nondrinker s journal bartenders tips and debunking the alcohol altitude myth BR BR Bars are often confused with restaurants It s a common mistake that can be avoided by understanding the main difference Restaurants are destinations bars are not The best restaurants through their food and fame will draw people from across the city the state or sometimes the country to enjoy their crispy Colorado striped bass filet or slow braised Highland beef with roasted corn risotto Bars are local joints Regardless of whether they re swanky cocktail lounges or dingy hole in the walls they attract people that live work or play nearby to come in for a beer or three Bars like parks or libraries belong to and reflect the surrounding blocks in the best ways The crowds the decor and the staff are familiar inviting and inherently of a neighborhood The best bars are like second homes with draft beer BR BR With that in mind we scoured Denver Boulder and the suburbs for neighborhood drinking institutions For our methodology see page 71 Chances are there s one a stone s throw from your house Go there Drink Watch the game Meet your neighbors Be merry And have another BR BR EDITED BR BR CENTRAL DENVER BR Don s Club Tavern 723 E Sixth Ave You re drinking A whiskey sour You re listening to Rock ranging from Death Cab for Cutie to AC DC Don s Club Tavern better known as Don s Mixed Drinks has cheap drinks gruff bartenders dim lightning and a bar coated with a sticky film Go here BR BR Alcoholic Anonymous The Nondrinker s POV 9 p m The bartender finally emerges from the bowels of the tavern holding a dust caked six pack of O Doul s I d bet a week s pay on what he ll say next It s warm Oh well at least they have it I quit drinking about 12 years ago but never stopped going to bars I m no weenie teetotalist and bars are where everyone is friends bands women I just like the atmosphere to a point 10 p m The O Doul s has chilled to lukewarm Close enough After flunking a magazine test about my inebriation habits at 29 I knew it was time I rarely stumbled home blacked out or got into foolish brawls to paraphrase writer Pete Hamill I simply wasn t very good at it So when I saw my red flag score like a longtime fugitive weary of running I turned myself in Quitting was surprisingly easy I went to a month of AA meetings but haven t been back since I got my 30 day chip I once craved a drink following my grandfather s funeral several months after my last cocktail which for the record was champagne sipped from my girlfriend s navel My cousin handed me an N A and the moment it hit my tongue the craving washed away in a startling rush 11 p m The best time People laugh flirt connect the inhibitions beating a charming retreat The revelers teeter toward incapacitation predictably oblivious to my unaltered sobriety AA devotees might compare me to a junkie kicking it in a crack house but it s simply never been an issue Bars unite and entertain usually for the sober until about midnight when my jackass friend tells the same story for the third time in about 30 minutes Think I ll call it a night Luc Hatlestad Thu, 30 Jun 2011 02:54:25 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=598 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=398 blog Good thing it was as a cocktail contest judge that I attended the Boys Hope Girls Hope fundraiser at the PPA Event Center on Saturday night In a roomful of glamorous young professionals in suits and little black dresses living it up on the dance floor and around a chocolate fountain a steady stream of drinks provided a much needed buffer between me and debilitating pangs of social inadequacy Just liquored up enough to go with the flow of all those beautiful people I could even grasp the fact that the word martini was being used loosely here My fellow judges and I weren t looking for the platonic ratio of gin to vermouth plus a golden drop of sun from a lemon twist everything was on the table from Bubbletinis garnished with yes chewing gum to PBR tallboys poured with faux pomp by the bartender from Don s Club Tavern who clearly relished the opportunity to represent Denver s best dive bar To say that we were open to anything isn t however to say we didn t keep our critical wits about us even while being plied with Sex on the Beaches After sampling eight cocktails we were in near unanimous agreement on the top three 3rd place Brazilian Rose Texas de Brazil Churrascaria Layered like a sunrise red on bottom orange yellow on top this blend of Cacha a 51 triple sec grenadine and passion fruit juice reminded fellow judge and former Bronco Darius Walker of a smoothie Smooth it certainly was being fruity but not cloying thanks to a sufficient amount of the base spirit 2nd place Smooth Dirty The Corner Office The drink that most closely resembled a classic martini was this potent combination of Hendrick s gin flash infused with both cucumber and olive juice and dry vermouth We were instructed to take a bite of the garnish a slice of cucumber and a blue cheese stuffed olive between our first and second sips demonstrating the transformative impact of food on the flavor of a beverage 1st place The Hellvis Scruffy Murphy s Irish Pub Were we swayed by the charm of our kilt clad bartender Seduced by the funky garnish of bacon house pickled egg and sweet pickle Perhaps although the blend of Hendrick s gin with garlic and horseradish spiked bloody mary mix topped off with a dash of Sriracha was plenty kicky in itself enough so that fellow judge Audra Dobbs aka Miss Rodeo Colorado 2009 went back for a refill As for me one more drink and I might have had the courage to place a bid on the awesome framed Caddyshack poster at the silent auction I hope it found a good home but I m glad I remained just sober enough that night to find my own by Ruth Tobias Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:37:53 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=398 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=360 blog Go College Bowling In The Cherry Creek Valley by Laura Lieff College football is an extremely popular sport in the Cherry Creek Valley above and beyond the local Colorado teams such as the University of Colorado and Colorado State which are struggling Many people have migrated to the Valley from all across the country and have brought with them their love for various favorite college teams Groups of like minded fans gather together and adopt a bar in the Valley to watch their favorite team in action One of the newest sports bars in Cherry Creek North Brandon s Pub on Second Avenue and St Paul Street has been adopted by the fans of the Auburn University Tigers who have a possible shot for the national championship When the Auburn game comes on all 17 television screens switch to that game and the Auburn cheering fans start screaming for their team while singing team fight songs and belting out cheers When the Tigers score a touchdown Brandon s does shots normally based around the team s colors orange and blue There are also special menus with reduced prices which change every game day Brandon s owner Clemente Martinez declares They love their team and know how to have a great time It s almost like being in a big sky box at the stadium it is that electric A few blocks north at 575 St Paul is the self proclaimed Alabama Crimson Tide headquarters at the Irish Hound During halftime the fans play bar games such as Big Buck Hunter and Pop A Shot Basketball while enjoying their famous menu items such as smoked pork and homemade potato chips Irish whiskey and Irish beer are guaranteed to never run out The Bama fans seem every bit as rabid as the hated rivals from Auburn Which brings us to our holiday suggestion for Chronicle sports fans Why not watch this year s bowl games by going to the sport bars in the Valley that have adopted one of the teams playing in a particular bowl You re going to have a good time and maybe go to a sports bar you never have been to before There are always food and drink specials and it is a wonderful way to meet a lot of fun people My Saturdays revolve around college football games and they are pretty much the main social event of my weekend said Valley resident and Iowa Hawkeyes fan Erica Garvey Honestly during the fall I don t really go out at night unless Iowa has a night game Watching the game is one of my favorite ways to relax unless my team is losing Garvey continued I love watching football but I admit that I go for the social aspect It s great to be surrounded by a hundred people all cheering for the same team The enthusiasm is infectious and I always find someone to chat with In fact I met one of my best Chicago friends at a Steelers bar When they put out the list of dates times and teams playing in bowl games just consult our handy list below for where to go Among the top sports bars that sponsor fans of a particular university expected to go to a bowl game are Alabama Irish Hound 575 St Paul Street just off 6th Avenue Arkansas Choppers Sports Grill 80 S Madison just down from Gates Tennis Center Auburn Brandon s Pub 3027 East 2nd Avenue Cherry Creek North Boise State Old Chicago 1415 Market Street Downtown Denver Iowa Sports Column 1930 Blake Street Downtown Denver LSU Brooklyn s 901 Auraria Parkway One block from Pepsi Center Michigan State Blake Street Tavern 23rd Blake one block north of Coors Field Nebraska Cap City Tavern 1247 Bannock Street Golden Triangle Ohio State Croc s Mexican Bar Grill 1630 Market Street Downtown Denver Oklahoma State The Fawning Goat 846 Broadway Street near Governor s Park Oregon Jackson s All American Sports Grill 1520 20th Street across from Coors Field South Carolina Don s Mixed Drinks 723 East 6th Avenue south of Cheesman Park Texas Christian The Elm 5001 East Colfax Park Hill Wisconsin Swanky s 1938 Blake Street Downtown Denver Ever since Jenn Sterger most recently of Bret Favre fame was discovered by ABC Sports doing a camera shot of the fans at a Florida State game there has been an ongoing debate concerning which college team has the most attractive female fans After touring the sports bars during the college bowl season you can go to our Web site www glendalecherrycreek com and vote for which team has the most beautiful women cheering them on in the Cherry Creek Valley Sun, 16 Jan 2011 02:34:10 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/blog/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=360 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/newsletters/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=151 newsletters br br br br Follow Us Don s Club Tavern br 723 E 6th Ave br Denver CO nbsp 80218 br br Follow Us br br This is an automated message from Don s Club Tavern br Please se Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:02:30 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/newsletters/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=151 http://www.donsclubtavern.com/newsletters/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=134 newsletters br br br The British Bulldog and the Denver Foundation are raising dollars to help families without enough to eat Through our emergency food system we support food pantries that operate in Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:11:10 GMT http://www.donsclubtavern.com/newsletters/Dons-Club-Tavern.htm?promotion=134