Beer, Wine & Spirits in Denver

Indulge Wine School's staff of educators, such as Kris in Jacksonville, a wine expert and blogger, expands wine knowledge with ease, having turned the revelry-steeped tassels of nearly 3,000 graduates. Classes of 12–20 take place in venues throughout the United States, as students swirl and sip their study materials and nibble complimentary appetizers. Every class ends with a Q&A session, during which potation professors shine a light on oenophilic mysteries including tannin content and regional differences. Afterward, students continue to ferment knowledge at home with a complimentary electronic copy of Indulge's book A Fun and Informative Introduction to the Wonderful World of Wine, a food-and-wine-pairing chart, and a top-10 list of wine-buying tips.

Upon sampling sips from among more than 100 wines culled from 13 countries, guests craft personalized batches of their favorite variety. Water 2 Wine’s knowledgeable winemaking team assists patrons in taking crushed grape selections and beginning the fermentation process by apologizing deeply to the grapes for being savagely crushed. After approximately eight weeks, customers return to prepare bottles and take them home. In addition to tastings and winemaking experiences, Water 2 Wine hosts sundry events, including painting classes enhanced by a complimentary glass of wine, parties, and private soirees.

Roundhouse Spirits may be the archetype for the micro-distillery movement, but its ideas are anything but small. For Imperial Barrel Aged Gin, for instance, Roundhouse’s spirit specialists take the distillery’s namesake gin and age it for six months or more in oak casks, creating a one-of-a-kind tipple somewhere between gin and whiskey. To make each small batch of Corretto Coffee Liqueur, on the other hand, they start with organic, fair-trade beans, which are hand-picked by roaster Gerry Leary down the street at the Unseen Bean. And beginning this season, Roundhouse plans to unveil its latest creation: Roundhouse Pumpkin Liqueur, which will initially only be available at the distillery itself.

Thursdays through Sundays, Roundhouse offers an inside look at its laboratory of libations with complimentary distillery tours typically led by company president Ted Palmer, a 25-year veteran of craft distilling and brewing. Visitors can also opt to tuck into one of the handful of tables in the tasting room, where shuffleboard and foosball complement the spirits available for sampling on the spot or taking home.