I Visited Denver Airport’s Hidden Bar; Made Layover Higher

Flying internationally within the winter may be troublesome — crowded airports generally flip right into a no-man’s land of grumpy vacationers, downcast as a result of dangerous climate and flight delays.

However I do know one factor could make that journey extra bearable: a cocktail. Particularly when it is in a themed bar.

Throughout a current 16-hour journey from the UK to the US, I made a decision to go to a speakeasy known as Williams & Graham throughout my layover on the Denver Worldwide Airport.

Though I used to be initially nervous the idea can be tacky, it made for a enjoyable method to move the time. This is what it was like.

The doorway was hidden, however it wasn’t laborious to search out

The doorway to Williams & Graham, situated close to Gate A38, is disguised by a curved bookshelf.

An observant passerby would discover clues — just like the hostess with a shiny smile standing subsequent to a crimson velvet rope — that this wasn’t any previous bookcase. There was additionally distinguished Williams & Graham signage.

Once I walked as much as the hostess, I used to be advised the wait can be about 15 to twenty minutes. As I waited for a desk, I watched a gradual stream of individuals attempt to get in, and the wait time rose to 25 minutes.

After calling my identify, the hostess pulled open the bookshelf, which become a door and revealed the bar.

Though not precisely giant, the speakeasy had extra space than I anticipated for an airport location. The lights had been dimmed, which made the environment really feel extra bar-like after leaving the sterile lighting of an airport.

I used to be given a seat on the totally stocked bar, which felt acceptable for a solo traveler.

The menu had a very good quantity of choices

All cocktails had been $18, and the menu included a mixture of each basic and distinctive home choices, with names like “Becky with the Good Hair” and “Swol Juice.”

The value felt steep for my very own day-to-day spending, however contemplating that airport costs are notoriously excessive, I used to be virtually shocked they weren’t costlier.

I counted 26 cocktails on the menu, which felt like a very good vary of choices for vacationers in a time crunch. The menu did not record particular beer or wine choices, however patrons might ask a server in regards to the choice in the event that they had been .

Together with cocktails, the menu had meals objects like mac and cheese, a burger, and the occasional French-themed dish like ratatouille. The entrées ranged in worth from $14.20 to $28.80.

Since I did not need to miss my flight, I caught with a drink. However I observed a number of individuals round me ordering meals, together with a hefty, juicy-looking burger and frog legs, described on the menu as “frog booties.”

I loved my drink and thought the speakeasy was a enjoyable method to move the time

I ordered the Highland Lass, a whiskey-based cocktail made with Glenfiddich 12, yellow Chartreuse liqueur, lemon, cucumber, honey, and ginger.

The drink went down easily, and the whiskey, honey, and ginger felt comforting. Though it was an iced cocktail, the mixture felt like heat on a winter’s day.

I additionally loved the little bit of sweetness that did not really feel too overwhelming. Although nothing spectacular, it was a pleasing drink.

General, though the concept of an airport speakeasy is a bit camp, the drinks had been good sufficient for an airport bar, and the environment was pleasant.

For me, a cocktail and conversations with strangers had been enjoyable methods to distract me from the woes of a layover.