DENVER BAR REVEW: Mezcaleria Alma
In my delusional fantasy world where people care about my opinions, folks often ask me: "Hey beloved internet sensation food and drink critic Adrian, you seem like you are something of an alcohol enthusiast... what is your favorite type of spirit?" And my unhesitating answer is, of course, bourbon. I love the complexity of sweetness, spiciness, and woodiness that permeates each bottle, and the almost endless subtle variations that can be brought to different distillates. HOWEVER, if those same superfans continued to press and inquired as to my second favorite liquor, I would have to say mezcal. There's something about that smoky, earthy older cousin of tequila that is just mesmerizing, both neat and in cocktails.
Denver isn't exactly a world-renowned food city (I still have vivid memories of a friend vomiting in the bathroom of a famous steakhouse after eating some less-than-stellar elk), and it certainly is not my first thought when it comes to high-quality Mexican cuisine, so I was quite surprised to learn that there are two highly-regarded, Michelin-starred CDMX spots next door to each other in the LoHi neighborhood just northwest of downtown. The first, Alma Fonda Fina, was actually the Mountain Time Zone's only entry on the inaugural North America's Top 50 Restaurants list (a DEEPLY flawed collection, but worth mentioning nonetheless)... and their sister bar, Mezcaleria Alma, has been absolutely racking up the accolades since opening in late 2024. In addition to the star, it has been named to countless lists of best new restaurants and bars, including by the New York Times. So, given my love for their featured ingredient, I had to make the brief journey down from Boulder to experience it for myself.
The bar is a skinny, intimate space, with a long counter on the left showcasing literally hundreds of different bottles of mezcal, and some table/banquette seating on the right. Vibrant, design-y wallpaper and wooden tones really transport you to the Mexican capital, and smart service helps to navigate the borderline-overwhelming amount of spirits. Unfortunately, we apparently weren't the only ones who got the memo about how much this place rocks: at an adjacent table, a suspected influencer ordered a burrito, asked their partner to photograph them cutting it, took one bite, and asked for the rest boxed up to go. Alas, that's the world we live in these days, but that was literally the only negative of the entire night, and that was hardly the fault of the establishment.
Even though we’ve settled on this being a bar rather than a restaurant, I’m going to break protocol and start with the food. It’s a tight menu with about a dozen dishes, half cold and half cooked. From the former section came Aguachile de Erizo, with Hokkaido scallop, Santa Barbara uni (“erizo” in Spanish), mandarin aguachile, crispy ginger, avocado, and chile seco oil. This was an interesting take on the Mexican cousin of ceviche, with a very creamy texture from the sea urchin, plus a solid level of heat. The wonderful crispy ginger on top gave it a bit of crunch to complement the otherwise soft seafood (in contrast to ceviche which becomes more firm with an extended marination period, an aguachile is tossed in lime juice and served immediately, tiradito-style).
Hardcore Adrian Reviews readers will know by now that I love tuna tostadas, so I had to order the Tostada de Toro here. It was described by the waiter as "what dreams are made of", and he was not kidding: this was hands-down the best one I've ever had. The dry-aged fatty tuna belly sat atop smashed avocado and a charred habanero mayonnaise, was drizzled with a sesame chile oil, and covered by a dense forest of chives. Rich and decadent, this was unctuous, spicy, and, with a squirt of lime juice to provide some acid, came together as one of the best things I consumed in 2025. I would go back solely to eat another one of these (not that everything else wasn't excellent!).
Wanting to try at least one hot item, but not wanting to overdo it since this was technically something of a second dinner that night, we opted for the Tlacoyo de Pato. A tlacoyo is a Mexican street food made from fried masa, thicker than a tortilla, and remarkably similar to the huarache I sampled at Maximo a couple of weeks prior. And wouldn't you know it, this one also featured pibil duck (that's right, somehow this was my third time having a form of duck carnitas in the month of December), with a black bean puree, pickled radishes, and xnipec – a piquant Yucatan salsa meaning "dog's nose" in Mayan. This was described as the spiciest item on the menu, and while it wasn't really all that hot, it was still great: the best of the three duck/masa dishes. I'll let you in on a little AR behind-the-scenes: I don't normally take notes, unless I know it's going to be a while until writing the review, or if I know I'm going to need help remembering. In this case both were true, so I jotted down a couple of thoughts... for this one it said "better than Maximo/Nixta softer masa yum yum". So that really speaks for itself.
At Mezcaleria Alma, the cocktail program features beverages exclusively highlighting mezcal, as the name suggests. The Corn Sour was made with Vago Elote mezcal, Nixta corn liqueur, Abasolo corn whiskey, Siglo Cero Pox (a unique Mexican spirit distilled from corn, wheat, and sugarcane), heirloom corn, and tortilla salt. Featuring four (!) corn-based liquors, this was extremely maize-forward, sweet, slightly savory, with a hint of spice. I've had some similar corny drinks, but this one really took it to another level, with fantastic returns.
The Stinger came next, composed of Leyendas Verde mezcal, Charaeu Aloe liqueur (a California plant-based spirit that I swear I recently encountered, but can't for the life of me remember where), Giffard créme de menthe, and celery bitters. Our server warned that this was very mint-heavy, and he was right: there were some earthy, green flavors and traces of pepper, but this was one of the most minty things I've ever tasted (and that includes the crazy Yugoslavian spirit at Frasca). I liked it, but probably couldn't do more than one of these.
Unquestionably the (unexpected) highlight of the night was the spectacular Carajillo. This cocktail, probably familiar to many of my Houston and Mexico City friends, was done with Union Joven mezcal, the essential Licor 43, espresso, candied orange, piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar, a word I coincidentally only learned the week before), and Fernet-Vallet (a Mexican herbal amaro). I generally prefer carajillos to espresso martinis, as the latter are often too coffee-forward for my taste, and because I adore the beguiling Cuarenta y Tres liqueur. This one had the absolute perfect amount of coffee flavor, accentuating but not overpowering, and the smokiness from the mezcal brought an element not usually seen in this drink that has been growing in popularity recently (I've even seen carajillo billboards on I-10 the past few months). I'm not sure I'm doing justice to how amazing this was... honestly it redefined what coffee-based libations could be for me. As much of a must-order as there has ever been.
In addition to crafted beverages, there is an extensive list of agave-based distillates: mostly mezcal, some tequila, and about twenty other Mexican spirits. I was feeling a bit frisky at this point, so I asked the waiter for the weirdest one they had... and he brought me Flor del Desierto Rattlesnake sotol (a liquor similar in taste to tequila and mezcal, made not from agave but from the desert spoon plant). That's right, this sotol's distillation process involves throwing a literal snake into the mix, imparting some bite and funk (my notes here just say "rattlesnake sotol let's goooooo"). A very unique finish to the evening, and another notch on my belt when it comes to trying weird stuff.
There was a lot more that I would like to try on both the food and drink sides of the menu, including some Mexican whisky, which I'm not sure I knew existed. This might become a regular spot for me when I'm in the Mile High City, and I hope to try sister spots Alma Fonda Fina next door and Cozobi Fonda Fina in Boulder as well.
RANKING UPDATE: Easily grabs a spot on the Best Cocktail Bars section of my Beyond Houston guide, and honestly changed my opinion of Denver's culinary scene as a whole.
By the way, no review on this one, but if you're looking for a more chill, neighborhood-type establishment with still excellent drinks, Yacht Club is another great choice in Denver.
NEXT UP: My favorite restaurant in my favorite ski town.