6 Best Nightlife in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado

Marble Distilling Co.

Fodor's choice
"Cocktails with a conscience" is the motto at this zero-waste craft distillery named for the famous pieces of marble, from the neighboring town of Marble, used in the filtering process. Stop in the distillery's Marble Bar (there's one in Aspen, too) for a creative cocktail featuring house-made vodka, rye whiskey, bourbon, coffee liqueur, or Gingercello, where fresh-cut ginger adds a twist to the Italian classic.

Aspen Tap

Home to Aspen Brewing Company, Aspen Tap serves a small menu of pub food, liquor, wine, and, of course, microbrews from the city's only brewery. The centrally located bar includes a patio that's great for people-watching and sipping an Ajax Pilsner.

Belly Up Aspen

This intimate, live-concert venue has hosted musical acts ranging from country-western legends to '80s rock bands to Jack White for crowds of just over 400.

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J-Bar

You can't say you've seen Aspen until you've set foot in the historic Hotel Jerome's lively J-Bar, with its textured leather walls and decorative tin ceilings. The centerpiece is the wooden, original (circa 1889) bar, where the Aspen Crud, a bourbon milkshake, was invented during Prohibition.

Justice Snow's

Named for a 19th-century Aspen justice of the peace, Justice Snow's is known for its creative, handcrafted cocktails. Pull up a chair at the sophisticated, Victorian-era bar to sample an absinthe fountain, share a frothy punchbowl, or sip house-infused spirits in vintage glassware.

Venga Venga Cantina and Tequila Bar

A huge patio with warming fire pits makes this casual bar and restaurant a prime après-ski location at the edge of the Snowmass Village Mall and the ski hill. Look for happy-hour specials and dozens of tequilas and mezcals to sample into the night.