Room for Milly first opened just a few weeks before the pandemic impermanently shuttered its doors. Six years later, the mid-century-inspired cocktailerie lives on as a staple of the Platte Street rebirth that has at times felt arduous post-COVID. But now, with Emage Skate Shop and Denver Beer Company still going strong, and being joined in recent years by must-visits like Chef Jose Avila’s Malinche Audiobar, along with outposts for fellow Denver go-tos, Leroy’s Bagels, Daughter Thai, and Maria Empanada, things are looking up for the little neighborhood sandwiched between Downtown and the Confluence to one side, and I-25 and the Highlands to the other. As with anywhere in the city, running a business that can simply keep itself above water has its many challenges. Perseverance and staying power are not guarantees even for the simplest of business plans. So, running one that prioritizes the creative innovation of its employees, mitigates the waste that plagues the Food and Beverage industry, supports local artists by exhibiting their work, and gives back to its community in the process would seem a mountain to climb. At Room for Milly, though, circularity – at micro and macro levels – is the name of the game.
Sourcing much of their produce – fruit, berries, vegetables and herbs – from their own urban garden at City Park is much of that ethos’s secret sauce. Not only does using the produce for the menu, along with creating infusions, shrubs and syrups for the cocktail program, ensure higher quality and alleviate the environmental impact of importing what is used from far and wide, but it also provides Room for Milly and owner, Fiona Arnold – who is also owner of the environmentally and communally focused business and real estate investment and development firm, Mainspring – a space to host outdoor philanthropic community events.
In the spirit of giving back to the community and in step with the conscious circularity of their snack and drink programs, Room for Milly has launched their Garden to Glass initiative – running from June through September – serving up hyper-seasonal specials sourced from the garden’s harvest du jour. $1 of each Garden to Glass cocktail purchased is being donated to Denver Urban Gardens – better known as DUG – to raise awareness around the importance of preserving sustainable food systems in urban environments. And to boot, the cocktails are damn good.
On a hot summer evening this time of year, Room for Milly’s patio is perfectly shaded to take advantage of a refreshing cocktail rooted in the bar’s local grows. When we stopped by, the Garden to Glass offering sprouted from the humble Green Pea and took the form of a prohibition-era riff. The sweet herbaceousness of Old Tom Gin grounds the drink that otherwise explodes with multitudes of bright, fresh bites from the garden. Not only does the Green Pea announce itself with peculiar gusto, but it joins tarragon and lemon for its early-summer subtlety. Also unique to the bar that evening was a riff on an Accidental Tourist, folding peach and garden-harvested dill into a texturally rich orgeat-gin base. Guests should keep their eyes peeled for the testing to find its way into regular menu rotation once peaches are truly in season.
For a guest looking for another round, the on-menu options are a daunting list of wide-ranging cocktails that equals any in Denver. For something inescapably summertime, dive into the Delta Royale, where the balance between strawberry, aloe, and lavender is revitalizing without feeling too sweet or perfumy. For something spicy enough to distract from the heat, while refreshing enough to be an oasis, On Holiday is desert and beach in one. Earthy Sotol and Ancho Chile meet lime and cucumber for a modern twist on the best marg in town. Order up a Lawn Flamingo for a house-carbonated milk punch with pickled watermelon rind. There’s also a Cuban-rooted science experiment with methylcellulose foam that introduces itself as a salty mojito for true cocktail nerds.
From beginning to end, and back again, the Room For Milly menu is always inspired and daring, without ever forgetting that flavor and refreshment are the pillars that keep guests coming back. Pushing forward the boundaries of what bar programs are capable of creatively and sustainably, the most exciting glass on any given night is probably the one off-menu, and is very likely one rooted in the garden.
Room for Milly is located at 1615 Platte St, Denver
Its hours are Monday – Thursday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday – Saturday 3 p.m. to midnight, Sunday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., with Happy Hour daily from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and all day service long on Sunday.
All photos by Evan Dale
