BRINGing "the Coolest bar in the world" to Denver

There’s no shortage of fantastic patios in Denver, and when the warm weather arrives, locals flock to them to sip craft brews, listen to live music, play corn hole, and chill. But when award-winning Safta’s Alon and Emily Shaya asked to have something a bit bigger, we couldn't turn down the opportunity. On a dreamy day in August, we hosted Bacchanal x Denver, which brought New Orleans’ Bacchanal Wine, dubbed “coolest bar in the world,” to an open-air festival in the parking lot of The Source Hotel & Market Hall.

It’s was a one-of-a-kind party, mainly because Bacchanal is no ordinary wine shop. Set on an unassuming corner in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, the shop is known for its deep wine selection featuring small producers, its string-light-adorned backyard garden, and daily live jazz sessions. In fact, Bacchanal has been nominated twice for the James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Wine Program.

During that weekend in August, we recreated the Bacchanal experience in the RiNo Arts District in Denver. Taking over the entire Brighton Boulevard parking lot of The Source Hotel & Market Hall, they brought in tropical plants, wood-fire ovens, erected a stage, and styled plenty of seating and umbrellas so Denverites could eat, drink, listen, and dance the weekend away. Beginning at 11 a.m. and ending around 11 p.m. each day, guests sipped on more than 25 bottles of Old World wine, as well as custom beers brewed by neighboring New Belgium Brewing Company just for the event.

To help fund the event, we even were able to tie in our other clients at New Orleans & Co. (NOLA's tourism bureau) to help activate in exchange for some hand-shaking and story mining with Denver-based media, a high priority fly-market of New Orleans.

We turned this fun event into a profitable one, full of wine, jazz and stunning Colorado meets NOLA vibes.