🥤Are weed drinks coming to a bar near you?

🥤Should Restaurants Sell 10mg THC drinks?

A new bill that would allow bars, restaurants, and concert venues in Colorado to sell drinks containing up to 10 milligrams of THC is scheduled to go before the Colorado Senate Finance Committee today. Supporters say sales of this new kind of buzzy beverage could generate millions in revenue that would help address the state budget shortfall. Opponents aren’t so sure. [Denver7]

• Opposition from multiple fronts: Skyler McKinley, who owns Oak Creek Tavern in Routt County and helped write Colorado’s cannabis regulations, says the proposal is dangerous and will lead to high insurance premiums. “Every bartender has cut somebody off who was fine on their second beer and a stranger to themselves on their third,” McKinley writes “Senate Bill 26-164 asks us to make that call with a second substance in the mix that we can’t see, can’t smell and can’t pour-count.” [Westword]
• Aren't THC drinks already allowed? Currently, bars and liquor stores in Colorado can sell hemp-derived THC beverages that contain 1.75 milligrams of THC or less per serving and have a CBD-to-THC ratio of at least 15:1. In addition to significantly increasing the THC limit, Bill 26-164 would eliminate the CBD:THC ratio requirement, allowing a wider variety of THC beverages to be sold. The bill would not allow establishments to sell THC drinks mixed with alcoholic beverages in the same container. [Denver Post]
• Tell us your thoughts: Should restaurants and bars sell THC drinks? We’ll be talking about the issue on the podcast later this week and we’d love to hear from you. Reply to this email to share your comments.

🍦 Ice Cream Museum Loses City Support

After months of negotiations with local property owners hoping to open a family-friendly dairy destination at the corner of 15th Avenue and Market Street, the Denver Downtown Development Authority has reportedly turned down their request for a $6.6 million loan (the whole project is estimated to cost $25 million). “There was a view that the Museum of Ice Cream was an expensive proposition,” Denver’s chief projects officer Bill Mosher said of the rejection. [BusinessDen 🔒]

• What is the DDDA again? City leaders used the innovative tax-increment financing scheme to redevelop Union Station in the early 2000s, and then voters approved the expansion of the DDDA to more of downtown in 2024 on Mayor Mike Johnston’s request. We broke how the mayor hopes to use the DDDA to revitalize downtown on the podcast with an expert last year. [City Cast Denver 🎧

💪 What is Frank Azar Up to Now?

"The Strong Arm” has a new batch of billboards up around town, including one referencing the 6-7 meme, but those are just the latest escapade for one of Denver’s favorite local celebrities. But who is Frank Azar really? Westword editor Patty Calhoun once went gambling with Azar in Vegas, and she’s on the podcast today to talk through his surprising life story. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🛒 Cherry Creek “Bodega” to Be Renamed

Town Pump Provisions, a retail concept that’s been the subject of controversy since it opened in Cherry Creek in August 2025, is changing its name to Corner Drugs. The multi-concept business is also bringing in Allison Rifkin of The Green Collective Eatery to operate its restaurant space, though Rifkin is also rebranding her business with a new name — Every Little Thing. [Denver Business Journal 🔒]

🏀 Denver’s New Media Success Story

Since its founding in 2015, Allcity Network has launched dozens of daily local sports podcasts and livestreaming shows, and it even owns its own sports bar on Colfax (DNVR Bar) – a business model that’s garnered millions of listeners and millions of dollars. The network, which now employs 140 people across five cities, says people tune in to share in their hometown teams’ emotional journeys of wins, losses, and everything in between. [Denverite]