The Oxford Hotel's Signature Elderberry Tales Cocktail

Welcome to our "signature" series where we focus on a hotel's signature dish and/or cocktail. In the same way that cities and towns have local specialties to try, hotels develop signature items that guests shouldn't miss — whether it's a popular room service dish they've perfected, a cocktail named after the hotel's longtime bartender, or a seasonal specialty that repeat guests always look forward to. These are the things that they love to serve, and that you'll really consider going back for.

In Denver, aka the Mile High City, there's no shortage of Western history, and the Oxford Hotel, built in 1891, is no exception. Back in the heyday of its opening, the extravagant décor, separate "water closets," and elevators — a novelty at the time — made it popular with tourists and the like. Today, it stands in the heart of downtown as a symbol of Denver's gold mining days.

Similarly, the hotel's bar, the Cruise Room, is a sign of earlier times; it was downtown Denver's first bar and opened the day after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Patrons are taken back to a simpler time with the bar's Art Deco décor, old-timey lounge, and juke box. One popular drink on its long list of signature martinis is the Elderberry Tales, a champagne cocktail that's supposedly popular with the ladies, says the bar manager. Made with Thatchers Organic Artisan elderflower liqueur, champagne, and a splash of soda, it's a light-and-sweet cocktail that's best for a refreshing sip on a warm night. Made by the Cruise Room's bartenders, the original cocktail keeps both Denverites and tourists happy.