Denver Life Magazine December 2022

The holidays are in full swing. As I’m writing this, Thanksgiving is less than a day away, and I’ve yet to visit the grocery store to pick up anything for the feast I am hosting tomorrow. Luckily, I’m only responsible for the libations, and our feature on festive holiday cocktails (p. 45) in this issue has got me covered. Matt Dutton of the swanky Cooper Lounge at Union Station concocted the holiday drink recipes for this issue, and his cocktails combine seasonal scents and spices with unexpected flavors that leave your tastebuds trying to find the seams amid the froth. The eggnog spiked with cinnamon-infused cachaça instead of the whiskey standard will warm you up faster than a fireplace on a long, cold night, while the bright and cheery Bellevue Sour…

Denver-based photographer Andrea Gralow not only styled and shot the image that’s on our cover this month, she baked all the cookies, too. “Making and enjoying a large variety of Christmas cookies is an inherent part of celebrating the holidays for everyone back in Czech,” where Andrea was born. “Every family has their own recipes that they pass down to the next generation, who then put their own spin on it to create a new variety.” We asked Andrea to share her take on her family’s gingerbread cookie recipe, and she was happy to oblige. You can learn more about the Czech Christmas cookie traditions and find the recipe on denverlifemagazine.com. PHOTO STEPAHINE WILSON, MARIO MASITTI; COOKIES ANDREA GRALOW…

@denverlifemagazine @denverlifemag Want to be featured? Tag @denverlifemagazine in your Instagram photos. Milky way These cookies from our Instagram follower @justuscupcakes are out of this world. Their post details what an intense process it was to make this special batch, and it took hours to add dimension and shimmer with amazing effect. Judging by the results, it was well worth the effort. Now it’s your turn: We’d love to see what you’ve got cookin’ this month. Tag @denverlifemagazine on Instagram for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue. Colorado chapters If you’re looking for some pages to get lost in during the holiday break, pick up these new books set in Colorado by local authors Ted Conover, Dale Bridges and Erika T. Wurth. From a quirky mystery and off-gridder accounts to a horror novel…

FESTIVALS Breckenridge Ullr Fest DEC. 8–11 Do your part in ensuring a powder-filled ski season by joining the Breckenridge community as they celebrate Ullr, the Norse god of snow, at this annual festival. With fun events like the 2022 Breckenridge Distillery Shotski and an Ullr bonfire, it’s always a riotous time. gobreck.com CLASSES Art & Sip: Winter Watercolor Cards DEC. 1 Create original artwork for a seasonal greeting card while sipping on some grapey libations. Check out the full calendar of Longmont Museum’s weekly Thursday Night Art & Sip classes online. longmontcolorado.gov Black Sheep Fridays: Welcome to the Beyhive DEC. 2 This wacky weekly program at MCA Denver brings a Beyoncé dance party and honey tasting to the museum’s rooftop café and bar. It’s an evening made for sophisticated adults who need to satisfy their nonsense needs by falling…

The CHERRY CREEK HOLIDAY MARKET is back for its third year. With 50-plus local makers, designers and creators (that’s 20 more than last year), it’s a superb one-stop spot to find unexpected gifts for even the hardest-to-shop-for people on your list. We’ve rounded up just a few gift ideas from the vendors: For the resident family bartender: atōst apéritifs are flavorful spirits that blend white wine made in Golden with fresh fruit, herbs, botanicals and dark chocolate. For the self-care guru: Björn’s Colorado Honey is made in local hives, creating the bee’s knees of skin-care products. For the chef: Kelly Smith Modern offers handmade cutting boards to stylize any kitchen. For the art aficionado: Kelly Peter sells her one-of-a-kind paintings. For the epicurious: Wonder Mushroom Company offers sustainably grown gourmet…

Sharon Park spends her day engaged in play—like, as her job. She originally fell in love with the lighthearted side of design during an internship at the Children’s Museum of Denver while pursuing a degree in industrial design from Denver Metro. She later made Kidrobot her playground, spending the better part of a decade as a toy designer for the cult brand. Earlier this year, she joined Goldbug as a senior designer for the apparel and accessory company focused on outfitting teeny, tiny humans. In her new role, she’s dipping a toe into the fashion world, designing both toys and baby accessories. “It’s been a change, but I am trying to evolve and challenge myself in different aspects of design,” she says. We caught up with Park to learn about…