Entry No. 167 — the Denver file — filed under: haunted
12 Spirits Tavern
“12 bottles of bourbon stand on the back bar every night, one for each of the entities”
Tucked into the carriage house basement of the 1891 Croke-Patterson Mansion — billed as one of Colorado's most haunted properties and featured on Travel Channel's "Portals to Hell" — 12 Spirits Tavern is the kind of place that doesn't announce itself. The name is no gimmick: 12 bottles of bourbon stand on the back bar every night, one for each of the entities reportedly haunting the grounds, where Senator Thomas Patterson watched his wife, son, daughter, and infant child all die before him. The entrance is a discreet door on 11th Ave; you do not enter through the hotel lobby, and the mansion itself won't be on any tour-bus itinerary you've seen. It opened in 2022, stays small, and most people driving down Colfax have no idea it's there.
The story
You don't walk through the Patterson Inn's front lobby if you want a drink; you look for an unmarked, unpretentious door along 11th Avenue and step straight into the carriage house basement. Built from red sandstone in 1891 by Thomas Croke—who abruptly traded the home away six months later—the French Chateau-style mansion eventually belonged to US Senator Thomas Patterson. Patterson lived on the grounds for 23 years, watching his wife Katherine, son James, daughter Mary, and an infant child all meet untimely deaths before he passed away in 1916. The property earned a reputation as one of Colorado's most actively haunted sites, eventually landing on Travel Channel's Portals to Hell.
In May 2022, owner Chris Chiari converted the carriage house's former basement smoking lounge into 12 Spirits Tavern [1.4.2]. The name isn't marketing fluff: exactly 12 bottles of bourbon line the back bar every single night, setting aside a pour for each entity reported to haunt the mansion and grounds. You're sitting in a compact, low-ceilinged cellar that holds only a handful of tables, where Victorian-era decor seeps down from the upper floors while bartenders pour craft drinks for the living and the uninvited.
What it's like
Find the discreet door on 11th Avenue—bypassing the main inn entrance—and keep your voice down out on the sidewalk, as the mansion directly above operates as a working hotel. Inside, the subterranean space is dim, compact, and holds only a few tables. Because capacity is tight and operating hours lean early—typically 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.—booking a spot on Toast or arriving right at 4 p.m. for happy hour is crucial. Order the coffee old-fashioned mixed with coffee bitters, sage, and blackberry, or a lemongrass whiskey sour, and pair it with grilled cheese toasty points or a beef-and-onion slop tart hand pie while you figure out whether the chill in the air is a draft or a resident specter.
The move: Book a reservation on Toast (capacity is tight), arrive at the carriage house entrance on 11th Ave around 4pm for happy hour, and order the coffee old-fashioned while your date decides whether the draft or the atmosphere is making the room feel strange.
📍 Before you go Capitol Hill street parking is metered and tight, especially near the Colfax corridor — budget time to circle for a spot, or just come by rideshare. Remember the mansion above is a working inn, so keep voices low at that discreet 11th Ave door and out on the grounds. Being a basement, it's a weatherproof, year-round pick, though October and the run-up to Halloween are the thematic peak. To extend the evening, the Patterson Inn itself turns up on Denver ghost tours, or you can walk it off toward Cheesman Park, the Denver Botanic Gardens, or a Colfax nightcap.
- 📍 Capitol Hill
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 420 E 11th Ave, Denver, CO 80203 (basement/carriage house; enter on 11th Ave, not through the hotel lobby)
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Dark Side of Denver Ghost Tours — Follow up your ghost-tribute bourbon in Capitol Hill with a walking tour through Downtown's real paranormal history and sealed bootlegging tunnels.
- Retrograde — Swap the Victorian carriage house basement for an Uptown ice cream shop, stepping through the walk-in freezer door to keep the subterranean drinking going.
- Bar Max — Head east to Colfax after your rounds at 12 Spirits to trade fixed bourbon menus for drinks tailored off a 100-ingredient flavor wheel.
- Ubisububi Room (at the Thin Man Tavern) — Match one basement hideaway with another by heading to Uptown for live sets in the 35-seat tapestry-lined cave beneath Thin Man Tavern.
Good to know
How do I find the entrance to 12 Spirits Tavern?
Use the discreet carriage house door located on East 11th Avenue. Do not attempt to enter through the main Patterson Inn hotel lobby.
Do I need a reservation?
Yes, booking ahead on Toast is strongly recommended. The basement space is extremely small and fills up quickly during its limited operating hours.
Why is it called 12 Spirits Tavern?
The bar is named after the 12 entities reported to haunt the Croke-Patterson Mansion grounds, represented by 12 bottles of bourbon displayed on the back bar every night.
Where should I park?
Capitol Hill street parking is metered, tight, and competitive near the Colfax corridor. Plan to circle for a spot or take a rideshare.
What food and drink options are served?
The menu focuses on bourbon-forward cocktails like coffee old-fashioneds, paired with small bites including pretzel bites with beer mustard, grilled cheese toasty points, and stuffed savory hand pies.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · book.toasttab.com · 303magazine.com · Yelp · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-09