Entry No. 122 — the Denver file — filed under: speakeasy
Bread Bar
Take Exit 226 off I-70, one of the corridor's most-ignored, and you land in Silver Plume, population ~200, where an 1890s bakery still has 'Bread' painted on the brick. Inside is a serious craft cocktail bar: drinks named after the town's historical figures, herbs grown in an on-site greenhouse, original grain bins and a hanging scale left in place. Thousands of cars blow past within feet of it every day and almost none pull off. The Way Back team in Denver helped build the drink program, so the cocktails punch far above what a ghost town has any right to.
The story
Drive past Exit 226 on I-70 on a late Friday afternoon and you'll join thousands of commuters and skiers barreling toward Denver at 65 miles per hour, completely blind to what sits a hundred yards off the asphalt. Pull off, turn onto the dirt of Main Street in Silver Plume—population hovering around 200 at 8,500 feet—and look for the 1890s red-brick building with the word "BREAD" still painted across the front. Built as the Sopp & Truscott bakery and grain shop, it spent decades supplying loaves to 19th-century silver miners before the town froze in time.
The building sat quietly through decades of mountain decay until a crew of history-obsessed partners teamed up with Denver bar The Way Back to convert the old bakery floor into a cocktail joint. Rather than scraping away the past, they left the structural bones intact: the original grain bins recessed in the wall, the antique hanging scale, and the yellowed wallpaper preserved in place. Out back, they added a small greenhouse to grow fresh herbs for drink syrups and garnishes.
What makes the place improbable isn't just high-end mixology sitting on an unpaved mountain street—it's how deeply the drink menu commits to local lore. Cocktails are named after historical Silver Plume figures, including Clifford Griffin, the British mining manager who famously played his violin over the cliffs before his tragic death. You're drinking city-level craft spirits under exposed timber where the air still feels a hundred years removed from the interstate.
What it's like
The moment you cross the threshold at 1010 Main Street, the roar of I-70 disappears, replaced by low lighting, brass, weathered wood, and the smell of fresh herbs. Expect a mix of local mountain residents and clatter-booted skiers stopping off for an après drink before the long drive down the canyon. Despite the signage, there is no actual food or baked bread for sale, though non-cocktail drinkers can grab a Coors Banquet out of the vintage beer fridge. Space inside is limited and tables fill fast on winter weekends, so target late afternoon during golden hour, grab a seat near the old scale, and keep things low-key when stepping back out into the quiet residential neighborhood.
The move: Drive up late afternoon, order the historically-named cocktails, and pair the bar with a slow walk through Silver Plume's frozen-in-time main street at golden hour before the mountain chill sets in.
📍 Before you go Bread Bar sits in Silver Plume right off I-70's Exit 226, about 45 minutes west of Denver and up near 8,500 feet — look for the old Sopp & Truscott bakery on Main Street with "Bread" still painted on the brick. You can park on the quiet town streets, but this is a tiny, residential historic district (the whole Georgetown–Silver Plume area is a National Historic Landmark), so keep things low-key and respectful. It's open only a few days a week, so confirm before committing to the drive; late afternoon into golden hour is the sweet spot, and winter means cold and possible snow on the mountain corridor. Pair it with Georgetown one exit down — the Georgetown Loop narrow-gauge railroad runs in the warmer months.
- 📍 Silver Plume
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1010 Main Street, Silver Plume, CO 80476 (the old Sopp & Truscott bakery building; Exit 226 off I-70)
Hours: Very limited hours: roughly Fri 2-10pm, Sat 2-10pm, Sun 12-6pm; closed Mon-Wed (per 2025 listings). Hours shift seasonally in a tiny mountain town, so verify before making the drive.
Pair it with
- 7:30 Mine — Hike the steep cliffside trail above town to the abandoned silver mine where manager Clifford Griffin worked before returning to Main Street for a cocktail named in his honor.
- Hotel de Paris Museum — Head one exit east on I-70 to Georgetown to tour Louis Dupuy's 1875 French hotel before heading back to Silver Plume for drinks inside the old bakery.
- Hamill House Museum — Explore the silver baron mansion and its ornate six-hole cupola privy in Georgetown before taking a slow walk down Silver Plume's quiet main street.
Good to know
Does Bread Bar actually sell bread or food?
No. Despite the massive 'BREAD' lettering painted on the brick exterior, it operates strictly as a craft cocktail bar. They stock a beer fridge with Coors Banquet and small snacks, but no baked goods are served.
What are Bread Bar's operating hours?
Hours are extremely limited, typically running Friday and Saturday from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM (closed Monday through Thursday). Because hours shift seasonally in high-altitude mountain towns, verify before making the drive.
Where should I park when visiting?
Street parking is available on the quiet unpaved streets around Main Street. Silver Plume is a small, living residential community within a National Historic Landmark district, so park respectfully and keep noise low.
Why are the drinks named after historical figures?
The cocktail menu was developed alongside Denver's The Way Back team to pay tribute to local mining history, pairing herbs grown in an on-site greenhouse with recipes named after prominent 19th-century Silver Plume residents like Clifford Griffin.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Westword · remodelista.com · Yelp · colorado.com · lifeandthyme.com · accidentallywesanderson.com
last checked: 2026-06-07