It’s every hipster’s goal to perfect their bookish name dropping skills, if only to slyly insert literary references into conversation so as to achieve maximum superiority. And true to their bohemian roots, hipsters can’t resist the idea of waxing philosophical about books over a refined glass of wine, especially while throwing around erudite and vineal terms like robust, undertones, reticent and opulence.

And while Book Bar— a bookshop for wine lovers and a wine bar for book shoppers— sounds like the perfect spot for the Kerouac worshipping, dark-wash Levi-sporting wine connoisseur, it’s not all it’s corked up to be.

Located on 4280 Tennyson St., Book Bar is tucked away from mainstream bars in this newly and quaintly gentrified neighborhood, which flaunts a selection of boutiques, wellness centers, art galleries and trendy dining. The area’s mood is infectious, with ambient noise from bars and restaurants evoking the European streets it models itself after.
While the atmosphere is cozy and quaint, featuring exposed brick, black bookshelves and dim lit chandeliers on the ceiling, Book Bar lacks sufficient sitting room for customers to enjoy their books, let alone their beverages.

At night, it becomes a gathering spot for the Denver bourgeois, and the literary loving hipster may be disenchanted by countless middle aged women discussing Nicholas Sparks novels over pricey cheese plates. The couches are crowded with overzealous book clubs while the coffee bar aligned with bar stools is filled with friends sharing conversation over their vino, while emitting airs of self-perceived worldliness.

The menu is served as a chapter book, with each chapter written out as a new course including appetizers, crostini and beverages. The food features anecdotal plates like ‘Love in the Time of Hummus’ and the ‘Vonnegut’ crostini but the real part of the menu focuses on the epilogue; with the beer and wine selections.

The twelve option wine list leaves something to be desired, and although the main focus of the bar is wine, beer drinkers are not excluded. The bar features beers on tap, including a selection of Colorado brewed beers which are flaunted during events like the recent Beer + Book pairing event that happened on Sept. 23. If perfecting your wine palate is not your goal, then customers can get their caffeine fix with an espresso or cappuccino sourced from the local Corvus Coffee Roasters.

In the midst of the middle aged women and the literary critics is the occasional outsider who finds solace, despite all the chatter, with their beverage and book.

 

The wait staff is friendly, if somewhat flustered. Unfortunately, they don’t offer much advice in the way of pairings, which may leave the novice wine drinker feeling insecure. But good thing hipsters know the difference between a Pinot Grigio and a Chardonnay, or at least pretend to.

However, Book Bar’s authenticity cannot be questioned when it comes to its indie bookstore status. While the wino friendly addition of a bar may be criticized for its somewhat pompous roots, the bookstore itself is quaint and will likely inspire giddiness in genuine book lovers.

So grab your cross body book bag, jump on your cruiser and check out Book Bar, but keep in mind that even adorable hipsters toting Sedaris and Kesey novels can get BUIs.