Located on the eastern stretch of “the longest, wickedest street in America,” Colfax’s Bellwether brings a heavy dose of creativity to the quickly gentrifying area. Part hip, modern coffeeshop, whiskey bar, clothing boutique and speakeasy-esque barbershop, Bellwether offers anything the modern city dweller could want.
One is first struck by the stark black exterior, with a retro sign above advertising “Coffee and Whiskey and Working Class Fashion.” Inside, the best way to describe the interior design is slick. Every piece of decoration blends perfectly with the next, forming a distinct and gorgeous aesthetic harking to working class, slightly greaser visuals.
The bar is perfectly sorted, with jars of tea and bags of coffee beans placed meticulously about. The wall is adorned with what appears to be short hand drawn musings (“Even Tough Kids Drink Coffee”) and cartoonish depictions of animals. A large bull skull hangs on the wall adjacent to half-full whiskey bottles and kitschy vintage pieces. The Triumph motorcycle sitting in the middle of the shop among the seating hammers home Bellwether’s retro-working class aesthetic.
Below a bright neon “Somewhere” sign, steep stairs lead to just one of Bellwether’s surprises: an underground event space currently hosting a gallery of motorcycle-related art shown to celebrate the fifth issue of META magazine—a very good looking visual motorcycle lifestyle magazine. The downstairs hosts many events, including live music and art shows.
Back up from the rabbit hole, the last part of Bellwether’s beautiful space is revealed. Located behind a closed door conveying a wonderful speakeasy feeling is the barbershop and private social club. The well-lit area takes you instantly back to a past era of neighborhood barbershops and gathering spots, but the modern tinges still remain. Adjacent to the barbershop is a private work room readily available for the use of Bellwether social club members, two comfortable couches and more lovely hand drawn wall art. The space is warm and inviting, serving as the cherry on top of the shop’s already great event space and bar.
One of the most unique aspects of Bellwether is their social club membership. For $10 you can become a member and be privy to full access to the shop’s work spaces, VIP events, drink giveaways and specials, a private “Member’s Only” back entrance and monthly exclusives.
The bar serves Boxcar and Sweet Bloom Coffee, creating most of the regular coffee shop drinks (this writer had a Macchiato—$3). The bar also serves different local whiskeys for the 21 plus crowd. The clothing boutique showcases Ruckus Apparel (the clothing brand of the store’s owners), For Love and Lemons and Red Wings boots, among others.
Bellwether is a bright spot on Denver’s map—it brings something new to the community, pairing its various services together to form an almighty spot for the hip Denverite. One can’t help leaving the space without feeling like they are welcome; Bellwether exudes neighbourly emotion (the shop regularly helps out in the community through charity drives and providing haircuts for those in need). Bellwether seems to want to be the sort of place where everyone knows your name, and not only is that admirable, it is one of many reasons why this writer will soon be returning.
Bellwether is located at 5126 E. Colfax Ave. Its hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Be sure to book an appointment in advance for a haircut.
