Fort Collins updates the soda-fountain tradition with spiked shakes: hand-scooped ice cream, a shot of something, and a burger alongside on Jefferson Street.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Old Town's retail blocks once ran on soda fountains, and Union Bar and Soda Fountain deliberately revives the form on Jefferson Street with housemade sodas, floats and milkshakes that take a pour of whiskey or liqueur without complaint. The mid-century room plays it straight, burgers and all, which makes the spiked shake feel less like a gimmick than a restoration. Big Al's, a few blocks away on Mountain Avenue, keeps the alcohol-free hand-scooped tradition running for purists.
Common allergens: Dairy
Tip from the editors. Blend in pulses and stop early; alcohol lowers the freezing point, so an extra ten seconds turns the shake to soup.
Union Bar and Soda Fountain crosses a mid-century soda counter with craft cocktails on Jefferson Street in Fort Collins: burgers, floats and boozy shakes.
Order: A burger and a breakfast-hour float
Tip: Housemade sodas and boozy milkshakes are the point; vegan and gluten-free menus are marked. Happy hour weekdays 15:00-18:00.
More cities are in research. Want boozy milkshake covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.