One part professional baseball team and three parts entertainment, the Savannah Bananas — sometimes referred to as the Harlem Globetrotters of the national pastime — will take over Coors Field on Saturday and Sunday for their unusual blend of sports and spectacle.
And while it was tough to get tickets for the sold-out “games,” bars and restaurants around the park will celebrate all weekend with a variety of banana-themed drinks and dessert specials.
Ambler, 1801 Wewatta St.
The restaurant, located within the Hotel Indigo, will serve the Chunky Monkey cocktail ($10), made with Plantation 3 Stars rum, crème de banane, crème de cacao and house-made banana milk, along with a non-alcoholic Banana Slam ($5), made with house-made banana milk, fresh-squeezed orange juice and pineapple. It will also have house-made banana cupcakes topped with caramel Chantilly cream and a brûléed banana slice.
The Corner Office, 1401 Curtis St.
Located in the Curtis Hotel, the bar and restaurant is dishing out a “decadent” bananas Foster with beignets featuring flambeed banana, rum-butter-brown sugar sauce and Stranahan’s whiskey brickle ice cream ($13).
Cornicello, 1800 Wazee St.
This ice cream bar inside the Denver Milk Market food hall will have frozen chocolate-covered bananas for $6 each all weekend.
Deviation Distilling, 1821 Blake St.
Meanwhile, Deviation Distilling in the adjacent Dairy Block has two cocktails to get you ready. The Banana Stand ($14) is made with Deviation’s own Vanilla Spice Trade Gin, lemon and caramelized banana syrup, while The Split-Decision ($14) features banana peel-infused bourbon, demerara sugar syrup, vanilla and walnut bitters.
McGregor Square, 1901 Wazee St.
There are a couple of places to go bananas inside McGregor Square, which is hosting watch parties on both Saturday and Sunday across from Coors Field. At Milepost Zero, you can get your drink in the official Savannah Bananas souvenir cups (the only place to find one outside of Coors Field). Try the Banana Stand, which comes with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, banana liqueur, lime and demerara syrup ($18 with cup).
At The Original, also at McGregor Square, you’ll find the Banana Hammock, a creamy banana coconut martini featuring Rumhaven Coconut Rum, Coco Real, banana liqueur, and pineapple ($13). The menu also boasts a banana split with vanilla ice cream, bruleed banana, chocolate and caramel sauce, chopped peanuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top ($10).
The Nickel, 1100 14th St.
Banana Caramel Challah French Toast is the meal of the day at The Nickel inside Hotel Teatro. It is made with challah bread and topped with banana, caramel and whipped mascarpone ($16).
Poka Lola Social Club, 1850 Wazee St.
The Hollaback Girl cocktail at Poka Lola is, as Gwen Stefani would say, b-a-n-a-n-a-s. It’s made with brûléed banana-infused Dickel bourbon, Plantation pineapple rum, Smith & Cross rum, cacao and tiki bitters ($16). Also located inside the Maven Hotel, you’ll find the Bananas Foster XoCo Taco — a crispy waffle cookie with peanut butter, chocolate and bananas Foster ice cream ($10) at Kachina Cantina; and banana pudding at the Yellow Fix popup.
Rioja, 1431 Larimer St.
This Larimer Square standard bearer will be serving Bear Necessities ($15), featuring banana-infused Scotch, amaro Montenegro, Giffard Banane du Brésil and Turkish bitters. (Giffard Banane du Brésil “is a liqueur made from the slow maceration of bananas, mostly from Brazil, natural banana flavorings for an intense aroma, and enhanced by a hint of Cognac,” the restaurant said.)
Ultreia, 1701 Wynkoop St.
The Union Station Spanish tapas bar and restaurant is serving Banana Entremet ($5), with layers of banana sherry mousse, Cracker Jack rice crispies and a white chocolate shell in a mini-banana look-a-like bite.
Wynkoop Brewing, 1634 18th St.
The storied brewpub will offer BOGO prices on its beers with banana flavors. They are: Wixa Weiss, a classic German-style wheat beer with aromas of clove and banana; and This Bxxr is Bananas, which the brewery calls “a playful take on banana bread with hints of caramel, spice and bready malt.”