Williams & Graham will open at the Denver International Airport (8500 Peña Blvd, Denver, CO 80249) in the spring of 2023, according to founder and renowned barman Sean Kenyon.
Kenyon, a third-generation bartender who’s been on the working side of the rail since he was 16, started Williams & Graham in 2011. The neo-speakeasy is entered through a bookshelf that’s flush with its nearly identical counterparts — only identifiable once it unfurls to welcome you in. Once inside, a sultry & balmy blanket created of perfectly dim lighting and well-considered wood envelopes you.
Kenyon’s Williams & Graham serves an array of enticing cocktails, small plates, and desserts, with dreamy selections like their Blackberry Sage Smash – a concoction of Woody Creek Rye Bourbon, blackberries, sage, lemon, and sugar. In terms of fare, W&G plates up things like roasted bone marrow and a crème brûlée waffle.
With a delicious haunt on our hands, What Now Denver thought it necessary to catch up with Kenyon about Williams & Graham at the DIA – especially when it comes to preserving the bar’s quiet charm near a bustling runway. Here’s what he had to say:
WND: Will you be truncating or changing the menu to match the airport’s pace?
Kenyon: The mechanics that go into making some of the drinks will take place behind the scenes. For instance, we’ll probably end up intelligently batching some of the ingredients so we have the ability to execute quickly. At Williams & Graham, we don’t batch a single thing; we make everything one ingredient at a time. People come to us to see a little bit of the artistry of the drink, and we want to maintain that. So, our menu probably won’t be as extensive.
WND: Do you have any concerns as far as bringing Williams & Graham to the DIA?
Kenyon: No, not at all. We’re going to have plenty of oversight and control because we want to ensure quality; we want to be able to stand behind our airport product and stand behind our name.
WND: Will you keep up the hidden-door aspect at the airport?
Kenyon: Yes. We’ll still have the opening bookshelf entrance and the host/book clerk who will let you in. At our [flagship], you step inside and it’s definitely a suspension of reality because there’s this grand bar behind a tiny little bookstore. At the airport, we want the interior to be like an airport lounge for people without an airport lounge membership; we want it to be the place to go. It will be comfortable, hospitable, and [high quality].
WND: What is your favorite beverage on the menu? Favorite dish? Is there a secret menu?
Kenyon: People love the Blackberry Sage Smash and the roasted bone marrow. Little insider secret: Once you’re done with the marrow, we use the shaft to serve up a shot of sherry or tequila like a luge. Also, the bacon jam we put on our bone marrow, order that on your burger.
