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"I've learned that in Five Points a new inventive craft cocktail bar will open in early April at the base of The Lydian apartment complex under Chokedee (Champ) Buabucha and Jorgé Ortega, with theatrical, modern-technique cocktails as the focus. One highlight is the Empress—made with Hennessy cognac, yuzu juice, and ginger purée, then drenched with liquid nitrogen so its consistency becomes akin to melted sorbet and can be eaten with a spoon. They also use Grand Marnier foam (topping a simple margarita of tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and agave, finished with fresh orange zest whose aroma "fills the room") and build martinis on a base of cotton candy that becomes part of the cocktail when poured; martinis will be made to customer preference. Daytime offerings will include La Colombe coffee and pastries from The Source and Denver Central Market, but cocktails remain at the heart of the concept; Buabucha and Ortega—who previously worked under José Andrés at The Bazaar in Beverly Hills—say this will be different in flavor and ingredient but similar in method. The 30–35-seat space on the first floor adjacent to The Lydian lobby will allow guests to drink in or carry cocktails into the lobby, and Buabucha expects an early-April opening with a friends-and-family discount during the first week." - Georgina Rupp