This tipsy onion sitting in a cocktail glass was on the front cover of the menu at The Blue Onion cocktail lounge in the 1970s. We’re assuming this is a sign the drinks were generous at this location.

The cocktail lounge was attached to the Blue Onion restaurant in Denver, Colorado, and was run by a couple called Babe and Don whose names are also on the front cover.

Typical of the time, the menu was American and Chinese. We were intrigued by the word ‘warmein’ in the noodle section and we think this meant using spaghetti noodles instead of Chinese egg noodles.

Blue Onion cocktails cost 75c and the short wine list noted: The Correct Wine Is The Wine You Like!

From old comments we found on the internet, Babe and Don were generous hosts and entertainment came in the form of a pianist called Reggie.

The Blue Onion was originally the Colefax Motor Lodge, opened in 1947. Babe and Don ran the place in the 70s and 80s and after that there were three different restaurants and a nightclub at the location. The building was demolished in 2020.

It’s the humor of this image, of course, that makes it special – it’s everything we like about vintage menu art.

Gallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson archival inks. Custom printed with border for matting and framing.