The Best Milkshakes in Denver (2026): Cereal Shakes, Souvenir Jars and Boozy Malts
Denver has plenty of great ice cream and surprisingly few great milkshakes. Here's the short list of places that actually do shakes well.
Denver has plenty of great ice cream and surprisingly few great milkshakes. This is the short list of places that actually do shakes well, from a jar you take home to a whiskey malt you shouldn't drive after. Everything here was confirmed open in October 2026.
The quick picks
- Best overall: MyKings IceCream on Colorado Boulevard.
- Most over the top: The Yard Milkshake Bar downtown.
- Best boozy shake: Steuben's Uptown.
- Best build-your-own boozy shake: Milkbox Ice Creamery at Union Station.
MyKings IceCream, Colorado Boulevard
The best shake shop in the city, and the ratings back it up: 5.0 stars across more than 470 Google reviews. MyKings is a Black-owned shop at 2851 Colorado Boulevard that opened on March 1, 2020, right before everything shut down, and it made it. It runs a dozen rotating flavors and builds custom shakes with more than 20 toppings to pick from. Look for the cereal milkshakes, which have been a signature since it opened. Hours have been limited in the past, so check before you go.
The Yard Milkshake Bar, downtown
The spectacle. The Yard sits at 1600 California Street off the 16th Street Mall, and every shake comes in a decorated mason jar that you keep. There's a rinse station so you can clean the jar before you take it home.
The Denver-only shake is the Rocky Mountain: Happy Tracks and cookies-and-cream ice cream with marshmallow and chocolate drizzle, in a chocolate-iced jar rolled in chocolate rocks, topped with whipped cream, Pop-Tarts and crushed Oreos. It runs 1,812 calories. If you came here looking for a cake shake, The Yard has a Birthday Cake one too.
It's built for photos and for splitting. Plan on roughly $20 a jar.
Steuben's Uptown, 17th Avenue
The adult option. Steuben's has run a boozy shake menu, and the standout is the Double Double, made with malt whiskey and malted milk. Ask what's on the boozy list when you go. It's best in a booth on a cold night. Find it at 523 East 17th Avenue.
Milkbox Ice Creamery, Union Station
Inside Union Station at 1701 Wynkoop Street. Milkbox does a few set boozy shakes and lets you build your own from a list of spirits. It's also the easy pick if someone in your group is vegan, since it carries vegan scoops. It's a good way to kill time before a train or after a Rockies game. Union Station anchors our LoDo neighborhood guide.
If you just want ice cream
Two Denver classics are better known for scoops than shakes:
- Little Man Ice Cream is the one with the giant milk can at 2620 16th Street in LoHi, with 4.7 stars across 6,000 reviews and a summer line to match. It now has locations across the metro.
- Sweet Action at 52 Broadway does one-off flavors and a strong dairy-free lineup.
Shake tips
- Split the big ones. The Yard's jars are a two-person dessert.
- Ask whether they'll make it a malt. Malt powder makes most shakes better.
- Go boozy after dinner, not before. A whiskey malt hits harder than it tastes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best milkshake in Denver?
MyKings IceCream at 2851 Colorado Blvd, a Black-owned shop with 5.0 stars across more than 470 Google reviews, known for its cereal milkshakes.
Where can I get a boozy milkshake in Denver?
Steuben's Uptown has run a boozy shake menu, and Milkbox Ice Creamery at Union Station lets you build your own with spirits.
Where can I get a cake shake in Denver?
The Yard Milkshake Bar off the 16th Street Mall has a Birthday Cake shake, served in a mason jar you keep.
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