This Friday, April 4, is opening day for the Colorado Rockies. The team plays the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, the team is not what people are talking about this season. Since this is also the 20th anniversary of Coors Field, what fans really want to see is the new Rooftop bar that has sprung up above right field. DrinkDenver received a sneak peak.

Introducing us to the new facilities is Rockies Owners and CEO Dick Monfort. He says the changes have been planned for three years and that this was just one of many changes the stadium has made.

“Every year we’re trying to keep this stadium up,” he said. While some stadiums make changes every 20 years, costing millions of dollars, Monfort says at Coors Field, they are constantly updating and working on ways to make the stadium a fun and comfortable experience for fans. “We want to keep it current,” he adds.

Monfort also said that the Rockies had wanted to “do something” with the upper deck seats for some time. The few times the stadium even used those seats was for high profile events like the MLB All-Star game in 1998 and when the Rockies made the World Series in 2007 and the playoffs 2009. The question was what to do with that space.

Monfort and other Rockies reps made visits to other parks, such as Baltimore and Boston, to get ideas. A trip to Marlins Park in Miami provided the spark. Marlins Park had several open concourses that overlooked the field and Monfort noticed they were packed with people. The team decided to do something similar, but on a much larger scale by using the entire upper deck. Construction began almost the minute the Rockies finished their last game of the 2013 season. Because the team wanted to keep the structure and flooring in place, a giant crane was used to pull out the seats from above. The area now looks more like an outdoor lounge with cushy seating, a fireplace, and dozens of TVs. The deck overlooks the field with spectacular with views of the Denver skyline and Rocky Mountains.

“The sight lines are incredible,” adds Monfort.

Coors Field has partnered with two outstanding local restaurants for the Rooftop. Oskar Blues’ CHUBurger Restaurant will offer “craft” burgers made with Colorado grass-fed beef from the Oskar Blues Hops & Heifers Farm in Longmont. Chef and Manager Jason Rogers says it takes only one week for the beef from Longmont to end up in a burger in Coors Field. The menu currently features burgers with or without American cheese and stuffed with tomatoes, pickles and onions, house-made ketchup and a delicious “secret sauce.” Rogers says they hope to add a bison burger and a veggie soon. CHUBurger will also offer a chocolate shake that adults can order “loaded” with a shot of Stranahan’s Whiskey.

The Tavern, another popular Denver restaurant, has added its touch to the Rooftop. The Tavern bar is 52 feet 80 inches long, in honor of our city’s height above sea level, and has 52 beer taps serving 20 beers. Obviously most of the beers are from MillerCoors:  Coors, Coors Light, Blue Moon, Killian’s, Molson, Batch 19, Colorado Native and Summer Shandy from Leinenkugel. Colorado craft beers include Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues, 90 Shilling from Odell’s, Avery IPA, Denver Pale Ale from Great Divide, Hazed and Infused from Boulder Beer, and Fat Tire and Ranger from New Belgium. The Sandlot, the brewery inside of Coors Field, provides Right Field Red and Batter’s IPA. Blue Moon’s seasonal beers will be the bar’s only rotators.

The Rooftop will offer the Batting Practice Happy Hour two hours prior to the first pitch of every game. Sixteen ounce Coors and Coors Lights will be $3 and 16 ounce Colorado craft beers will be $6. After the first pitch, beers will grow to 20 ounces and cost $7. The Rooftop will also have a featured cocktail, the Purple Margarita. Made with your choice of Cuervo or Patron tequila, this slushy concoction will be a lovely shade of purple to match the home team jerseys.

Another new restaurant is just below the Rooftop. Rio on the Rocks is a branch of Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant and will offer its famous margaritas at the ball park. You can order one frozen or on the rocks and the bar will also offer a strawberry and a mango margarita. Just like in the restaurants, however, only three margs per customer. Rio on the Rocks is on the Mezzanine level above centerfield. Another new partner with Coors Field is Marley Coffee. Founded in 2007 by Rohan Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley, he recently moved the company’s corporate offices to Denver. Be on the lookout for Marley Coffee bike carts in the stadium and on the 16th Street Mall.

Anyone, regardless of their seat section, can have a drink at the Rooftop, but you must have your ticket to enter. Fans can also buy $14 general admission standing room-only tickets just for the Rooftop and the price includes a $6 concession credit.