Top 6 Dry January Hotspots That Don’t Sacrifice Flavor For The New Year

MAKfam Offers Zero Waste Mocktails

Ginger Orange Blossom Fizz:
Ginger Peel tea, Lime, Orange Blossom Water, Fizzy Water.
Bar Manager Grace Tomczak began utilizing ginger peelings from the kitchen that would have otherwise been thrown away. Creating a tea from the ginger peels provided an earthier and robust flavor with a touch of umami. Combined with Orange Blossom water provides a symphony of flavors for this popular mocktail that has quickly become a neighborhood favorite

Don’t Be So Jaded: 
Housemade NA Pineapple and Mandarin Cordial, Green Tea, Spirulina , Lime.
Another cocktail that helps eliminate waste, housemade mandarin-vanilla syrup is made from fresh juiced mandarins and canned pineapple. The cordial utilized in this mocktail includes pineapple skins, pulp, and Mandarin husks generated from juicing. Sugar is added so the fruit scraps macerate for a few days and the sugar extracts all remaining juice and oils from the otherwise unusable scraps. Earthy, tannic green tea balance out mocktail to create a buzz worthy drink without the buzz.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Venzara | 300 Suns Brewing

Colorado Brewers Guild Member Low ABV and NA Offerings

300 Suns Brewing:

Electric Raccoon Golden Ale: Mild honey-like aromas complement malty sweetness (4.5% ABV)

Something Lite Japanese Lager: Light-bodied with subtle floral notes of Jasmine rice, crisp (4.5% ABV)

Andiamo Brew:
A new brewery on the scene making exclusively sub 4.0% abv beers, which are also inspired by the founders’, cousins Brian Terra and Kevin Barnes, Italian heritage. Check their website to find where you can find their beer on tap.

Barquentine Brewing Company:
This Edgewater brewery that has a beer called Sloans Lake Yacht Club, which is a 2022 World Beer Cup Silver Medal winner. It comes in at 4.6% ABV

Bruz Beers:
This Denver brewery has two locations and they focus on Belgian-style beers. They have a whole sessionable beer section on their website which includes beers like Colorado Mesa Beer (Farmhouse table beer), Czech Dark Lager, both under 5%.

Cohesion Brewing Company:
Cohesion is a brewery that focuses on Czech beer and lesser known styles while also using local ingredients and brewing techniques to add their own flair to the beer. They have quite a few low ABV beers that you can check out here.

Photo courtesy of Horse & Dragon Brewing Company

Horse & Dragon Brewing Company:

The Dark Horse Dark Lager: Don’t let the color fool you, this dark lager is full of surprises. An all German malt bill lends a depth of malt complexity to its body, with a touch of oak smoked wheat bringing each flavor together. A unique mashing technique was used to impart all of the dark color with only a hint of dark malt flavors, leaving this 5% ABV beer incredibly smooth and drinkable. All of this balanced with German Saaz hops, and you can bet the house on this Dark Horse!

Golden Root Beer (NA): Savor the melded flavors of spices, roots, and herbs in this no-artificial-colors, non-alcoholic golden root beer! It tastes just like the dark root beer you might love — only better!

Watermelon-Apricot Sparklinger Water: The latest in H&D’s rotating tap of nuanced and refreshing non-alcoholic sparkling waters

Liquid Mechanics Brewing:

Creamy Fookin’ Pints: A dry 4.4% ABV Irish stout with creamy, roasty and chocolate undertones

Cerveza Mecanica – This 2023 GABF silver medal winner is a Mexican lager that is crisp, clean and crushable at 4.8% ABV. This beer is also available at select Front Range liquor stores. Photo credit for both images goes to Liquid Mechanics

Launch Pad Brewery:
Northern Lights is a 4% ABV crisp and refreshing light lager that has a smooth and clean finish and lower calorie count to help you maintain balance post holidays. Enjoy the night, keep it light!

Odyssey Beerwerks:
Cerveza Del Mar is a 4.7% ABV Mexican-Style Lager that is brewed with sea salt and a touch of lime. This year-round beer is available in the taproom and at participating liquor stores in the Front Range and Summit County. Photo credit goes to Odyssey Beerwerks

Photo courtesy of WeldWerks Brewing Company

WeldWerks:
Itsy Bits is the sessionable, lower ABV version (5.1% ABV) of Juicy Bits, the highly popular hazy IPA that put WeldWerks on the map. This beer is a 2019 GABF silver medal winner and is brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, much like its older sibling, with notes of sumo citrus mandarins, tropical pineapple, vanilla whipped cream, and satisfying finish. This beer is currency available at WeldWerks, as well as at participating retailers, while supplies last.

Westbound & Down Brewing Company:

Westbound Italian Pils: Dry-Hopped Pilsner at 4.9% ABV

The Coloradan – Mexican-Style Lager at 4.9% ABV. This beer is a top seller at Westbound & Down taprooms due to approachability and how well it pairs with food. 2023 GABF® Bronze – American Cream Ale

Photo courtesy of The Fort

The Fort

Staying true to tradition, The Fort serves Colorado’s first non-alcoholic drink, the prickly pear cooler or colonche, which was enjoyed at the South Platte River fur trade forts. The refreshing mocktail is made with prickly pear syrup and fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice, making it perfect for sipping all season long.