DENVER — At stylish lounges across Colorado, the clinking of cocktail shakers is still strong, but not everything being mixed behind the bar carries a buzz.
“Today I was going to make a jasmine tea-based blackberry Pimm’s cup,” said bar lead Kyle Fanfoni at the swanky cocktail lounge Room for Milly in Denver’s Platte Park neighborhood. “These blackberries were harvested from our garden.”
Fanfoni and Room for Milly are capitalizing on a growing trend. At the same time, bottomless brunches and boozy blowouts still reign. These days, many Coloradans are ordering up carefully crafted mocktails in equally elegant glasses.
“I don’t prefer alcohol at this point,” said Jess Santistevan, who was recently out with friends at the uber glamorous, somewhat hidden Cooper Lounge on the second floor of Denver’s Union Station before a Rockies game. “I just don’t like the way it makes me feel.”
Instagram-worthy sips, without the buzz 📸
Even for many of those who still drink occasionally, moderation is becoming the norm.
“Nobody’s going out and having four or five drinks anymore,” Fanfoni said. “It’s a very calculated night for a lot of people.”
“The mocktail trend is obviously huge now,” said Courtney Perkins, lead bartender at Cooper Lounge.
“I read an industry newsletter the other day that said of the Gen Z, 45% of them don’t drink at all,” said Don Hammond, owner of State 38 Distilling in Golden.
“You have to keep up with what’s on Instagram these days,” Fanfoni said of the trends.
While millennials helped make craft cocktails and microbrews mainstream, Gen Z appears to be fueling the sober revolution, turning to “zebra striping” (alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) or opting out of booze altogether.
“So, we call this the Sleeper Cell,” Perkins said as she mixed up a mocktail behind the bar at Cooper Lounge. “It is based on kind of a spicy raspberry margarita. It includes fresh muddled raspberry as well as some fresh muddled pepper. And it has a spirit, too, but the alcohol is distilled out. We use Seedlip, which gives all the flavor without the buzz. That way, you can enjoy the taste you’re used to. And then you have a beautiful drink that’s not just a cup of juice.”
“Gen Z sees millennials as a bunch of bearded, tattooed drunks, and they don’t want to be anything like them,” said Darrin Duber-Smith, retired marketing professor from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
The decline of beer, bourbon, and the big buzz 🍺
Nationwide trends mirror Colorado’s changing drinking habits. According to the National Brewers Association, craft beer sales declined by 4% in 2024, marking the third straight year of losses. Meanwhile, ready-to-drink cocktail sales soared by 35%. Liquor giant Diageo reported sales of Bulleit Bourbon down 7%, while Campari, which owns Wild Turkey, reported those sales down 8%.
“Tiny drinks are also trending,” Fanfoni said. “You can do mini martinis.”
“Having a drink like a mocktail that looks like a cocktail allows people to relax in a social setting,” said Maile Loughridge, general manager at Cooper Lounge.
“We are evolving with the times. We love our customers, so we want to give them what they want,” said Katie Hill, marketing director at Upslope Brewing in Boulder, which has now added a non-alcoholic craft light that mimics Upslope’s flagship Craft Lager.
Golden's mini bottles, major shift 🍾
Out in Golden, State 38 Distilling is stirring things up, as well, rethinking how and what they sell. In addition to full-sized bottles, they’re packaging their spirits into smaller, trial-sized samplers.
“We started to see folks changing and saying – we don’t want to buy a full bottle,” Hammond said. “So, we created 100 milliliters 3-packs of each of our spirit lines.”
This pivot paid off; sales are up 125% over last year.
“Instead of spending $55 on a single bottle of whiskey, you can spend $30 and have three 100 milliliter whiskeys that you can try,” said Hammond.
State 38 is also fueling Colorado’s canned cocktail craze by supplying spirits for brands like Denver-based Uncle Tim’s Cocktails.
“So, we basically shifted and said, ‘Okay – this part of the market is shutting down – where are the opportunities?” Hammond said. “So, you have to be nimble. How do you say, ‘Okay, the door closed over here – did the window open over here?”
Berkeley Alley: Brewing something different in Denver 🍹
Tucked neatly into a pristinely kept alley behind Tennyson Street, the newly women-owned Berkeley Alley Beer Co. is tapping into new ideas, while keeping craft beer on the menu, as well.
“We’re brewing a West Coast IPA in the morning, that’s why I have the grain out,” said Berkeley Alley co-owner Liz Hess as she gave us a tour of the brewery room.
“Was there any hesitancy on your part to buy a brewery when trends are changing?” asked Denver7’s Russell Haythorn.
“Yeah, I mean, of course. I don’t think there’s ever a time you’re not nervous when you buy into a business or start a business,” said Chelsea Rhoads, the other half of the now women-owned Berkeley Alley.
“You’ve got a lot of non-alcoholic insurgents happening,” Hess said. “So, we’re bringing in coffee, non-alcoholic, mocktails – even just seltzer water.”
Hess and Rhoads purchased Berkeley Alley in June and are in the process of obtaining a permit as a licensed brewpub, allowing them to expand their offerings beyond beer while remaining true to what brought the brewery here in the first place.
“There’s still a craft beer following, I would say,” Rhoads said. “That would be silly if we didn’t think there was.”
“It doesn’t matter what you’re coming in drinking,” Hess said. “We should have something for you. We really just want to be a fun place to come hang out.”
Upslope Brewing’s Snowmelt strategy 🥂
In Boulder, Upslope Brewing is raising the bar by pivoting to new strategies. Their Spiked Snowmelt hard seltzer, which launched in 2019, is now the top-selling Colorado-made hard seltzer in the state.
“We launched our Spiked Snowmelt in 2019 and since that time we have actually launched 10 different flavors,” said Ryan Cobb, sales director for Upslope Brewing.
Upslope is also getting into the hard tea game.
“This is our Argentinian Arnold Palmer if you will,” Hill said. “It’s pure leaf yerba mate. We’ve just decided to expand our footprint into different beverages beyond craft beer."
“Craft beer as a whole has certainly seen a decline this year and for the last couple of years,” Cobb said.
Cobb says innovation is key these days
“Your Gen Z that’s coming in, they’re the ones that are kind of abstaining a little bit more than that millennial group,” Cobb said. “And our non-alcoholic was a response to double-digit growth in the non-alcoholic category over the last few years. And that has seen tremendous positive response.”
“I think it’s so interesting that you’re embracing it almost rather than ignoring it?” said Haythorn.
“Absolutely,” Cobb said. “You’re trying to always find the next home run. People are choosing to drink less or drink more responsibly.”
The health perspective: "I recommend that every patient abstain."
Dr. Josh Long, a bariatric surgeon at AdventHealth Parker, views the alcohol-free trend as more than a lifestyle choice – it’s a form of preventative care.
“Alcohol does cause a litany of health issues affecting almost every organ system in the body,” Long said. “I recommend that every patient abstain.”
“What about this idea that a glass of red wine a day is actually good for you?” Haythorn asked.
“What that seems to be is more due to the antioxidants in some of the natural botanical compounds found in the grapes,” Long said. “So, if you drink grape juice, or you eat grapes, you get the same benefit.”
“So, you’re on board with this sober curious movement?” asked Haythorn.
“I think it should be more than curious,” said Long. “Especially if you like living.”
Cocktail culture without the hangover 🍸
Mocktails aren’t just an alternative; they’re an experience.
“This is a mocktail thing. This is your time to shine. Any one of our mocktails has at least five or six ingredients. It’s very well-composed and not just juice in a fancy glass.” Fanfoni said. “Mocktail sales at Room for Milly have doubled in the last year. But – that said – they’re still only 2-3% of our total sales.”
“And ‘zebraing,’ having an alcoholic cocktail and then a mocktail, is a very awesome transition for those who are trying to be more mindful,” said Loughridge.
The joy of staying sober
Many mocktail fans say skipping the booze is better for their lifestyle.
“It doesn’t bring me joy,” said a mocktail drinker named Maddie who was enjoying a night out with friends at Room for Milly. “Like, I don’t enjoy it – so I prefer staying sober, and I love waking up; I love my crisp mornings, and I just feel way happier.”
“I just prefer being sober at this point,” Santistevan said. “Being the designated driver. It helps a lot with other people.”
Mocktail in one hand, car keys in the other – and Santistevan’s friends are in complete support of her decision.
“It’s certainly a healthier choice,” said Shannon MacLeod, Santistevan’s friend who is visiting from Scotland. “Cirrhosis of the liver. It’s a really big problem in the Highlands (Scotland), where I’m from. And it’s great knowing a sober driver because you never have to worry about getting a taxi home. Or getting the last bus.”
“No one’s going to ask them – why are you just drinking a Coke?” said Loughridge. “It really fits a perfect puzzle piece in our menu. Without any of the consequences that you don’t want.”
As Hammond put it: “If life throws you lemons, make a cocktail” - or, some say, a mocktail—your choice.
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