Close Menu

Totally Boulder Beverages

Boulder's got its own slant on all things food and drink, and the town's homegrown brews, cocktails, spirits and wines below are no exception. With a focus on health, adventure and a love for the outdoors, you'll feel like a local by trying these quintessentially Boulder beverages.

Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks

A little buzz, no headache. These low- and no-alcohol bevies are just the ticket for weekend warriors and adventure seekers who like to be up and at ‘em early.

• If you need to unwind, The Root Kava Bar is the place to do it. The kava plant — part of the pepper family — has been cultivated for thousands of years in the South Pacific and is said to reduce stress and ease anxiety while increasing mental focus and aiding muscle recovery. Grab a traditional kava drink, made from ground-up kava root, or explore the rest of the menu, which offers kombucha, fruit tonics, ginger beer, tea, herbal and regular coffee, and house-made vegan Mexican hot chocolate.

• You'll be hard-pressed to find a more fun place to grab a (non-alcoholic) drink in Boulder than Jungle. Fruity flavors, playful glasses and a relaxed environment make this spot an excellent place to unwind. The fact that they offer Seedlip, a non-alcoholic spirit, as a flavorful substitute for alcohol in any mixed drink, is the cherry on top of this alcohol-free old fashioned.

Oak at Fourteenth has an entire low-alcohol beverage section on its menu. When asked about the selection, co-owner Bryan Dayton noted that the restaurant has so many athletes come through that it’s important to have a range of beverages that they feel good about.

The Tune Up Taproom & Espresso Bar has several non-alcoholic beers on their menu as well as a 2% grapefruit shandy, plus all sorts of coffee and tea drinks. Hang with fellow cyclists at happy hour or trivia night for some fun without sacrificing before tomorrow's workout.

• The north Boulder taproom of BOCO Cider offers a blueberry lemonade "Rev Kombucha" and Rocky Mountain Soda Company root beer on their tasting menu. All of BOCO's drinks are free of gluten and added sulfites. To health!

• At Tonic Alchemy Lounge, you can’t help but be transported to another, much more chill universe. Sip on crystal flower chakra elixirs, flavored water kefir (a probiotic beverage), Ish’s Brew (a honey-based, kombucha-like drink), or an herbal cocktail. Add a puff of flavored oxygen to the mix for an extra lift.

• What happens when you brew iced tea like you would beer? The folks at Hoplark wanted to find out and stumbled upon a tasty alternative to beer with their sparkling HopTea. Find it at most local grocery stores. 

• Downtown's favorite tea shop, Ku Cha, now has ready-to-drink canned ice teas and kombuchas. They’re available at local retailers like Dedalus Wine Shop & Market and Lolita's and in their own store. They also have flowering infusions and boba...if that's more your cup of tea. 

Ku Cha Flowering Teas

• The kombucha brewers at Boulder's Rowdy Mermaid have recently launched a line of adaptogenic-infused kombuchas, providing mushroom-boosting immunity without the earthy taste. If you're not feeling so adventurous, you can enjoy a regular kombucha, which has all the refreshing fizziness of a beer, with just a teensy trace of alcohol. Try it at restaurants and grocers around town.

• Boulder's food truck park, Rayback Collective, has a robust menu of mocktails, non-alcoholic beers and kombucha. Grab a bevie and play some yard games or sit around the outdoor firepits.

What is kombucha anyway?
Pronounced kawm-boo-chah, it is simply fermented tea that’s full of probiotics, beneficial yeast and enzymes. It’s effervescent, cold, light (often under 50 calories a serving), a bit tangy and refreshing. Boulder is home to several kombucha companies. Be brave and try it!

Ancient Libations

Some of Boulder's most interesting drinks have a historical slant to them — fitting for a studious university town. 

Avery Brewing consults with a "beer archaeologist," Travis Rupp (who also teaches at the University of Colorado Boulder). Rupp studies the beginnings of beer in the ancient world and uses his findings as inspiration to create new brews at Avery and other local brewries. 

Avery Brewing Company

• Mead, a drink made from fermented honey, is likely one of the world's oldest alcoholic beverages, with evidence linking its consumption back to ancient Africa, Europe, Asia and Greece. Boulder's Redstone Meadery brilliantly carries on the tradition with varietals like Juniper Berry Mountain Honey Wine, Sunshine Nectar and Nector of the Hops. Stop by their tasting room to try them.