After all the wine’s been washed, the bubbly sipped, and the champagne clinked, Denver finds itself needing a bit of a boozy breather. The two-month holiday bender starting on Halloween and rolling til’ New Years results in a month-long hangover: January. However, with these local bars debuting non-alcoholic drink lists, your Dry January could be well on its way to an alcohol-free February.

Several times have we been to Barcelona Wine Bar (2900 Larimer St., Denver). Many times, we’ve even broken a glass or two. But never have we been without having a single sip of wine. Barcelona’s inaugural non-ABV drink, the Bees and Bays, is a sweet, spicy and citrusy sipper with lime, salted honey syrup and warming cardamom. Tumbled with ice and topped with sparkling water, it’s garnished with two smoky bay leaves. The best part about the Bees and Bays is that it’s an untouchable non-ABV – unable to be modified with any type of alcohol. While many guests request for an added shot of vodka or tequila, the staff at Barcelona will instead suggest a separate cocktail meant to highlight those specific liquors. Bees and Bays is meant to emphasize the complexity and craft of all included flavors – just sans alcohol.

Both Denver Punch Bowl Social locations (65 Broadway and 3120 N. Uinta St in Stapleton) offer an entire menu – The Sodas, Fizzes & Ades — of zero-proof cocktails. Featuring the Palm Tree Shade, with pineapple and tropical spice infused coconut water, mint syrup, fresh lemon juice and aquafaba, you’ll feel like you’re sipping on your favorite patio pounder. Even better, you can sip it out of a bowl. Most interesting and noteworthy on the menu is The Florist’s Tonic. The tonic is based with Seedlip Garden 108 Distilled non-alcoholic spirit, providing the bite of a distilled liquor, but still leaving the alcohol content at an almost unbelievable 0%.

While Barcelona and PBS were the only locations we could check out, we also have to include the following noteworthy locations featuring NA mixers:

GM Adam Monette and the Millennial-gen leadership team at Flagstaff House (1138 Flagstaff Rd, Boulder) also created a menu of Alternative Mixed Drinks (purposely not referred to as NA). The cocktails are carefully crafted for thoughtful dinners interested in celebration. The drinks are then paired to complement the chef’s Three Course Tasting menu without alcohol. Think cutting edge flavors and combinations like the Pear Pressure with pear purée, fresh lemon, frothy egg white and lemon Italian soda for a bubbly finish; Honey I’m Home, a healthy powerhouse punch with lemon, turmeric, honey and ginger; and the Ye Old-Time Fashioned with the flavors of cherry, orange, grenadine and coke.

If you’re planning a dry January, you won’t want to miss bartaco’s (1048 Pearl St Suite 101, Boulder) house-made aguas frescas ($3). It’s a flavorful mocktail with the perfect combination of ginger grapefruit, nojito and pomegranate limonada – you’ll find yourself ordering more than just one. Pair it with one of bartaco’s rice bowls (a chicken pastor or ahi tuna) and chips and guac.

Chef Bill Espiricueta at Smōk (3330 Brighton Blvd., Denver) located in the Source Hotel Marketplace oversees a bustling hive of a restaurant. While churning out some of the city’s best barbecue, his creative beverage menu isn’t anything to slouch at either. The menu is designed to surprise guests with something a little more elevated than the typical “beer-and-whisky” most would expect from a barbecue joint. Recently added to the menus are two refreshing, citrusy, no ABV beverages that are as delicious as they are beautiful. Try the Cucumber & Lime or the Ginger & Lemon when you’re looking for sparkly and celebratory alcohol-free drinks to go with your burnt ends, brisket tacos, or jalapeño cheddar poppers.

By Jenna McGoldrick