Mocktail tour offers crawl for the sober curious

Dry January is a time when many drinkers choose to rest their livers and focus on their health. But that doesn’t mean sacrificing fun, according to local Steve Schneiter.

Schneiter is the founder of the Denver Microbrew Tour, which has taken drinkers on walking tours of some of the city’s hottest brewery districts — samples included — since 2009. This month, he’s adding a sober-friendly twist with his first Dry January Mocktail Tour.

The excursions (which are only scheduled through January) take attendees to bars in Denver’s River North Art District that offer non-alcoholic libations yearround. The goal is to support sober and sober curious individuals while also helping sustain bars, which typically see a drop off in business around the turn of the year.

“What we’re trying to do is show people that you don’t need alcohol to have a good time,” Schneiter said. “We’re trying to be more inclusive of people not drinking and non-alcoholic drinks have come a long way. (The scene) is different than even five years ago.”

Schneiter points to Connecticut-based Athletic Brewing Co. as one example of the N/A movement. The company, which is known for booze-free brews like Run Wild IPA, ranked as the No. 13 craft brewery by production volume in 2022, according to the Brewers Association.

Experts say abstaining from alcohol, even temporarily, boasts numerous health benefits from better sleep to improvements in heart and liver health to a more mindful outlook on drinking.

The Dry January Mocktail Tour takes place on Saturday afternoons starting on Jan. 13 and includes visits to Ratio Beerworks, Noble Riot wine bar and kombucha bar Blind Tiger by Hooch Booch. Each stop includes several samples of non-alcoholic beverages. (Other stops may be added, Schneiter said.)

Additionally, attendees get an insider’s guide to local street art throughout the walking tour, which traverses about a mile. Each tour is limited to 14 people and tickets cost $55 at denvermicrobrewtour.com/mocktail-tour.

If it’s successful, Schneiter would like expand beyond one month each year.

RACHEL WOOLF — SPECIAL TO THE DENVER POST Mocktails have gone mainstream with a consumer movement toward mindful drinking. The Dry January Mocktail Tour in Denver aims to highlight where they’re available not just one month, but year-round.