3 Mocktails to Try Ahead of Sundown Colorado This Weekend

Healthy nightlife is on the rise, especially in Colorado. Sundown Colorado, the alcohol-free music festival taking place in downtown Denver on Sept. 24, is inviting those who are sober and sober-curious to check out what it means to “party positively.”

Sundown will be the perfect place to explore a wide range of alcohol-free beverages all in one night. Attendees can sip on award-winning and alcohol-free beer and wines from Gruvi, or cheers their friends with delicious pour-over mocktails from Spiritless. Each festival ticket includes complimentary drinks from RUNA, Liquid Death, Suja and many more. Colorado’s newest sober bar, SPIRIT, will also be serving creative mocktails all night long. 

303 Magazine, Sundown Colorado, mocktails

Photo by Davey Daydream

303 Magazine asked various Sundown sponsors to share their favorite spirit-free cocktail recipes that Denverites can sip on ahead of this year’s festival.

Jalisco 55 Basil Smash-arita

Photo courtesy of Spiritless

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Spiritless Jalisco 55
  • ¾ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
  • ½ oz. Agave Syrup
  • 2 Sprigs Basil

Recipe:

Shake and strain the liquid into a coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with one sprig of basil.

Denver Spiritless Mule

Photo courtesy of Spiritless

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ oz. Spiritless Kentucky 74
  • ¼ oz. Lime Juice
  • 4 oz. Ginger Beer

Recipe:

Combine all ingredients in a mule mug and add ginger beer. Gently stir and garnish with a lime wheel and sprig of mint.

Rosé, Lavender & Pomegranate Sour 

Photo courtesy of Gruvi

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz of Grüvi Rosé  (chilled)
  • .5 oz of lemon juice
  • 1 oz of pomegranate juice
  • 1.5 oz of lavender simple syrup
  • 1 cup of filtered water
  • 1 cup of cane sugar
  • 2 tea bags of earl grey
  • 1 ½ tbsp of dried culinary lavender
  • 2 tbsp of aquafaba (*Aquafaba is typically used instead of egg white for a drink — it’s just made from the leftover water in a can of chickpeas)

Recipe: 

For simple syrup: Combine syrup ingredients together in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for about five minutes. Remove from heat and let the flavors infuse. Discard the lavender before using it. Make ahead to allow flavors to infuse more.

In a cocktail shaker or mason jar, add the aquafaba and shake for 30 seconds.

Add in the juices, simple syrup and fill with ice, then shake for one minute.

Add rosé into a champagne flute or coupe glass, then strain in the juice mixture. For a fun garnish, top with cotton candy and sprinkles.

Sundown Colorado is an alcohol-free music festival taking place on Sept. 24 from 2 – 11 p.m. at The Tivoli Quad (1000 Larimer St, Denver). For more information, click here.