Security cameras monitor an extensive list of products stocked on those protected shelves, including batteries, lightbulbs, laundry detergent, pregnancy tests, deodorant, candles, medicine and baby food. Patrons pay at one of two dedicated check-out counters before being handed receipts and continuing their shopping trips.

The anti-theft measures at the store, 757 E. 20th Ave., don’t surprise some shoppers: “They call it ‘Un-Safeway’ for a reason,” Alex Haskins told The Denver Post in the parking lot, repeating a common nickname for that location.

Major supermarket chains are ramping up their efforts to prevent stealing by restricting access to certain aisles, installing merchandise lock boxes, hiring security guards and more. Corporate spokespeople point to retail crime as a major problem for the grocery and convenience store industries, though several declined to discuss measures at specific stores in Denver.

“Different products experience different theft rates, depending on store location and other factors,” said Amy Thibault, a spokesperson for CVS Pharmacy. “Locking a product is a measure of last resort.”

Often, such actions come as an inconvenience to customers, with the new security protocols recognized as nationwide annoyances. The union representing Colorado grocery store workers says they’re Band-Aid solutions to larger problems: shortages of employees and security.

“Locking up merchandise can be an effective theft deterrent, but it underscores the need for more staff and more security in our stores,” said Kim Cordova, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7. “With limited staff, customers face delays in accessing products, leading to frustration that often falls on our essential grocery store workers.”

The grocery industry, which is making less money now compared to recent years, predicts it will shell out more cash to hire and keep employees through benefits, training and other measures, according to the industry publication Grocery Dive.

Last year, the industry’s profit margin — 1.6% — was about as low as percentages before the COVID-19 pandemic years, which sent margins up to as high as 3% in 2020, when Americans spent months under lockdowns.

“It’s a marginal business. We work at the margins,” said Pete Marczyk, the co-founder of Marczyk Fine Foods. He runs a locally owned grocer with two locations in the Uptown and Hale neighborhoods.

His small business isn’t spared from theft — and he feels the financial hits personally.

“To us, it’s rent money,” Marczyk said. “That’s the money I need for tuition for my kid.”

Denver neighborhoods with highest theft rates

In Denver, several stores that have implemented some of the most extensive anti-theft measures aren’t located in neighborhoods with the highest reports of shoplifting offenses at supermarkets.

From Aug. 1, 2023, to Aug. 1, 2024, the Central Park neighborhood had the most larceny reports at local stores, with 98, according to the Denver Police Department. Union Station followed with 45, then Montclair with 37, Baker with 31 and Hampden with 14.

Five Points — home to the Safeway store with cordoned-off aisles — didn’t make the top 15 neighborhoods, ranking 17th.

But perhaps owing to the store’s past experience with crime, a security patrol car was parked by the entrance on a late August afternoon while an officer talked to a customer by a car in the parking lot. And on a recent weekend, just inside the entrance, a security guard and an employee confronted a man they suspected of theft.

Creating a store within a store for certain products is a less-common approach, but Safeway has implemented the setup at some other locations — and customers who commented on a recent Denver-specific thread about the practice on Reddit had no shortage of opinions.

Albertsons, the parent company of Safeway, didn’t respond to requests for comment about its strategies to prevent stealing.

Several miles away, the protocols at a King Soopers location in the Central Park neighborhood — No. 1 on the police’s list for grocery thefts — felt relatively normal this week.

A sign at the front of the store, 10406 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., informed patrons that receipts were required when exiting the building. It banned the indoor use of suitcases, duffel bags and roller bags. In small print at the bottom, the sign said: “These enhanced safety measures will help combat crime.”

The store itself offered an upscale shopping experience, with sushi and cheese counters. Security cameras watched overhead, but infant care items, medicine, vitamins, toys and wine sat openly on display. Only cosmetics and detergent were stored under lock and key.

A security guard stood at the exit, but he didn’t make a move to check receipts.

Jessica Trowbridge, a spokesperson for King Soopers and City Market, declined to provide details on their anti-theft practices “to preserve the integrity of our security measures.” But she said stores work with law enforcement to fight crime.

“We are disappointed by the increased level of crime across retail establishments,” Trowbridge wrote in a statement. “We have recently deployed additional solutions to help prevent and deter illegal activity, and although early in implementation, we have received positive feedback from associates and customers.”

Other well-known brands keep their theft-prevention tactics concealed from the public.

“Some products are subject to additional security,” said Kelsey Bohl, a spokesperson for Walmart. “Those determinations are made on a store-by-store basis.”

Companies offering business security to the grocery industry are more direct about potential strategies. InVue, a North Carolina-based technology company, highlights several methods to prevent shoplifting, including employee training, inventory checks, security tags, smart locks and more.

At a Walgreens location at 120 N. Broadway on the edge of the Baker neighborhood, the security measures were pronounced.

Lock boxes were common along many of the aisles, making facial products, perfume, deodorant, games and dietary supplements inaccessible unless a patron pressed a customer service button to flag down an employee.

The impact of crime was also apparent: Shoppers entering and leaving the pharmacy on Tuesday were greeted by a busted window covered with plywood.

“Retail crime is one of the top challenges facing our industry today,” said Megan Boyd, a spokesperson for Walgreens. “These additional security measures allow us to improve on-shelf availability of products to customers.”

“It really is almost fruitless”

At some big-name stores, it’s largely business as usual.

The Berkeley neighborhood’s Safeway location, 3800 W. 44th Ave., sits in a quiet shopping center near a State Farm Insurance office and an Anytime Fitness health club. Vitamins and detergent are within arm’s reach. The only items locked away are premium wines, including bottles of Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon.

The neighborhood recorded just four larceny offenses at grocery stores over the last year, DPD’s data shows.

For now, smaller retailers operating in the Denver area are keeping their items unlocked, too.

At the 7305 N. Pecos St. location of the Hispanic grocery chain Lowe’s Mercado, toiletries, laundry detergent, wine and beer are readily available to patrons, with only jewelry and medicines like NyQuil shielded in display cases.

Marczyk Fine Foods’ stores use security cameras, barcode tracking and employee training to mitigate stealing, which Pete Marczyk estimates happens about once a day.

Since the pandemic, he said, he’s noticed a lack of police presence in the city, and his business can’t afford its own high-level security guard. Customers shouldn’t expect lock boxes throughout his stores, he said, in part because expensive products, such as ribeye steaks, are already behind glass.

“We don’t have the financial wherewithal at our size,” Marczyk said, “to really take steps beyond making sure, as much as we can, that our employees are safe and that customers feel safe when they come in our stores.”

The silver lining is that with only two locations, they’re often not targets of organized theft. And Marczyk Fine Foods more often handles nuisance issues.

But Marczyk knows that he’s not alone in his challenges. He recalled watching a woman run out of King Soopers with a cart of groceries while a security guard looked on.

“It really is almost fruitless,” Marczyk said. “If somebody’s going to walk in and steal from you, they’re going to walk in and steal from you.”

Get more business news by signing up for our Economy Now newsletter.

Through Saturday. This weekend’s well-named Bananasfest brings trickster stand-up Kurt Braunohler (“The Big Sick”) and screenwriter Scotty Landes — both hosts of the “Bananas” podcast — to Denver for some extra-weird laughs. After Braunohler plays Comedy Works downtown Sept. 5-6, he’ll mount the Saturday, Sept. 7, Bananasfest in LoDo’s Larimer Square.

The free, public event promises “strange and stupid events throughout the day,” such as a dog parades, friendship speed dating, an inflatable obstacle course, dunk tank, Drag King Bingo, and “setting weird world records.” There also will be local craft vendors, food trucks, a live DJ and stand-up. Start early with the 10 a.m. Splitty in the City downhill 1K at Denver Beer Company on Platte Street, which ends at Larimer Square just in time for the festival start at noon.

That night at Comedy Works, there’s also a live taping of podcast; the 7:30 p.m. show is sold out. 1225 16th St. in Denver. Tickets for Braunohler’s other stand-up shows are $20-$32 at 303-595-3637 or comedyworks.com. RSVP for free Bananasfest tickets at gumpoppresents.com/bananasfest.

Nature Play opening at City Park

Tuesday. After two years of construction and stolen glances behind temporary fencing, the public can finally enjoy City Park’s new Nature Play playground and educational area. The elaborate, artful ecological display on the park’s southeast side recreates Colorado climates and geographies as it follows the path of a historic waterway, showing native plants, pollinators, rocks and more. It also, of course, features a slide, climbing structures, swings and other kid-friendly features, as well as work from Colorado artists.

The public can attend the free, opening-day party at Denver Museum of Nature & Science from 3 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10. General admission will be free starting at 3 p.m. and “there will be nature-themed games and activities as the fencing that has surrounded the 4-acre area for almost two years finally comes down,” organizers wrote. The official dedication starts at 10:30 a.m. that day near the Bighorn Sheep sculpture. Visit dmns.org for more.

A free, international folk-arts party

Saturday. Music, crafts, food, dance and more are on tap for the 48-year-old International Heritage Festival, which presents folk dances “developed in the immigrant communities of the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century as a way for immigrant communities to maintain a cultural tie to their native communities.”

So what does that look like? From polkas to African dances, with cultures represented from Mexico, India, Germany, Lithuania, Scandinavia, Africa and Indigenous America. Put on by the long-running Colorado Folk Arts Council, the event is free for all ages, and open to the public. It takes place in Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District, 6501 W. Colfax Ave., from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7. Visit internationalheritagefestival.org for more.

35th Friendship Powwow at DAM

Saturday. The reliably great Friendship Powwow returns to the Denver Art Museum for its 35th year on Saturday, Sept. 7. The free, kid-friendly event features Native American dance competitions, “hands-on activities for the whole family” and prize drawings, as well as artists, food, clothing and vendor booths, according to a statement. There’s also a jewelry-making activity with Tara Gover in the museum’s Creative Hub 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Grand Entry, when all the dancers perform together, will begin at 11 a.m. inside the Martin Building’s Sie Welcome Center and Sturm Grand Pavilion, organizers said. Admission for all is free at the museum that day, at 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway in downtown Denver. denverartmuseum.org

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.

Now, on to blue cheese vs. ranch …

5 can’t-miss classics

Piper Inn

The Piper Inn has been many things over its decades at the border of Denver and Aurora, but it currently stands as a favorite gathering place for assorted crowds, ranging from bikers to post-soccer game families and everything in between. Spirited, friendly and nostalgic, you’ll want to sit down, and watch the game (and your fellow patrons) while you enjoy wings that have been on Denver’s list of favorites for years. Medium-sized, they run 10 for $16, and 20 for $32.25, and come in classic Buffalo, garlic dry-rub and Chinese-style (made with oyster sauce).

2251 S. Parker Road, Denver; piperinn.com

CD’s Wings

CD’s Wings isn’t new — the Westminster shop has been around since 2003 — but it has expanded its profile recently, bringing the heat to another part of town, Aurora, in early 2024, and with plans to add a third location in Parker later this year. Which is just fine with CD’s loyalists. The most popular flavor here is traditional hot Buffalo, but CD’s also serves around 20 other flavors, including cajun, lemon peppers and a house sauce. CD’s has won various local contests for its dry rubs and its fiery No 1 Left Standing sauce. Wings here are 5 for $8 and 10 for $14.

7685 W. 88th Ave., Westminster and 6710 S. Cornerstone Way, Aurora; cdswings.com

The Wing Hut

The wings at this 21-year-old fast-casual spot can run smaller, but what they sometimes lack in stature, they make up for in flavor — many, many flavors. Just for starters, there’s sweet and sour, honey lemon pepper, salt and vinegar, teriyaki, pad thai, spicy peanut, hot honey mustard, raging barbecue, chili lime ranch, pesto-parmesan, xxx hot and many, many more, for a total of 45-50 different kinds. Family-owned, The Wing Hut is also a perfect stop before heading to Dry Dock Brewing nearby for a beer to cool down the xxx flames.

15473 Hampden Ave., Aurora; winghutaurora.com

Woody’s Wings & Things

These are the kind of wings that inspire people to log onto Yelp for the first time, just so they can give them five stars. Woody’s is an Asian restaurant with a vast menu of Chinese dishes, along with many from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. But the spot is also known far and wide for its wings, which are large and often quite spicy. Flavors include Szechuan and Lemongrass peanut.

6817 Lowell Blvd., Westminster; woodyswings.eatintakeout.net

Fire on the Mountain

The welcoming, Grateful Dead-themed wing spot has two locations in Denver, both run by friends of the company’s founders, who operate another two in Oregon, so the business is as local as they come. Opinions vary on the size and style of the wings, but for the most part, they stand out for their consistency and flavors, which include upward of 15 choices, including spicy peanut, raspberry habanero, bourbon chipotle and Jamaican jerk. Like Walters 303 and King of Wings (both below), you also find a heady selection of craft beers on tap. And get those orders in early on Super Bowl Sunday, when Fire on the Mountain is at its busiest.

3801 W. 32nd Ave. and 300 S. Logan St., Denver; fotmdenver.com

Smoked wing superstars

Split Lip: An Eat Place

Split Lip was created by Ultreia chef and owner Adam Branz as “a platform for classically trained chefs to conceptualize and cook casual food through their professional lenses.” In other words, the walk-up counter, which is located inside the Number Thirty Eight bar and venue, does flavor-packed versions of things like burgers, chicken sandwiches, tater tots and wings — but in ways you’ve simply never tasted before. Split Lip’s wings follow suit. There are two versions, one made with an Alabama-style white barbecue sauce (vinegar, mayo) and one with Road Dawg hot sauce from Colorado’s own Sauce Leopard. Both versions are brined for 24 hours before being smoked and then fried over a two-day process. You can find them there anytime, but hint, hint: Split Lip has a massive outdoor LED screen (and other TVs) for watching Denver Broncos games.

3560 Chestnut Place, Denver; splitlipeatplace.com

G-Que Barbeque

Many barbecue restaurants make wings — sometimes as an afterthought. But the version at G-Que Barbecue gets just as much attention as everything else. There are a variety of sauces available, including classic Buffalo and a sauce of the week. But it’s the dry-rubbed wings that really allow the smoked flavors to come out and shine. Five wings are $8, and 10 are $15.

7085 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood, and multiple other locations; gquebbq.com

Smok

Chef Bill Espiricueta has lived in both Kansas City and Austin, so he knows his barbecue. In 2018, he began selling it from Smok, located in The Source Hotel, and last year, the restaurant was recommended in the inaugural Michelin Guide to Colorado. But beyond the brisket and the burnt ends, the pulled pork and the ribs, you’ll also find some of the most smoke-imbued hot chicken wings in town. There are two flavors, Buffa-Q sauce and Jerk dry rub.

The Source Hotel + Market Hall, 3330 Brighton Blvd., Denver; denversmok.com

Grilled or baked wings

King of Wings

King of Wings has a ride-or-die following, and there’s a good reason for that: the wings here are really good. But they’re not fried like traditional wings. Rather they are grilled, which gives them a more rustic flavor that pairs well with the sauces, including three new ones: lemon pepper, hot agave lime buffalo, and white Alabama barbecue. Six for $12 and 10 for $18.

7741 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge and 1100 Arapahoe St., Golden; kingofwingstaphouse.com

Walter’s 303 Pizzeria & Publik House

Solid, flavorful, consistent. The wings at Walter’s are like an old friend. You know what to expect, and you like it. They’re not cheap; like several other spots in this story, the wings — which are baked rather than fried — run more than $2 each (8 for $16:50), but they sure are good. Flavors include Italian-style Buffalo, mango habanero, hickory and sriracha honey, along with a dry rub.

Two Denver locations (Uptown, Lowry), Littleton, Colorado Springs; walters303.com

Esters

This south Denver neighborhood pizza spot has grown to three locations, and each one has a lot of fans. Some like it as a sports bar, others as a family dinner restaurant, and more still as a happy hour destination. But among Esters‘ virtues are its oven-baked wings. You can order Buffalo, or try one of the stellar rotating seasonal flavors such as blueberry habanero or the peanut butter and jelly wings, which are covered in green onions and peanuts.

1950 S. Holly St. and 2201 Oneida St., Denver, and 10151 W. 26th Ave., Wheat Ridge; estersdenver.com

5 great football-day deals

Rocky Top Tavern

This is it. This is the spot where everything you want in a football bar comes together in perfect harmony: TVs, pool tables, a neighborhood feel that’s one step up from a dive, friendly staff and Buffalo wings that even a native of upstate New York might begrudgingly respect. Plus the food here, including those spicy, meaty, well-fried wings, is consistently inexpensive, so the Rocky Top Tavern doesn’t need to offer special deals. They already are one. Get six wings for $8; 14 for $18 in a variety of flavors. Oh, and cans of Modelo are $4.

4907 Lowell Blvd., Denver; rockytopdenver.com

ShaWING at Tavern on 26th

ShaWING is a Buffalo-born enterprise, and this season, the truck will post up at the Tavern on 26th in Wheat Ridge for every Buffalo Bills game. The bar offers plenty of TVs along with pool, darts and other games. ShaWING’s wings, which are crispy and come in various degrees of Buffalo, run about the middle of the price range: 4 for $8, 8 for $15, 12 for $22. But during the first two games of the season, anyone in Bills gear gets 20% off of in-house orders. P.S. ShaWING makes no bones about its feelings for Vikings fans or ranch dressing.

10040 W. 26th Ave., Lakewood; bestwingsdenver.com

The Post Chicken & Beer

The Post — founded in Lafayette and now with six locations on the Front Range — is known for its fried chicken and its house-made beer, but the restaurant also offers football specials every Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Thursday when there are college or NFL games on. They include 75-cent wings (on orders of 10 or 20 with a limit of 20 per order) at all of its locations. They come in Buffalo sauce, black pepper BBQ, Nashville hot, spicy gochujang or a dry rub.

1575 Boulder St., Denver, and five other locations; postchickenandbeer.com

Campus Lounge

This old-school bar is going on 50 years — and you may mind some regulars who have been drinking there for all of them (even after a pair of renovations???). On Mondays, the Campus Lounge offers all-you-can-eat wings starting at 5 p.m., which is perfect timing when it comes to Monday Night Football. The wings here are smoked, and you can get them with a dry rub or with one of several sauces, including “Everything Bagel,” which is top-notch.

701 S. University Blvd., Denver; campusdenver.com

The Pub on Pearl

Is your team playing on Thursday Night Football? If so, then The Pub on Pearl has you covered with 50-cent wings starting at 5 p.m. every Thursday. Customers need to be 21 since the deal is predicated on the purchase of a drink. It’s also in-house only. But that’s a bargain any way you look at it. The neighborhood sports bar has plenty of TVs for other sports as well.

1101 S. Pearl St., Denver; facebook.com/thepubonpearl

3 great delivery/pickup places

Genna Rae’s Wings & More

Opened in 2016 by Genn Dickerson, this spot serves everything from barbecue to burgers and sandwiches, but it’s the wings that have received the most attention, especially recently as more people order in. You’ll find a wide variety of homemade sauces, including honey hot, garlic, and BBQ, but since Dickerson is from the Virgin Islands, it’s worth your while to try the ones with jerk sauce and other island flavors, like pineapple mango habanero. Get six for 11.50 or 12 for $17.

1819 E. 28th Ave., Denver; gennaraeswings.com

Taste of Philly/Famous Philly

Taste of Philly has been putting together cheesesteaks in Colorado since 1993 and eventually merged with Famous Philly, becoming a takeout/delivery-only local chain during the pandemic. And while they specialize in sandwiches, their wings are above average when it comes to classic football food. Plus, you can get 20 for $25, which is a deal in this day and age. Flavors include Buffalo (mild, hot and not responsible), garlic parmesan, barbecue and mango habanero.

Multiple locations; tasteofphilly.biz

Vine Street Pub

Like a lot of things post-pandemic, the wings at Vine Street Pub aren’t the same enormous breaded masterpieces that they were beforehand. But the brewery and pub, which reopened in June after a four-year hiatus, still does a great job cooking and spicing their wings. Vine Street doesn’t have any TVs, though, so if you want to eat these wings while watching football, you’ll have to call in advance and order them to pick up.

1700 Vine St., Denver; mountainsunpub.com

3 Asian wings

Ace Eat Serve

We’ve got a soft spot in our heart from Ace Eat Serve, which started up a delivery app-only side project during the pandemic — as many restaurants did — called Wing Alley. Those wings helped us get through the stay-at-home nights when we wished we were heading out. These days, Wing Alley has been folded back into the Uptown restaurant’s regular menu, but you can still find some of the flavors, including the sweet and spicy Tiger Wings and the Lucky Dragon Wings, made with spicy chili mayo and sesame seeds. They’re not cheap, at $15 for 6, but they are quite tasty.

501 E. 17th Ave., Denver; aceeatserve.com

Angry Chicken

Like many other Korean fried chicken spots, Angry Chicken has crossed over into “Western” flavors, and even divides its menu that way. The wings here are chunky and double-fried (although you can get them baked) and come in a variety of flavors from classic Buffalo and spicy barbecue to Korean-style sweet and spicy, honey garlic and Angry sauce. They cost $10 for 6 or $26 for 20, but sauce is extra, ranging from $1 to $2.50 depending on the size of the order.

1930 S. Havana St. #13, Aurora; angrychickenco.com

The Pork.let

The Pork.let is an Aurora restaurant that specializes in katsu-style breaded chicken and pork cutlets and “tornado” fried rice, but like a lot of Korean restaurants, see Angry Chicken (above), it also does wings in spectacular fashion. The versions here come in a multitude of flavors, like garlic bomb, Korean sweet chili, honey butter, cheesy dust, creamy Buffalo and more. And they are huge — and perfectly fried. An order of 6-9 pieces is $14.

12201 E. Mississippi Ave., Aurora; instagram.com/the_pork.let

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

Until recently, NA offerings weren’t widely available at bars. But that’s changing both in response to shifts in consumers’ drinking habits and broader education about no- and low-ABV products, categories that continue to grow. Gone are the days when folks who wanted a sober beverage needed to settle for something from the soda gun. Bars and restaurants, including fine dining establishments, now offer robust menus of NA cocktails, alcohol-free beers that stand up to the real thing, and even tasting menus that substitute traditional wine pairings for NA beverages.

“The thing you’re seeing and that is overdue is more sophisticated versions of non-alcoholic drinks. So rather than calling everything a virgin-something, we’re really starting to see the craft cocktail movement embrace non-alc,” said Jump, a celebrated local mixologist who served as the bar manager at the local Death & Co. in Denver for four years.

Jump is a leader in this space. This summer, she was named the Best U.S. Bar Mentor at the Spirited Awards, part of the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans, for her “unwavering efforts to prioritize health and wellness in the hospitality industry.”

Jump does that, in part, through Focus on Health, an organization she co-founded in 2020 that offers services to help enrich the lives of hospitality workers, from mentorship and scholarship programs to harm reduction training, non-alcoholic beverage consulting and even run clubs.

One of its initiatives is the Low/No Tour, a traveling pop-up series that educates bartenders on non-alcoholic products, how they’re made, and how they work in recipes. Education also gets put into practice in each city when the pop-up opens to the public and serves original no- and low-ABV cocktails. Proceeds from the events support other nonprofits in the space.

Started in 2023, inspiration for the No/Low Tour came from Jump and her partners’ desire to create more inclusive spaces within the hospitality sector – and not just for customers. The tour annually travels to about a half-dozen U.S. cities and coincides with other industry events, like Tales of Cocktail and Portland Cocktail Week, offering professionals an alternative to boozy bacchanalia.

“There are people in our industry who do not drink or do not want to drink as much, and we’re not creating opportunities for them to thrive when doing these big events,” Jump said.

Plus, the more bartenders become knowledgeable about non-alcoholic spirits and RTDs, the more options customers will have when they belly up. One that’s trending as of late is the multi-course tasting menu paired non-alcoholic beverages instead of wine.

In May, Jump collaborated with Denver restaurant Koko Ni on a seven-course dinner in which each dish featured a pairing from one of three different NA brands. For example, the restaurant served a flatiron steak and mushroom entree with a cocktail blending Three Spirit Nightcap NA elixir, marigold, chicory and beet. The asparagus appetizer came alongside a libation made with sencha tea, yuzu and Mahala, a botanical NA spirit.

Hansel Morales, Koko Ni’s beverage manager, and Jarmel Doss, beverage director for its parent company FAM Hospitality, developed the recipes for the non-alcoholic pairings. Much like a wine pairing, they sought to create profiles that both complemented and contrasted the food. They also wanted to hit flavors and textures that represented the ingenuity of alcoholic cocktails.

“We also had this intention that non-alcoholic (drinks) are not just sodas and juices. People want something that is lower sugar content, that feels more sophisticated and more elegant,” Morales said.

Koko Ni often partners with local breweries and distilleries on dinner pairings, and Morales hopes to do more NA ones soon, too. The demand is clearly there. Most stats point to Gen Z, which drinks less than its predecessors, but Jump said the majority of people who indulge in NA offerings also still consume alcoholic beverages — as much as 78%, she said citing proprietary data collected for the NA brand Ritual.

“If you’re a tasting restaurant and you’re offering pairings, but not non-alcoholic pairings, you’re just leaving money on the table,” Jump said.

While fine dining restaurants and upscale bars are currently leading the way, she hopes to see non-alcoholic drinks become menu mainstays because it makes good business sense. With an ever-growing inventory of products to choose from, including ready-to-drink cocktails, it’s never been easier to integrate into a bar program.

“Fifteen years ago, you couldn’t go to every bar and ask for a Last Word,” she said about the gin-based cocktail that has become popular in recent years. “You could argue 10 years from now, you go in anywhere and ask for a non-alcoholic Last Word.”

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

The company is expanding to Phoenix under the moniker Formation Brewing., said CEO Robert MacEachern. Construction is currently underway on an existing 10,000-square-foot building in an art district called Roosevelt Row. He anticipates it will open before the end of 2024.

The expansion to Arizona enables the 13-year-old beer maker to build a regional presence while also helping grow the local craft beer scene there, MacEachern said. He sees many similarities between Denver and Phoenix – including vibrant communities centered around music, art and the outdoors – that make the latter city an attractive destination for expansion.

Plus, there’s plenty of opportunity for growth in the beer market, MacEachern said. “The maturity of the Denver market is about five years ahead of Phoenix. We see a lot of opportunities to really drive our brand.”

The crux of that strategy is embedding in the local culture and community, and creating products with “Phoenix flair,” he added. That’s why the company opted to start Formation Brewing instead of opening a satellite DBC location with “Denver” in the name.

When it opens, Formation’s facility will house a 10-barrel brewhouse turning out a variety of styles of feed the onsite bars’ 24 draft taps. It will also have six serving tanks plus additional beverage options like hard lemonade and wine. Formation’s core lineup will consist of four beers: a West Coast-style India pale ale, a pilsner, a hazy IPA and fruited ale with peach. Those will likely also be available in cans and sold to-go from the taproom.

DBC, which has five taprooms in Denver, Arvada and Littleton, is known for creating large gathering spaces, and Formation will be no different. The taproom will include an indoor-outdoor patio and a roughly 3,000-square-foot mezzanine with a bar and seating. The kitchen there will serve burgers, sandwiches and salads, as well as Detroit-style pizza using local ingredients.

“Nothing says drink a few beers like pizza,” MacEachern said.

Once open, Formation Brewing hopes to become a community hub and participate in neighborhood events like First Friday, when live music echoes from nearly every street corner. Eventually, it hopes to begin distributing packaged beer throughout the market.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

When a bunch of guys in suits walks into a small business, it usually means one of two things: The bankers are there to repossess the place, or someone important is about to walk through the door.

On March 12, it turned out to be the second option at Ratio Beerworks in Denver.

Ratio brewer Bess Dougherty was there that day, and she watched as Vice President Kamala Harris strode into the brewery, at 2920 Larimer St. (Her motorcade was allowed to remove the barricades that have closed off the street outside since 2020.) She was in town to talk up President Biden’s agenda and to give a speech.

But after chatting with brewery owners Jason zumBrunnen and Scott Kaplan about pandemic-era small business loans, she wanted a tour of the 9-year-old facility. So zumBrunnen pointed to Dougherty and suggested she lead Harris, who became the Democratic nominee for President on Aug. 5, into the back to check out the brewing equipment and production area.

After that, Harris asked to buy (yes, buy) a six-pack of a beer that is “unique to Ratio,” and walked out with King of Carrot Flowers, Dougherty said. The cantaloupe-colored saison, brewed with elderflower and pressed carrot juice, is a Great American Beer Festival gold medal winner. The vice president’s husband, Douglas Emhoff, is reportedly a fan of craft beer, she added.

Was the experience nerve-racking? Maybe for some. But this wasn’t Dougherty’s first encounter with a White House VIP. A decade earlier, when she was working as a brewer at Wynkoop Brewing, Dougherty hung out with then-President Barack Obama, who was in Denver for a fundraiser. The two talked about home brewing and the White House home brewing system.

The difference between the two meetings? The Secret Service was a little more uptight when it came to Obama. Oh, and while he had a few sips of beer, Harris declined.

Not only that, but “she had a calming energy,” Dougherty explained. “In this job, I’ve been able to meet politicians and musicians, a lot of musicians, and really, they are all just humans.

“It’s rad to meet someone in that position,” she added.

But, back to the beer. King of Carrot Flowers has an interesting backstory. Like all of Ratio’s brews, it is named for a lyric or song. In this case, zumBrunnen, who was the Ratio’s head brewer when the business opened in 2014, had picked the name before creating the recipe. But that recipe took root in 2017 when Ratio brewed an experimental elderflower beer for a festival, Beers Made By Walking, which focuses on using ingredients grown locally.

That led to more experimentation and then a carrot and elderflower beer brewed specially for EatDenver’s Harvest Week, a dinner series highlighting independent restaurants and businesses working within Colorado’s food chain. (The 15th annual Harvest Week takes place Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse; go to harvestweek.com for more information.)

King of Carrot Flowers – smooth, with a touch of sweet vanilla, and a balanced profile not often present in food-based beers – was a hit with customers at the taproom. Personally, I liked it so much that I included it in a published list of my favorite beers of the year.

It would remain a taproom specialty, however, until 2020, when Ratio began to can it once a year – then twice a year. In 2023, “that carrot beer,” as customers sometimes call it, sold so well that the brewery decided to begin canning it year-round. Last month, those cans hit Boulder (Ratio’s first market outside of Denver); it will eventually be available in more Colorado cities.

“It’s been so validating to see how popular it is,” said Dougherty, who was one of the first women to work as a brewer in Denver’s craft beer industry and who worked her way up through the industry over the past 10 years, creating recipes and leading projects for several companies.

So, while Harris may not be thinking about King of Carrot Flowers during the convention this week, a lot of people in Denver will no doubt be voting for it as one of their favorite beers.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

Thursday-Saturday. Nothing puts one in a tropical mood like pineapple and coconut, which is why Adrift Tiki Bar & Restaurant, 218 S. Broadway, is bringing back Painkiller Week, offering two signature cocktails served with a heaping helping of island ambiance.

Both are made with Pusser’s Rum, the company that popularized the cocktail in the British Virgin Islands during the 1970s. The first is The Standard ($16) with two kinds of rum, fresh pineapple and orange juice, house-made cream of coconut, and fresh nutmeg. The second is The Elevated ($25), made with similar ingredients and served in a hand-cranked coconut and with a spike of incense. Reservations are highly encouraged. More information at adriftbar.com.

Wuthering nights

Thursday-Sunday. If you appreciate Victorian romance novels, Riot Grrrl music and an irreverent attitude, then Gin & Gothic: A Brontë Rocktale might make for a fun weekend evening. Presented by Band of Toughs at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, the mashup of a “theatrical adventure” features “literature’s favorite Victorian novelists in an evening of romance and live music with a splash of sibling rivalry,” according to organizers.

The show follows the Brontë sisters (some of whose works you read in high school English) “as they conceive some of the most influential literature of the 19th century, confront their critics and each other, and rock out.” Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 15-18 and again on Aug. 23-24. Tickets ($34 for general admission) are available at axs.com. The Ellie is located at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1400 Curtis St.

Peachy keen

Friday-Saturday. There are two ways to celebrate Colorado peach season this weekend. The first is the 56th annual Palisade Peach Festival, on the Western Slope, which runs Friday, Aug. 16 from 3 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Attendees will find food trucks, a vendor market, a bar, cooking demos, live music on the Peach Jam Stage, and more. A peach-eating contest takes place Sunday at 11 a.m. The fest takes place at Riverbend Park, 451 Pendleton St. in Palisade. Get tickets and information at palisadecoc.com.

The second is the 25th annual Lafayette Peach Festival, where you’ll find all kinds of food — fresh peach pies, peach cobbler, and peach hand pies — and activities, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Public Road in Old Town Lafayette.

There will also be peach trucks stationed at various locations with more than 30,000 pounds of peaches from Morton’s Organic Orchards, Tate Orchards, Palisade Organic Peach Ranch and Green Barn Fruit.

Raise a toast

Saturday. Two local breweries celebrate major milestones on Aug. 17. Joyride Brewing in Edgewater notches its 10th anniversary with a parking lot party featuring live music, a food truck and plenty of special beer releases, including collaborations with Odell Brewing, Barrels & Bottles, Cannonball Creek and Woods Boss. Joyride, 2501 Sheridan Blvd., is also celebrating the reopening of 25th Avenue, which was closed for construction for several months.

Meanwhile, Great Divide Brewing will honor its 30th anniversary with its own party. The Denver stalwart throws down at its Barrel Bar location, 1812 35th St., from 2 to 6 p.m., with beer releases (including barrel-aged offerings, hard seltzers and this year’s fall specialties), food trucks, music, flash tattoos and more. Great Divide will also be temporarily bringing back some of its long-gone classics, like Claymore Scotch Ale and Hades Belgian-style ale.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.

The restaurant, at 205 E. 7th Ave., serves huge hoagies, like the Italian, made with layers and layers of ham, salami, capocollo and provolone, along with tomatoes, pepperoncini slathered in red wine vinegar, olive oil and oregano; and the Cheesesteak, which is shaved ribeye, fried onions and American cheese. The menu also has pizzas, salads, smothered fresh-cut fries and deserts.

Out of the Barrel, which opened in November 2023, taking a space formerly occupied by Counter Culture Brewery & Grille, serves 30 taps of Colorado craft beer.

“The vibe/vision is like a … Philly-style Italian diner,” Shreffler wrote in an Instagram post. “Family style dining is my favorite, and I always wanted to bring these feels to Little Arthur’s.

“I can’t wait to serve everyone on my mom-mom plates and bring giant dessert boards to tables,” he continued. “Nothing beats the look of someone with 12 cookies and a giant piece of cake placed in front of them. Nothing. A simple moment in time where concern is out the window, and chocolate cake is all that matters. Pure bliss amongst chaos.”

Shreffler grew up near Philadelphia and got his start in restaurants there after high school. Over the past four years in Denver, he’s built a huge following for his hoagies and other dishes at pop-ups at Bar Dough, King of Wings and Sunny’s. He also operates a smaller version of Little Arthur’s, called Arty Express, which has been appearing at breweries in Denver.

As for the prices, Shreffler has been unapologetic since each sandwich is built like a truck and comes with primo ingredients, many sourced locally. “People don’t realize that they’re basically getting like a $50 steak they would get from a steakhouse in their cheesesteak,” he told The Denver Post in an interview in August 2023. “We break down a full rib roast, and essentially serve a 12-ounce steak, sliced by hand, in each sandwich.”

The opening menu included three sandwiches for $22-24 each, while the three pizzas on the menu — two reds and a white — are $40 each.

“Our pizza will be the most expensive in town most likely,” Schreffler wrote on Instagram. “So please, if you can’t handle things that cost more than the ‘norm,’ just go to Reddit and talk s*** now and save your time … Whatever ya need to do hun.”

Each pie is 20 inches and made with “my personal favorite imported Italian products that I am fortunate to get my hands on,” he wrote. “They’re big pies meant to share with some of your people and experience some of the OG flavors that pizza was founded upon.”

“I think they’re special — maybe you will too,” he added.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

Under the Sun Pub & Pizza, which is located below the Southern Sun Pub & Brewery, at 627 S. Broadway, will shut its doors on Aug. 17 after 11 years, owner Kevin Daly wrote on Facebook. The space will be used for private events, and staff members have been offered jobs at the company’s four other properties, which include the Mountain Sun Pub and the Long’s Peak Pub.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Under the Sun. This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and consideration, we have come to the difficult conclusion that continuing our operations is no longer sustainable. We share in the sadness that this news may bring to the Boulder community,” the Facebook post reads.

“Please know that despite our best efforts to adapt to the challenges we face, closing our doors is the most responsible course of action at this time. This decision will ultimately strengthen Mountain Sun Pubs, allowing us to focus our resources and energy on enhancing the experiences at our other locations,” the statement continued.

Daly has been outspoken in previous interviews with The Denver Post about the difficulty of running a restaurant in the years since the pandemic began. That was part of the reason why he waited so long to reopen Vine Street Pub in Denver.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.

Molson Coors is planning to shut down the experimental beer arm AC Golden Brewing Co., known for its line of Colorado Native beers that feature locally grown ingredients.

AC Golden will cease operations by the end of September, Molson Coors spokesperson Adam Collins confirmed to The Denver Post. The details, first reported by Brewbound, were explained in an email to wholesalers Tuesday sent from Michelle St. Jacques, Molson Coors’ chief commercial officer.

Founded in 2007, AC Golden was an effort from Molson Coors – then called MillerCoors – to compete with small-batch beer makers rising in popularity at that time. The company was nestled within the large production brewhouse in Golden with “the leeway to experiment with bold beers and, if necessary, fail without eating millions of dollars,” according to the Coors website.

The foundation of that effort was leaning into the company’s local heritage by creating beers made with Colorado-grown barley and hops. The Colorado Native amber lager debuted in 2010 and by 2014, AC Golden was earning accolades at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival competition. The Colorado Native brand has since grown to a year-round lineup of more than a dozen styles, and AC Golden produces other product lines such as Juicy IPAs and a German pilsner inspired by founder Adolph Coors’ homeland.

With Colorado Native, AC Golden single-handedly catalyzed an entire hop-growing industry in Colorado. About a decade later, however, many of the brewery’s farmers were out of business because it had amassed a backlog of the crop. Still, Molson Coors touted that Colorado Native was “thriving” in 2022 despite an overall downturn in the craft beer market accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said it will discontinue brewing Colorado Native.

But it’s clear Molson Coors is now divesting even more widely in the craft sector. On Tuesday, Canadian cannabis company Tilray announced plans to purchase four craft brands from Molson Coors, effectively dissolving its Tenth & Blake craft subsidiary.

In her note to wholesalers, St. Jacques said that the sale of the craft brands “frees up resources to focus our people, time and money behind the initiatives we believe will best help us meaningfully grow our U.S. above premium portfolio and build a scale business with beyond beer in the U.S.”

That includes Blue Moon, Blue Moon Light, non-alcoholic Blue Moon, and ZOA Energy drink, she added.

Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.