A New Bar Will Pour Healthful Beverages and Elixirs in RiNo

The owner of a new health-focused beverage bar that is set to open in RiNo later this month is aiming to create a hub for calm and wellness in one of Denver’s busiest neighborhoods.

During the day, Jocasta Hanson’s Honey Elixir Bar will offer a broad selection of kombuchas, kefirs (a yogurt-like fermented milk drink), smoothies and other wellness-oriented beverages.

At night, the bar will serve up cocktails (and mocktails) that have a decidedly healthful bent thanks to the addition of a variety of therapeutic ingredients, such as goji berries. Also on offer will be Kava, a psychoactive tea made from the root of a plant in the pepper family; Cacao, a pure form of chocolate high in antioxidants, and Jun, a fermented tea that is packed with probiotics.

Bonnie Pacheco Photography

Complementing the beverages will be a menu of healthy snacks, which will include options such as oats soaked in nut milk with seeds and adaptogen powder. There will also be a honey sampler consisting of botanical honeys and oils served with bread and crackers. A press release also promises an array of vegan desserts and treats.

The space, which is located at 2636 Walnut Street with an entrance through the art alley behind Denver Central Market, will offer a retro vibe heavy on velvet. Besides the bar and lounge, the space will include a space for rotating art exhibitions (there will be plenty of room for big pieces) and a retail space stocked with items from crafted by local artists and vendors.

Bonnie Pacheco Photography

Hanson, who has worked in the service industry for 20 years, said she was inspired to open the new bar after her friend Matt Lackey, formerly the executive chef at Arcana in Boulder, died in a climbing incident in 2017. She says she hopes to pay tribute to him by creating a space that will combine her passions for psychology, nutrition, health, art and design into a center for community and connection.

• Chef Matt Lackey Dies in Climbing Accident [EDEN]