Sports and music fans who are sober or sober curious will soon have new drink options when they attend an event at Ball Arena in Denver.
Starting March 27, the venue will sell two products from local nonalcoholic beverage company Grüvi to satisfy those with a taste for both beer and wine. The first is Grüvi’s Golden Lager, a fizzy brew dubbed the best nonalcoholic beer in the world by judges at the 2022 World Beer Cup. The second is its sparkling Red Sangria, touted as the company’s best-seller.
Both will be available in cans at the CANteen, a grab-and-go beverage and snack station located near section 120 inside Ball Arena.
The opportunity comes on the heels of Grüvi’s biggest year since its founding in 2019. According to co-founder and CEO Niki Sawni, sales grew almost 200% in 2022, accounting for a total of about 100,000 cases of its beer and wine. Until now, Grüvi’s offerings have primarily been available at retail stores like Whole Foods, Safeway and liquor stores. Products are also available for purchase online.
While it’s unclear exactly to what extent the partnership with Ball Arena will bolster sales, Sawni lauded the opportunity as a “big step” toward achieving the company’s mission to normalize alcohol-free products in celebratory and special event settings.
“You’re talking about some of the most social activities – concerts, sporting events – that’s where the need is going to be the highest for people to have a great experience even though they don’t want to drink,” Sawni said. “Especially on the weekdays, people are just consuming a little bit less.”
Sawni also pitched the venue on allowing Grüvi sales through the end of basketball and hockey games, which is typically when alcohol sales stop, though it’s unclear if that will happen out the gate.
“If people are open to that, that could be a lot of business for us,” he said.
Sawni’s out to prove there’s unmet demand and sales that venues are missing out on. And if he can, Sawni hopes to get Grüvi behind bars at other local sporting and music venues around Denver. The company is also testing out its beer on draft to see if nonalcoholic beer can compete for tap space, he added.
To celebrate the launch, Grüvi will be onsite at Ball Arena on March 27 serving samples at the Point bar on Level 100. That night, the Denver Nuggets take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.
