Bar
Unclaimed profileVelvet Elk Lounge
Boulder, CO · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Velvet Elk Lounge pairs a live music room with a beverage menu that covers more ground than most bar programs. Eight cocktails span bourbon, rye, rum, tequila, vodka, and gin, with branded spirits throughout. Wine runs white, rosé, sparkling, and red in three pour formats. Five drafts carry listed ABV, and a non-alcoholic section includes zero-proof cocktails, NA wine, and NA beer.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Velvet Elk Old Fashioned, built on Old Forester bourbon with turbinado, Angostura, and orange; the optional 'Smoke It' add-on runs $3. If you want something brighter, the Bitter Bee mixes Mile High Vodka, St. Germain, Aperol, lemon, grapefruit, and honey.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- People who want a proper cocktail while catching live music, and groups where some drink and some don't — the zero-proof cocktails, NA wine, and NA beer give non-drinkers real options rather than an afterthought.
- When should I go?
- When there is live music on the calendar and you want a cocktail in hand rather than a rushed beer between sets.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Cocktails run $14 to $17. Wine by the glass is $10 to $16 for 6oz and $15 to $24 for 9oz, with bottles $40 to $64. Drafts are $8 to $9, cans $7 to $9, zero-proof cocktails $14, and NA wine $9 to $15.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The cocktail list is built with named spirits across six base categories, and the non-alcoholic program is unusually complete for a music venue: two zero-proof cocktails, four NA wines, and an NA lager, so the menu does not treat non-drinkers as an afterthought.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Eight named cocktails built on branded spirits: Old Forester bourbon and rye, Probitas rum, Tapatio and Herradura tequila, Mile High Vodka, Leopold's gin, and Lillet Blanc. The list covers bourbon, rye, rum, tequila, vodka, and gin, so there is a clear route whether you want stirred and spirit-forward or long and citrus-driven.
Menu strengths
- — Eight named cocktails with specific spirit brands and modifiers listed on the menu.
- — Cocktail list spans multiple base spirits including bourbon, rye, rum, tequila, vodka, and gin.
- — Cocktail prices range from $14 to $17 on the menu.
Standout selections
- — Velvet Elk Old Fashioned — Old Forester bourbon, turbinado, Angostura, orange; optional 'Smoke It' add-on for $3.
- — White Noise — Probitas Dark Rum, Cynar, fresh lime, turbinado, egg white.
- — Oaxacan Dead — Tapatio High Proof Tequila, Lillet Blanc, Combier, fresh lemon, absinthe.
Pricing: $14–$17; 'Smoke It' add-on $3
Wine
A wine section covering white, rosé, sparkling, and red with named producers and regions, offered by 6oz, 9oz, and bottle. The range moves from a $10 Ciro Bianco to a $16 Aviary Reserve Cabernet, with a separate non-alcoholic wine section alongside it.
Menu strengths
- — Wine list covers white, rosé, sparkling, and red with named producers and regions.
- — Wine is offered by 6oz, 9oz, and bottle formats.
Standout selections
- — Rosé — Stolpman, California; 6oz $12 / 9oz $18 / bottle $48.
- — Malbec — La Post Paulucci, Argentina; 6oz $13 / 9oz $19 / bottle $52.
- — Prosecco — Poggio, Italy; 6oz $10 / 9oz $15 / bottle $40.
Pricing: 6oz $10–$16; 9oz $15–$24; bottles $40–$64
Beer
Five named drafts with styles and ABV, from a 4.9% pilsner to a 7.1% hazy IPA, plus a cans section with cider, seltzer, and a non-alcoholic lager. A rotating beer selection is advertised, and pricing sits at $8 to $9 for drafts.
Menu strengths
- — Five named drafts with styles and ABV are listed.
- — A CANS section lists cider, seltzer, and non-alcoholic beer options.
Standout selections
- — Permanent Breeze — Hazy IPA, abv 7.1%, $9.
- — Cowboy Pilsner — Pilsner, abv 4.9%, $8.; Stem Cider — Canned cider, $9.
Pricing: Drafts $8–$9; cans $7–$9
Nonalcoholic
The non-alcoholic program spans three categories: two zero-proof cocktails, four non-alcoholic wines, and an NA lager, plus a gluten-free canned beer. Zero-proof cocktails are priced at $14, NA wine runs $9 to $15, and the NA lager is $7.
Menu strengths
- — Multiple non-alcoholic categories are represented: zero-proof cocktails, NA wine, and NA beer.
- — Menu lists a ZERO PROOF COCKTAILS section with two named drinks.
- — A separate NON ALCOHOLIC WINE section lists four options.
Standout selections
- — Valencia Spritz — Mionetto NA Aperitivo, Mionetto NA Sparkling, soda, lemon; $14.
- — Kickin Mule — Rotating NA spirit, fresh lime, ginger beer; $14.
- — Gruvi Sparkling Rosé — Non-alcoholic sparkling rosé; $15.
Pricing: Zero-proof cocktails $14; NA wine $9–$15; NA beer $7–$9
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