Patrons head to a bar in the evening for many reasons, most of them involving the consumption of alcohol. But what if the space doesn’t serve booze? Pueblo’s Emily Gradisar, managing partner of the Ethos and Abstract Bar, is looking to find out.

She and her partners have opened what they hope will be a community hub welcoming for all — without the alcohol. A sober bar, an outpost of a recent trend.

“Ethos is everything,” Gradisar said. “We really wanted to make a radically inclusive space for people to come and create whether it be physically creating their art or creating community.”

The Ethos, located on 615 Mesa Avenue in Pueblo, gets its name from the Greek word meaning “character;” used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, and balance between passion and caution.

Working alongside business partners Jane Fraser and Samantha Derosier, Gradisar described the business as a vast community space, the 9,000 square foot music and performance venue holds numerous artist studio spaces available for rent, a workshop to host classes and community events, and of course the Abstract Bar — mixing up a menu of credible booze-free mocktails from behind the copper finish of a refurbished 1920’s bar.

“We wanted to do something creative with the space, and the bar was here, but none of us wanted to run a bar that sold alcohol, that sounded awful,” Gradisar said. “We thought about doing a sober bar, and when we started looking into it, we were like this is exactly what we want to do with the space.”

A bar without alcohol may seem odd to some, but according to Jane Peyton, an alcohol expert, consultant, and founder of the School of Booze in London, the sober bar scene has grown in popularity and interest internationally over the past decade.

“Bars provide a number of social functions including being places for fun, to celebrate special occasions, to meet potential partners, to alleviate loneliness or boredom, to watch sports, to seek refuge and maybe drown one’s sorrows. Sober spaces can do all those things too (apart from drowning sorrows),” Peyton said.

“In the past 5 years as wellness has become more of a factor in people’s lives and the choice of No & Low alcohol beverages has improved, it is no longer just pregnant women, drivers, religious observant people, people on calorie restricted diets, or those with alcohol addiction who are choosing to drink No & Low,” Peyton said, adding that drinking habits have decreased across Gen Z and Millennials compared to older generations.

According to a study conducted by Casinos US in May, based on a poll of 1,000 Americans, 51% of those surveyed in the U.S. desire access to sober bars, with 86% of the country lacking access.

As Awake — the state’s only sober bar located in Denver approaches one year of temporary closure as the business searches for a new building space, the Ethos hopes to fill an apparent gap for the sober curious.

“Our sober bar offers an alternative. We’ve been finding out that people want to be in an alcohol-free environment for lots of reasons, whether it’s recovery or because of religious beliefs or just not wanting to be around others who are drinking for whatever reason,” Jane Fraser, Ethos partner and local artist said, adding that she believes the Abstract Bar is a great addition to the Pueblo community, offering a space to socialize without the pressure to consume alcohol.

“I’ve been surprised by how positive the response is from young people,” Fraser said. “Some have told me that alcohol is like tobacco was for my generation, something stupid that many people did and now we know better. I think that’s an interesting way to view it.”

For bar staff, who each carry a career in standard bartending with alcohol, working at the Ethos has been described as a refreshing transition, serving up alcohol-free beer and wine alongside their curated menu of craft mocktails.

“It’s refreshing to work at a sober bar,” Nekia Seaberry, one of the Abstract Bar’s employees said.

Seaberry has worked in a variety of bars and restaurants both in Pueblo, and back in her hometown of New York City. She said the community’s response has so far been positive.

“The social response can be very much the same, even though there is no alcohol in any of the mocktails, beer, or wine. We see people loosen up, and start to socialize more, laugh louder, become more expressive, really have a good time, and they are not getting drunk. I wasn’t sure if we’d get people to participate in karaoke nights without some ‘liquid courage’; but it turns out, an enthusiastic, supportive audience, and a little encouragement can overcome that reluctance,” Seaberry said.

“Patrons are generally more patient, kind and genuinely there for the social aspect of the experience, not just to be drinking,” another Abstract bartender, Jenni Heiser, added,

“I think one of the biggest things we provide is an inclusive, safe, social space, especially for those under 21. There is always something new and different happening for all ages.”

Following the official opening in May, Gradisar, and staff expressed the positive feedback the business received regarding its outwardly inclusive nature. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

When word spread of the venue’s LGBTQIA fundraising event in late July titled “Space Babe: A Go-Go Show,” the Pueblo Police Department contacted Gradisar to tell them the Ethos has received violent threats specifically against the queer community.

These threats were not taken lightly, being received less than a year after the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs — a tragedy and attack against the LGBTQIA+ community that claimed the lives of five and injured an additional 17.

“We’re optimistic, but we’re not naïve,” Gradisar said, “We know what the current political climate is like, and we know the new moral panic around queer people is about the trans community specifically right now — but it’s all queer people, everybody that’s just a little bit different from the rest.

After meeting with staff, it was decided the Ethos would close the night of the performance, with the fundraiser rescheduled for October. No acts of violence occurred, and positivity among those involved prevailed, said Gradisar.

“There’s nothing we can do to make ourselves small enough to satisfy the people who hate us,” Gradisar said,

“We have to stand in solidarity with anyone who’s facing that kind of oppression. The people who are doing the oppressing will only be satisfied if every last one of us (LGBTQIA+ community) is gone.

“That doesn’t work for me, I’m not going to make myself small for someone who would rather see me gone.”

Since the threats were received, Ethos has hired Solider Security, a professional security firm, to assist in safety at the club. Gradisar expressed her gratitude.

“We’re very happy with the firm we’ve gone with, they’re incredibly queer-friendly, and have strong anti-discrimination policies,” Gradisar said, “We have our rotation of door folks, and we love them already.”

With the canceled “Space Babe: A Go-Go Show” performance rescheduled for Oct. 7, Gradisar said she doesn’t look at the threats as a representation of the Pueblo Community as a whole.

“This was one person spreading their hate out there,” Gradisar said, “The community response has been amazing. Going forward, we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. The best way to combat hate is to live life as authentically and joyfully as we can.

“That’s what we were already doing, so we don’t see any reason to change that.”