Seize the opportunity to get a head start on your resolutions instead of attending a traditional New Year’s Eve party. You could indulge in a soothing beer therapy bath, learn a new skill, or give back to your community.
A relaxing beer bath
Oakwell Beer Spa offers Beer Therapy & Bubbles on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The 90-minute session for two adults costs $499. It includes a 90-minute session in the beer therapy room, a bottle of French sparkling wine, a charcuterie board with gourmet chocolates, a $15 cosmetic mini-bar credit, and 15-minute massages in the spa’s zero-gravity chairs. Book at oakwell.com/new-years-eve.
Husband and wife team Damien Zouaoui and Jessica French, who met while living in New York, founded the spa after a 14-month, 25-country adventure. They knew they’d found their dream business after visiting a beer spa in Poland.
The couple chose an area near RiNo at 3004 Downing St. to create a relaxing space with beer baths, an infrared sauna, zero-gravity massage chairs, and a craft beer taproom.
Their goal with the beer baths, which allow the user to soak in a cedar hydrotherapy tub filled with a blend of hops, barley, and herbs designed to maximize hair, skin, and mind benefits, is to break the stigma that spa treatments are just for women.
“It’s for everyone. We want to be inclusive and attract people from many different backgrounds,” Zouaoui said.
This is the second year the spa has offered a New Year’s Eve package that Zouaoui said is designed to break the holiday routine of drinking too much.
“Instead, we’re promoting happiness and relaxation,” he said. “You can relax and avoid having a hangover or feeling stressed.”
Learn a new skill
Take a cooking class at La Victoria Healing Kitchen with Chef Aarika Ortiz.
The New Year’s Eve in Rockies class for two costs $260 and meets from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 30 and 31 at 1427 Elmira St., Suite A, in Aurora.
Ortiz will teach students to prepare lamb fondue, smoke trout tartare, bison tenderloin with hatch green chile bearnaise, and Redstone Meadery tiramisu.
Jodie Leschuk, kitchen community engagement manager, said the class is designed for all skill levels. “We’ve done this for the last several years. It’s always fun and exciting to work through the menu, and at the end, we eat together family-style and toast the New Year.”
Cozymeal also offers New Year’s Eve cooking classes in Boulder at 4 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 for $99 per person.
Students will learn to prepare frisée salad tossed with a champagne vinaigrette, grilled steak with a brandy and mustard sauce, and truffled mashed potatoes. They’ll finish the class with a dark chocolate soufflé. Class location is provided when you book.
Learn how to produce videos, create games, or make something on a 3D printer at one of the Denver Library ideaLABs. Available tools vary. The labs are free, and no library card is required.
Labs open Dec. 31 include:
- 1-5:30 p.m. Hadley Branch, 1890 S. Grove St.
- 1-5:30 p.m. Hampden Branch, 9755 E. Girard Ave.
- 1-5:30 p.m. Montbello Branch, 12955 Albrook Drive
- 1-5:30 p.m. Sam Gary Branch, 2961 Roslyn St.
- 2-6 p.m. Central Library, 10 W. 14th Ave.
Give back
Denver Rescue Mission: Volunteer for an afternoon kitchen help shift at The Crossing, The Denver Rescue Mission’s largest location at 6090 Smith Road in Denver. The Crossing serves New Life and Bridge program participants, including families with children. denverrescuemission.org/volunteer
Giving Machines at Cherry Creek North: A bank of four vending machines near the entrance to the Cherry Creek Holiday Market, located between First and Second avenues on Fillmore Street, offers opportunities to donate to Canine Partners of the Rockies, Children’s Diabetes Foundation, Family Promise of Greater Denver, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Mile High United Way, iDE, and Days for Girls. The machines will be there through Jan. 5.
VolunteerMatch: Still looking for volunteer opportunities? Search the VolunteerMatch database to find opportunities that interest you.
Sara B. Hansen is a Denver-based freelance writer.