What used to just be a start-the-year-off-right trend has now become inspiration for year-round alcohol-free sipping and an entire movement. Writer Meryl Pearlstein highlights the benefits of giving non-alcoholic beverages a try and the places around the United States (and beyond) to try them. With so much creativity out there, travelers won’t feel they are “sacrificing” at all.

Save this roundup of Booze-free Bars and Mocktail Menus to Pinterest to keep it handy. Photos, clockwise courtesy: Eden Rock Cap Cana, Ocean Prime, Topside Roof Deck, Seedlip, Ritz-Carlton, The Greens, Coco Collection, Love Life Cafe, FYN, and Parche. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Hungry for more? Make these two Mocktail recipes.

Dry January and Beyond: Making the NA Lifestyle Your New Wellness Focus

Have you made a resolution to eat healthier, drink less and get into better shape… just like last year? It’s that time when we need to commit to reversing the indulgences of the holiday season and binges of the past few years.

Some people add vegan eating to this clean-up effort or promise to observe Meatless Monday yet again, and I applaud that.

But I’d suggest you focus first on one of our guiltiest pleasures, drinking. In this case, the concept is Dry January as a kickoff to reinvigorate a full-year’s healthy lifestyle by abstaining from alcohol for a month. And, frankly, if it works for you, there’s no reason not to make at least some version of this a permanent part of every month going forward.

Mocktails and N/A (non-alcoholic) beverages are becoming fixtures on bar and restaurant menus. Observes Mercedes Cowper, resident sommelier and mixologist at the Round Robin Bar at the Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C., “Zero-proof options have come a long way since sugary, soda-based drinks mixed with fruit juices.”

Happily, that’s true. And happily, for those of us looking to improve our wellness focus, we have the option of strictly adhering to Dry January or morphing into a low-ABV version labelled Damp January. If you find yourself yo-yoing between the two, there’s always Sober October to look forward to, and you can try abstention all over again.

To kickstart this “new you” process, I’ve put together some places and options that will fill in the blanks with taste and variety. You may not know it, but Dry January (and beyond) might actually be your ticket to a better night’s sleep and better-looking skin as well as a more refreshed outlook on life.

Booze-free Bars and Mocktail Menus

Restaurants and hotel bars are jumping on the wellness bandwagon in a big way, aware of our desire to scale back. As Joel Atlas of Boston’s Ritz-Carlton observed, “Just because the alcohol isn’t there doesn’t mean we can’t be creative and exciting with what we’re offering.” So, there you have it: a new menu of zero-proof beverages to enjoy in the year ahead, no matter where you are.

Heading to California?

Mocktails are a natural at San Francisco’s vegetarian Greens Restaurant. Here, the base is verjus, a non-alcoholic juice made from under ripe wine grapes. Heightened acidity from these grapes brings an intensity that tricks the palate into believing that it’s alcoholic. How nice! A favorite is the very pretty Apple & Red Bitter which mixes verjus with Pinot Noir juice.

Photo of the Apple & Red Bitter mocktail courtesy of The Greens.

Across the bay in Oakland, Colombian restaurant Parche has found a definite audience for their non-alcoholic menu which accounts for approximately 10% of their beverage sales. The popular Lulada Shandy features lulo, an exotic Colombian fruit, paired with Estrella Galicia’s non-alcoholic beer.

In the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine at the Pendry San Diego has two mocktails to please your palate. The Cucumber Refresher combines housemade cucumber honeydew juice, muddled mint, lime juice and soda for a light and refreshing sipper. Their Apple of My Eye cocktail smashes green apple puree with apple spice syrup and lemon for a sweet but satisfying concoction.

Santa Monica Proper introduces its new Conscious Consumption program, a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails and beverages using zero-proof spirits from Lyre’s, Optimist and Seedlip as well as French Bloom non-alcoholic wines. Try their N/A version of a Cosmo, Mojito or Espresso Martini, here called the Café de España.

Topside Roof Deck at Lindo House in Newport Beach will catch your eye as well as your palate with the vibrantly green Green Machine, a mixture of Seedlip’s non-alcoholic Garden 108, fresh cucumber, mint and a touch of saline.

Still Out West

Takibi displays Japanese flair in Portland with their non-alcoholic take on a shandy. The Yuzu Shandy uses Athletic’s Golden Ale in place of beer, mixed with Kimino sparkling yuzu juice, rimmed with shichimi/sea salt.

The Nixer is Phoenix’s NA-only pop-up bar. Non-alcohol spirits like zero-proof Ritual Gin Alternative, Amass Riverine, Ghia, Aplos and Bonbuz are used in all craft cocktails, providing adaptogens and nootropics that give you a buzz of sorts without any booze.

Las Vegas knows how to party and this year it’s offering even more ways to fête without alcohol. In the Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort, SUSHISAMBA’s Coco Leite combines coconut milk, pineapple and mango, served long over ice. And it’s really More Than A Mocktail at Delmonico Steakhouse with a fragrant, creamy mix of apple spice, coconut cream, lemon and ginger. La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas serves elevated creations including the show-stopping Purple Haze, featuring Seedlip 94, lavender syrup, lemon and egg whites, torched tableside. At the other end of the Strip, Park MGM’s Best Friend showcases a pretty Pink Fizz combining thirst-quenching watermelon juice, watermelon syrup, lime and soda. For added fun, Virgin Slushies are offered, too.

The Purple Haze at La Cava photo by Chris Wessling.

Gin fans can stop at Denver’s Tamayo for a Non-Collins, a play on a Tom Collins but made with Seedlip, strawberry, lemon, mint, and topped with sparkling water.

Maui’s Merriman’s Kapalua, invites you to enjoy a stunning Kapalua Bay sunset while sipping on two N/A drinks with house-made macadamia nut orgeat syrup as their base. The Virgin Mai Tai is a refreshing beverage of passion-orange-guava juices while the signature Thai Coco has a very island-y coconut crème mixture with lemongrass and mint as well.

Booze-Free Bars and Mocktails in the South

Miami goes all out this year with zero-spirit selections. Love Life Cafe, in the Wynwood neighborhood, pairs their plant-based menu with mocktails made with fresh ingredients and Seedlip spirits. Try the Spice Hibiscus Margarita with date syrup, hibiscus tea and lime. Osaka Nikkei has an N/A “Arukoru Nashi” drink menu consistent with its Peruvian Nikkei cuisine. The unusual Coco Bang is made with coconut miso, genmaicha (Japanese brown rice green tea), kumquat and orange blossom.

Coco Bang mocktail photo courtesy Osaka Nikkei.

Looking for some nightlife sizzle? The Bandbox in Orlando is the city’s first alcohol-free speakeasy. Reservations are suggested for tastings of the bar’s extensive craft cocktails, bitters and shrub flights, and beers, all spirit-free.

The Carolinas don’t slouch when it comes to wellness. North Carolina encourages sober curiosity at Dram and Drought in Greensboro. Spirit-free cocktails creatively named Baby Asprin, Sunday Spritz and Wake Up Call are made with fruit juices, blanc verjus, and Lyre’s Coffee Originale. In Charleston, Thoroughbred Club at The Charleston Place keeps it bright and savory with The Garden Grove with a finish of ginger spice effervescence.

At Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans, Chef Nina Compton serves up what might sound antithetical to a visit to the Big Easy, the Being Good On Vacation, a mix of mango, pineapple and lime juices with ginger beer. On Louisiana’s Northshore, Sage Advice at the historic Southern Hotel in Covington is crafted with fresh grapefruit juice and hints of elderflower and sage.

Midwest and the Mid Atlantic

For a perfect Bloody that seems more like a meal than a beverage, ask the mixologists at Blackwolf Run at the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin to leave out the vodka. With the spicy tomato juice base, cheese curds, jerky, pickle, bacon, olive and variety of other crazy garnishes that distinguish the Milwaukee model, you probably won’t miss the booze.

Innovation characterizes the Waldorf Astoria Chicago and the revival of its landmark bar Bernard’s. Two Seedlip-based favorites are The Imposter which uses dragon fruit, lavender syrup and egg white; and the Despresso a user-friendly decaf martini made with maple syrup.

Despresso martini at the Waldorf Chicago photo by John Scholl.

New York City

Jean-Georges’ Tin Building is the setting for a superlative non-alcoholic beverage menu. Complementing the plant-based menu at abcV, tonics and “vibrations” are designed to be healthful. A personal favorite, the young ginger tonic folds in honey and lemon with a dash of pink Himalayan sea salt. Promoting calming and fighting fatigue with its ingredients, Elevate is a complex mix of Assam tea, pomegranate, schisandra and goji berries, hibiscus flower and other plants.

Numerous New York City hotels invite you to dabble in innovative drink and flavor combinations. Virgin Hotels New York City is right on trend offering zero-proof libations like the Spiced Maple Phony Fashioned made with Lyre’s American Malt, maple syrup and N/A bitters; and the Fig-Et About It using Lyre’s Agave Blanco, fig, cranberry and lime. Poking fun at its own name and location, NoMo Soho’s NoMo Kitchen offers the NoMo Regrets with a spicy combination of muddled mint, honey ginger syrup, orange blossom and ginger candy beverage. A particular favorite among guests at the Lobby Bar at The New York EDITION, the Gala Spritz is a playful non-alcoholic alternative to the classic spritz integrating apple, citrus, and ginger flavors.

NoMo Kitchen serves the NoMo Regrets mocktail. Photo courtesy NoMo Kitchen.

Manhattan bar hoppers will love Veronika’s Straight Edge Sour, a citrus non-alcoholic libation with ginger and lemon. Cocktail specialist The Dead Rabbit doesn’t lack for N/A options either with creative potions including the popular N/A TLC made with CleanCo N/A gin, Martini & Rossi N/A Floreale, and greengage plum and jasmine shrub. Reserve in advance for the “Naked Menu” in subterranean cocktail lounge Madame George where the city’s historic cocktail culture is the inspo for both the setting and drink nomenclature. Request the crisp, fruity Strawberry Fields or the carrot and ginger flavored Olmsted’s Garden for a dose of the past. For exceptional rooftop views on the east side of the city, Ophelia offers an Oriental spin with its East of the Sun, a hybrid of yuzu, lime, and shiso leaves.

Two Brooklyn locales are attracting the sober set. The new Mr. Melo bar in Williamsburg keeps N/A drinks on tap with a Tamarind Mate Cooler with brewed yerba mate tea and housemade chai-tamarind syrup. Nearby, As You Are café-restaurant at Ace Hotel Brooklyn has a menu of six non-alcoholic refreshers that utilize fruits, vegetables, spices and other healthful ingredients. Try the Coconut Chia made with aloe and sea moss.

Boston

At Boston’s Seaport, Smith & Wollensky gives your resolution a little boost with the aptly-named No Taxi Needed mocktail. The drink will ensure you’ll be walking steady with its mix of Enroot sparkling, caffeine-free cold brew tea; raspberries; blackberries; lemon and sugar. Neighbor Davios’s pairs its Northern Italian cuisine with a sultry Lavender Butterfly Martini that shows its true colors with lavender blue magic, lavender, lemon and tonic.

Lavender Butterfly Martini photo courtesy Davio’s.

Booze-Free Bars and Mocktails at Spas, Cruises and Resorts

Mindfulness has always defined the Miraval Resorts & Spas experience. Their new cookbook includes a host of beverage recipes like the Rosemary Paloma Fizz designed to refresh and balance without alcohol. The drink is easy to make at home, too, as it’s a measured combination of rosemary simple syrup, citrus juice and seltzer.

Scenic Cruises don’t forget about sober seekers with N/A drinks featured on the cruise line’s extensive beverage menu. Mocktails include the Konichiwa made with non-alcoholic white wine, grapefruit and apple juice, and grenadine and the Virgin Manhattan, a flavor-rich mix of non-alcoholic red wine, apple juice, angostura bitters and vanilla.

Windstar Cruises also knows how to keep their small-ship sailors sated without alcohol. With their newly revamped zero-proof cocktail menu, guests can enjoy guilt-free sippers in Costa Rica, the San Blas Islands, Cartagena + Panama Canal, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.

You can keep your New Year’s resolution while catching some rays at Princess Cruises’ outdoor bars. Add a little jolt with the Cherry and Lemonade Smash made with muddled cherries, fresh lemons, Sprite and Red Bull; or try the Nojito, a refresher of fresh mint, grapefruit juice and club soda – no rum in sight!

Beach lovers don’t have to miss out if they’re going the non-alcoholic route. You can still put a little umbrella in your Swirly Shirley as Shirley Temple would have done at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in Grand Cayman. Using a rotary evaporator, the bartenders distill alcohol from Campari, mix it with dehydrated rhubarb, ginger ale and lemon juice for a bitter drink that keeps you refreshed.

In the Dominican Republic’s tony Cap Cana resort area, Eden Roc Cap Cana welcomes you with a frosty Matcha Colada Spritz. Lighter than a traditional Piña Colada, the mocktail is a mashup of Asian and tropical influences.

Photo of the Matcha Colada Spritz courtesy Eden Rock Cap Cana.

Two boutique island resorts located in the Maldives, Coco Collection takes advantage of the tropical location mixing pineapple juice, passionfruit puree and kiwi syrup in their Indian Ocean Delight.

Europe hasn’t ignored the N/A trend. Ekspedisjonshallen at the Sommerro in Oslo has created an innovative non-alcoholic menu called The Prohibitionists after the National Prohibition Act of 1919. Notable items include Untouchable (a spiritless gin beverage named for the group tasked with capturing infamous gangster Al Capone), an undercover drink duo named Izzy & Moe with spiritless rum, and Two-Gun Hart which recalls Capone’s older brother and is made with spiritless bitter and Martini Vibrante aperitivo.

At the Andaz Mexico City Condesa’s stylish Cabuya Rooftop, bartenders pour two colorful beverages against city views from 17 stories above. The Green Cooler is a vibrant mixture of coconut water, macerated cucumber, lime juice and fresh mint leaves. The hotel’s ruby-colored N/A Sangria blends red prickly pear, raspberry, orange juice and agave.

In Punta Del Este, Uruguay, The Grand Hotel offers the popular Mar y Arena mocktail at its stunning rooftop bar featuring an infusion of turmeric, mint, sage tea, vanilla syrup and black pepper.

The Mar y Arena mocktail at the Grand Hotel in Uruguay. Photo courtesy Grand Hotel in Uruguay.

Cape Town’s gorgeous FYN restaurant does an equally beautiful N/A pairing with their tasting menu. The blood-red savory starter, Geishan Mary, is made with tomato essence and togarashi peppers. A perfect dessert beverage, the Matcha Sour enlivens matcha tea with pineapple sage syrup and egg whites.

N/A Wine, Beer and RTD Beverages

Love California wines? Then you’ll enjoy FRE alcohol-removed wines from Sutter Home. These wines are made using traditional winemaking methods, but then the alcohol is gently removed. Eight varietals include Moscato, White Zinfandel, Rosé, Chardonnay, Merlot, Red Blend and Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. For inspo all year long, FRE’s website offers 63 signature cocktail recipes using the wines as a base.

For an alcohol-free bubbly tasting, Prima Pavé Spirit-Free Sparklers are made with a mix of varietals, adding to their complexity and designed for pairing with food. Handcrafted in Italy with no sugar or chemicals added, the sparkling wines are dealcoholized through a proprietary, all-natural process and are available in Rosé Brut, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé Dolce.

Prima Pave has a variety of non-alcoholic options.

 Beer lovers have a go-to when going N/A: Clausthaler craft beers taste just like the real brew. The German brewery has the pedigree, too, as they are an exclusively N/A brewery in existence for more than 40 years with a patented process for making beer that doesn’t create alcohol. These vegan options feature a new dry-hopped IPA, the original Clausthaler beer dating from 1979, the Clausthaler ISO, and Clausthaler Grapefruit a refreshing 50/50 blend of Clausthaler Original and grapefruit.

Thanks to California’s Greenbar Distillery, you can stock your refrigerator with a range of canned mocktails. Bitters + Soda lovers will enjoy the Earl Grey version made with black tea and bergamot orange. For hard spirit substitutes, try the UnRum + Cola or UnGin + Tonic.

 -Story by Meryl Pearlstein