Whether you’re committed to, or just curious about, reducing or eliminating alcohol from your life, there’s never been a better time to give it a go. Writer Meryl Pearlstein has done the hard work of rounding up some of the most delicious booze-free mocktail options around the world so that we get the easy work of simply sipping and enjoying.  

Save this roundup of places around the country serving booze-free options to Pinterest. Graphic by Real Food Traveler.

How to Survive a Month Without Alcohol? Try these Booze-Free Drinks.

Dry January, Damp January and National Mocktail Week (January 8-14) all seem to be taking over our lives this month. As we recover from overindulging during the holidays, there seem to be plenty of options to help us retrench. Damp January is a newish concept, an alternative, if you will, for those not quite ready to take the plunge into total abstention. Its concept is simple: tone down your drinking and you’ll put yourself in a healthier place. But for the rest of us who have experienced or want to experience the benefits of a month (or longer) without alcohol, there are many options that go beyond National Mocktail Week to help you survive a sober month. If you find you like the results, there’s no need to stop on January 31. Or maybe just moderate until Sober October arrives.

You won’t be alone. According to CGA research, an agency specializing in the food and drink industries, about 35% of legal aged adults in the U.S. participated in Dry January in 2022, an increase of some 15% from the previous year. Perhaps the excesses of the pandemic period have motivated people to take the NA (non-alcoholic) plunge. But whatever it was, bars, restaurants and drink manufacturers have responded with many zero-proof choices to fill in the taste and variety blanks as you enjoy socializing and relaxing without alcohol.

Booze-free Bars and Mocktails

Bars on land and at sea are jumping on the wellness bandwagon, tuning into our desire to scale back.

New York City invites you to dabble in innovative drink and flavor offerings throughout the city.

At the Alpine-decorated Hideout at Gallow Green, the month goes dry with two refreshing mocktails, the Dry Northern made with pomegranate juice, citrus and soda, and the Dew Drop, a mix of ginger, grapefruit juice and rose lemonade.

Playing off its near-Broadway location, Ocean Prime is all about theatricality with its signature Berries & Bubbles. The Instagrammable libation is made with Sprite, marinated blackberries, fresh lemon and dry ice smoke.

Berries & Bubbles from Ocean Prime. Photo courtesy Ocean Prime.

Soak in the city views instead of alcohol from the 30th floor at the Skylark Lounge. Master Mixologist Johnny Swet takes full advantage of winter flavors with his Harvest Honey Lemonade, a dreamy mix of pear puree, honey syrup, apple cider and lemon juice.

Not-so-secret speakeasy/restaurant NR offers their acclaimed ramen and small bites menu along with their cocktail magic turned NA. Mocktail offerings include the Ginger Soda with a blend of ginger, house-spiced syrup, ginger ale and lime. For something bitter, the Bitter Sweet has Bitter Sweet Non-Alcohol Spirit, pineapple, pomegranate, elderflower and tonic.

The Ginger Soda from NR. Photo by Zenith Richards.

Michelin-starred contemporary Korean restaurant Oiji Mi offers a mocktail menu worthy of its acclaim. Addressing both plant-forward and zero-proof trends, the Peter Rabbit is made with carrot, orange oleo, Meyer lemon, and vanilla bean ice cream. A Mexican horchata, the Jatchata is made with pine nut, cinnamon, and vanilla.

At Alice in the West Village, the Italian and seafood restaurant serves up fancified mocktails with aromatics, tinctures and various zero-proof spirits that mimic the real thing. Order your baked lobster or oysters paired with Prima Pavé Rose Brut sparkling AF wine or a mocktail like the Body Language made with Pathfinder, a zero-proof, fermented and distilled spirit, date molasses, grape syrup, lemon, and spritzed with rosewater for an aromatic finish.

Spirits specialist Madame George adds a few mocktails to their New York-themed cocktail list. Try the Mulberry Blend, a malty and caffeine-rich concoction of Lyre’s American malt, Lyre’s amaretti, lemon juice, cola redux, and Manhattan Special Espresso soda.

The zero-proof trend is sweeping California as well.

In San Francisco, Ocean Beach Cafe serves non-alcoholic craft cocktails, booze-free craft beer and hangover-free wine. For the ultimate in mocktail magic, PABU Izakaya switches from its sake superiority to a non-alcoholic mode with the NA cocktail, Ringo Spritz. The beautiful beverage is made with Martini & Rossi Floreale Aperitivo, apple soda, seltzer, coconut-yuzu foam, and micro-shiso salt.

San Diego’s seaside SEA180° Coastal Tavern offers a quartet of colorful non-alcoholic drink choices for any day at the beach. The summery Watermelon Splash eschews alcohol in favor of watermelon monin, lime juice, mint and soda water. Hibiscus Sea combines hibiscus syrup, strawberry syrup, soda water, and strawberry. Mango 180 is made with cucumber, honey mango syrup, lime juice and ginger beer; and the aptly named Ocean Blue melds blueberries and rosemary with lemon juice, lemonade and soda.

Pairing beautifully with its Afghani, Pakistani, and Indian cuisine, Orange County’s Michelin Bib Gourmand Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen makes Dry January anything but a buzzkill with sophisticated NA drinks like the Smoked Negroni, made with Seedlip Spice 94, rose syrup and Palo Santo bitters served under a smoke-filled dome.

The non-alcoholic Mango Mojito. Photo courtesy Khan Saab Desi Kraft Kitchen.

The Los Angeles area has many options from bars to shops. LA’s Greenbar Distillery has a portfolio of complex and flavorful handcrafted spirit beverages including standout non-alcoholic Highballs and Bitters + Sodas. A fan favorite is the UnRum + Cola, a spicy booze-free highball made with dealcoholized rum layered with baking spices, fresh citrus and kola nut. Bottle shop Soft Spirits in Silver Lake offers a curated selection of premium non-alcoholic beverage options. In Venice, The New Bar is another non-alcoholic store offering an abundance of zero-proof wine, spirits, beer, and aperitifs. At West Hollywood’s plant-based Gracias Madre, guests can pick from the “No” menu including a Nojito made with hoja santa syrup, lime and plenty of bubbly and the Nolonche made with hibiscus and prickly pear.

You won’t be left out either if you’re in California’s famed wine country. At Healdsburg’s buzzy lounge, wine bar and restaurant The Matheson, you can select a surprising NA beer from Barrel Brother Brewery, an IPA packed with hops but without the ABV. If beer isn’t your thing, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn is featuring a NA Negroni made with Damrak VirGin, Giffard Sirop Apertif, and Lyre’s Apertif Rosso.

Las Vegas wants to keep the party going all night, alcoholic or not. Many restaurants have added mocktails to their drink menus for January and beyond. Delmonico Steakhouse riffs on an Arnold Palmer with their More Than A Palmer, made with house-made rosemary-infused black currant tea syrup, lemon and ginger beer. SushiSamba has fun with a mock piña colada called a Coco Leite blending coconut milk, pineapple and mango.

New England has numerous choices to accompany your lobster rolls and seafood. Modern osteria Via Sophia by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine mixes New England favorite cranberry apple cider with ginger beer, rosemary and clove to create The Winter Mule. On Cape Cod, Wequassett Resort and Golf Club stays true to its classy, seaside roots with a lovely Rose Martini made with apple juice and combined with strawberry puree, lime juice and pomegranate syrup.

At the Lifted Bar & Restaurant at Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport The Ta Boy! gives Red Bull drinkers a mocktail of their own, sans alcohol, combining Guava Real, Red Bull Energy Drink, Red Bull Yellow Edition, pineapple juice and grenadine. Also at The Seaport, Rosa Mexicano helps you tame their spicy cocina with a Mango-Ginger Refresco, a cooling combo of mango purée, lemon, chia seed and ginger beer.

One of the non-alcoholic drinks at Rosa Mexicano. Photo courtesy Rosa Mexicano.

Hungry for more? Editor’s Pick: 4 Perfect Days in Sonoma County.

If you’re heading South or West, there are choices for you too.

Knoxville’s Negroni bar Brother Wolf has created a special non-alcoholic version for those in love with cocktails but observing Dry January. The N/A Negroni Bianco takes its zero-proof flavor from Sanbitter Bianco, Seedlip, FeverTree tonic, and a squeeze of lemon.

Texans can give up their margaritas for the month with these zero-proof cocktails. The Roosevelt Room craft cocktail bar in Austin has three delightful drinks for sobriety-seekers: the Glitter & Marigold with orange juice, orange flower water, pistachio extract, vanilla bean, cream, and cinnamon powder; The Castaway, a distinctive blend of mint, cucumber, lime juice, cream of coconut, ginger beer and sweetgrass tincture; and the NA’Groni with a base of Monday Zero Proof Gin, Giffard Bitter Aperitif sirop, Verjus Rouge, gentian tea, caramel, salt tincture and orange oils. Dallas gives you a duo of options to keep yourself dry and happy. Pair the restaurant’s famed fajitas with a trio of NA beverages at Joe Leo’s. The Dessert Pear Spritz is a sweet treat with prickly pear syrup, fresh lime and club soda. The Hibiscus Mockarita is an AF take on Joe Leo’s famous margarita, shaken with hibiscus syrup and lime sour; and the Winter Sunshine is a citrusy concoction of citrus syrup and club soda. For more Tex-Mex dining and drinking during Dry January, Las Palmas lets you choose between a traditional Mexican strawberry limeade and Mexican Chocolate Milk.

Denver’s Deviation Distilling takes their years of experience working with bold flavors to create beautifully layered mocktails. In their rotating menu of mocktails, you can expect ingredients like house-made grapefruit sherbet and raspberry balsamic shrub too find their way into beverages including Swizzled, Not Stirred with raspberry balsamic, lemon juice, allspice, and dram; or The Berry Blast blending fresh blackberries and raspberries with grapefruit sherbet and lime juice.

The Berry Blast from Denver’s Deviation Distilling. Photo courtesy Deviation Distilling.

Booze-free cruising and other international spots

Oceania Cruises’ New Wellness Bar aboard the New Vista vessel adds a full range of NA spirits and NA wines to its cocktail menu. Adding to the lean and healthy cuisine from The Aquamar Kitchen, beverages include no-alcohol spirits from Lyre with Dry London Gin, American Malt Whisky, White and Spirit Rum; non-alcoholic wines from Pierre Zéro; and NA mocktails such as the Innocent Kir, Pure Amalfi Spritz, and Passion Fruit Colada.

Scenic Cruises doesn’t leave sober-seekers out either, even if you’re used to enjoying their menu of wines and Champagne.  A significant part of Scenic’s cocktail menu, mocktails include the Konichiwa made with non-alcoholic white wine, grapefruit juice, apple juice and grenadine; a Virgin Manhattan with non-alcoholic red wine, apple juice, angostura bitters, and vanilla; and other combinations of juices with additions like mint or bitters.

Hungry for more? Read Meryl’s article about cruises that make great gifts.

On a beach holiday? Here are ways to keep your New Year’s resolution.

If you’re in Aruba, Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino has a flavorful Guava Jump made with the best of the islands, pineapple juice, cranberry juic,e and guava mix. On Grand Cayman, the Library by the Sea at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa will treat you to a Swirly Shirley, a low-sugar, spiced-up Shirley Temple-like drink designed for adults with a dehydrated rhubarb slice, ginger ale, non-alcoholic Campari and lemon juice. Using a rotary evaporator, they distill the alcohol from Campari.

The Swirly Shirley non-alcoholic cocktail. Photo courtesy Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa.

Going to Mexico might mean no cerveza or mezcal this year, but that’s OK. The Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya presents The Paradise, a thirst-quenching mix of fresh passionfruit, lime and orange juices with mint leaves and sparkling water. In Cabo San Lucas, at the Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, enjoy magnificent views and inspirational mocktails with appropriate names such as Grateful (berry syrup, vanilla, lime juice, cucumber, and mineral water), Empowered (papaya, fresh pineapple juice, mango, orange juice, lemon, and tajín), Honest (lemon, cucumber, pineapple juice, mint, citrus juice, house-made ginger soda), and Glowing (coconut water, strawberries, pineapple juice, lime juice, cinnamon, rose petals).

Have Some Fun at Home

You’ll need to check the web for online sites to purchase these NA beverages for your home enjoyment, but many are available on Amazon. Others are available at liquor stores and grocery stores, so you’ll have no trouble keeping your refrigerator stocked during the month.

A non-alcoholic small batch ginger beer, Uncle Waithley’s Vincy Brew, Ginger Beer with Scotch Bonnet Pepper is a refreshing beverage and an ideal mixer enhanced and balanced with pepper.

Remedy Drinks is a great Dry January choice for kombucha fans. Remedy has a line of tasty Ginger Beer and Kombuchas that contain no sugar and taste like seltzers with organic acids and antioxidants. Rotate their ginger beer, mixed berry, peach and raspberry lemonade flavors for a variety-filled, gut-friendly month. If you’re out and about and love kombucha, The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe offers a gingerberry kombucha-based mocktail, No Proof It To Me, with fresh lime and mint soda water.

Inspired by the French ethos of pleasure and restraint, De Soi is a line of sparkling, ready-to-drink non-alcoholic aperitifs created by Katy Perry and award-winning Master Distiller Morgan McLachlan. Reminiscent of a light-, medium-, and full-bodied wine, De Soi’s three flavors, Golden Hour, Champignon Dreams, and Purple Lune, layer botanicals with natural adaptogens.

MIXOLOSHE is a new female-founded beverage brand of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic, low-sugar beverages and spirits with tempting flavors like Orange Old Fashioned Cosmic Bitter Spritz, Blueberry G&T and Tropical Smoky Margarita.

For beverages you can drink straight or mix, Cut Above is a line of zero-proof gin, mezcal, agave blanco and whisky. The website includes many mocktail suggestions such as Tommy’s Skinny Margarita, a NA Old Fashioned, and the Naughty & Nice Punch made with their mezcal, fresh fruit and sparkling water.

I’ve always found that a Virgin Mary or, as some call it, a Bloody Shame tastes pretty damn good given all its pickled vegetables, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and other peppery ingredients. Red or green Bloody Mary mixes from Stone Hollow Farmstead in Alabama have nailed them with their own farm veggies.  And, I’m not kidding you, you won’t miss the vodka. Or the hangover.

Other mocktail favorites for your at-home dinners include creatively layered beverages with a base of Seedlip, a distilled, non-alcoholic spirit, made with botanicals. There’s Spice 94; an herbal version, Seedlip Garden 108 or citrus-based Grove 42. The website inspires your creativity with recipe suggestions or take a cue from the mixology wizards at La Societe at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa who mix Seedlip Garden with lemon, basil syrup, elderflower and elderflower tonic to create their refreshing Nonna’s Garden, or from Denver’s Tamayo with their Non-Collins, mixing Seedlip Grove with strawberry, lemon, mint and sparkling water. In NYC, Laurent Tourondel’s L’Amico shows off the versatility of this zero-proof spirit, using Seedlip Grove in a Crimson & Clover mocktail, adding fresh blood orange juice, lime juice, honey/clove syrup and club soda.

Seedlip’s non-alcoholic offerings. Photo by Meryl Pearlstein.

Clausthaler craft non-alcoholic 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. There are dry-hopped beers, IPAs, and, for a kick, try their new grapefruit beer or their special holiday Santa beer.

Love California wines? Sonoma Valley has a lovely alcohol-free wine collection. Surely’s non-alcoholic wine is made from wine with the alcohol removed. A favorite is their non-alcoholic cabernet sauvignon, bold and full-bodied, and made with 100% Sonoma Valley grapes.

Keep it coming with Raising The Bar – Zero-Proof Subscription Box. DIY cocktail creations that keep on giving is the name of the game with this program. You can subscribe for as long as you want for creative alcohol-free beverages shipped to you directly. Boxes are themed with fun names like “Love Potion,” and each kit makes a minimum of four drinks.

For another package of Dry January goodies, non-alcoholic brand, SomethingElse, is offering a bundle fora month of fun and renewal. The Best January Kit comes with a six-pack sampler of NA sippers: Kally, a verjus-based sipper and Lili, a sparkler that is all bubbles and no booze; a candle; gratitude journal; herbal tea; and a digital guide.

Hungry for more? Try these two mocktail recipes at home.

Damp January instead?

If you haven’t yet made the full zero-proof commitment, that’s OK. Sommarøy Spirits are a new line of lower-proof premium spirits with 1/3 less alcohol so you can drink in moderation for a Dry-ish January. Look for them at Whole Foods.

-Story by Meryl Pearlstein