Love the city that never sleeps, but don’t love the drinking culture that comes with it? Enter the NYC alcohol-free bar scene that has erupted over the last couple of years. Enterprising locals are creating spaces like alcohol free bars in New York City for folks that want to meet up, drink something sophisticated, and stay lucid all night long.
Drinking is becoming less popular among American gen Z and millennials, and other generations—and all types of establishments—are catching on. Add to that numerous research studies coming out that are quite sobering about the true impacts of drinking on our health. For example, new research by the IARC shows that one or two daily drinks could be as hard on your health as binge drinking.
For a brunch or night out on the town that’s easier on your body, check out these best 100% booze-free bars in New York City. I hope to add to this list as more places open up!
Top Alcohol-Free Bars in New York City
Rent Money Lounge
The Lower East Side just got a lot more groovy, if you ask me. By day, Rent Money Lounge offers a rich coffee drink menu; by night, they serve craft adaptogen mocktails. As if that weren’t appealing enough, you can also book a Japanese gel or nail art manicure while you’re there.
In addition to fantastic sips and pamper sessions, they host meetups and events like Rent Money comedy night and video game night.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for a place like this for a LONG time. So, yes, take my rent money! I’ll just live here instead. 😜
Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge
The media darling of non-alcoholic bars in NYC, Hekate, in the East Village, has been making waves for being the first alcohol-free space in this neighborhood known for its nightlife. On any given night of the week, the bar at Hekate is filled with people enjoying their elaborate alcohol-free concoctions.
“The motivation to open a sober bar came out of owning a traditional one,” founder Abby Ehmann explains. “Lucky was 100% on brand, a ‘dive bar for grown-ups.’ The concept behind Hekate is the same as Lucky’s—fun events, interesting people, great music, comfortable ambiance—but booze-less. A place anyone could enjoy.”
What can you expect at Hekate? Like its sister bar, Lucky, it’s got all the hallmarks of a good dive: eclectic vintage accents, tattooed patrons, and a straightforward menu, but with a twist: coffee all day, alcohol-free cocktails, elixirs, and herb-infused libations. You can order a classic mocktail like a piña colada or jalapeño marg, as well as more unusual elixirs featuring non-alcoholic spirits, sodas, and aperitifs. They also serve up “witchy” teas and a decent list of non-alcoholic beers.
Listen Bar
Listen Bar’s founder, Lorelei Bandrovschi, spent a month without drinking on a dare, which ultimately inspired her to create more occasions where people didn’t feel the need to drink.
Her new mission? To rewrite nightlife beyond alcohol. Fortunately, New York has been very receptive to this mission, and she’s gained a lot of attention, even from Snoop Dog who requested that Listen Bar name a drink after him.
Listen Bar is a pop-up bar for hire, in real life or online, offering event services for anyone who wants to create a social experience featuring awesome music and vibes, minus the booze. All of Listen Bar’s bartenders are musicians; they even had the guitarist for Patti Smith bartending one time.
Recently, it attracted a crowd of NYC fashion lovers, from Gen Z trendsetters and content creators to models and entrepreneurs, at its five-night event with H&M. Major stars like Cynthia Nixon, Katie Holmes, and Nicholas Braun were spotted enjoying a “She Pretty” – one of the mocktails on the menu.
You can subscribe to their newsletter on the Listen Bar website to hear about upcoming events or ways to work with them to host your own sober event.
Absence of Proof
Absence of Proof is another 100% alcohol-free pop-up bar for those who want to take a night to a lifetime off drinking. Similar to Brandrovschi, founder Elizabeth Gascoigne opened the bar after she stopped drinking. She recognized the need for more meeting spaces for folks who want a night out on the town with delicious drinks, without the booze (or the next-day hangover).
“I stopped drinking earlier this year because I felt like it wasn’t serving me in my life anymore,” says founder Elizabeth Gascoigne. “I was anxious, tired all the time, and not even having that much fun when I was going out. Once I stopped drinking, I didn’t want my social life to stop, but I noticed that there were very few nightlife options in NYC that weren’t centered around drinking.”
The pop-up bar serves a bevy of non-alcoholic drinks, from spicy margaritas to espresso martinis, and it regularly draws in a crowd of enthusiastic 20- and 30-somethings.
“If you didn’t tell me there wasn’t alcohol in it, I would probably think there was,” Absence of Proof patron, Caitlyn Calcagno said. “It’s good. It’s really good.”
In January 2023, Absence of Proof partnered with a non-alcoholic retailer, Sèchey, on a residency in the West Village called the “Speakeasy.” Once a week, they opened two times a night for a full menu of non-alcoholic cocktails featuring the zero-proof mixer, Ritual, and non-alcoholic wines and beer.
Third Place Bar
Another pop-up “sober bar,” Third Place Bar, sets up alcohol-free events at your favorite NYC and Brooklyn bars. It’s not just an occasion to try a new alcohol-free beer or mocktail—although they have plenty—they also host trivia and comedy nights. Launched late last year, the founder, Sam Bail, is a data engineer by day turned “soberista” (Is that a word? It should be!) by night.
The “third place” is an idea first coined by the sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe those places, besides home and work, where social connection takes place. For children, that place might have been an after-school program or club. For adults, these places could be church, the rotary club, etc.
Today, we’re seeing a massive decline in “third places” that bring people together in person and give them a sense of community. Third Place Bar is hoping to bring back – a place to gather without having to knock back a glass of poison.
According to Bail, they plan to open a permanent brick-and-mortar location in Brooklyn in 2024. We’re super excited to follow Third Place Bar’s journey.
Kava Social
Update: As of August 2023, Kava Social is temporarily closed.
Looking for a place to focus or meet with friends for alcohol-free libations that can still give you a bit of a buzz or take the edge off? Enter: Brooklyn’s Kava Social.
According to its site, “Kava Social was created with a primary purpose: to counterbalance the overly medicated, intoxicated and caffeinated culture with natural plant alternatives curated into mock-tails and wellness lattes; it’s a balance of calm and stimulating.”
A cozy spot, you can drink kava or kratom here with the help of its helpful baristas and sit in lots of comfy chairs enjoying mood lighting and vibey playlists. They also have a bunch of different board games from which to choose.
You might be wondering, what’s kava?
Kava is a beverage from the South Pacific that is popularly used for ceremonies or relaxation that comes from the Piper methysticum plant. A depressant, kava contains chemicals called kavalactones, which, in small doses, lead to muscle relaxation, sleepiness, and feelings of wellbeing.
However, keep in mind that kava is a drug and should be treated as such. Research suggests that long-term use of kava can lead to health problems such as malnutrition, weight loss, and apathy.
Boisson
While not technically a bar, Boisson is a wonderland for those looking to discover new, sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages. Boisson is a boutique bottle shop with locations in multiple New York City boroughs from Williamsburg to West Village with a welcoming, judgment-free vibe that sparks curiosity. If you’re in Los Angeles, California, you can also visit them in Studio city and Brentwood.
In this store, you can find various concoctions to sip on as alcohol alternatives, no matter the occasion or reason. You will find so many options here that you never knew existed. Plus, the staff are very friendly and will help you pick the best little something-something for you.
While it’s not a place to hang around and drink the beverages, you can always take a page out of the And Just Like That ladies’ book and picnic at the park with a nice bottle of teetotaler wine.
What do you think? Have you been to any of these? Am I missing one? Comment below!
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