A recent report found that a third of pub visits are now alcohol-free. With more brands bringing out non-alcoholic alternatives to their most popular beverages and bars adding more mocktails to their menus, customers now have more non-alcoholic choices than ever when they aren’t tempted to drink much.
You might have also read our think piece on Why Alcohol Is Spiritual Poison, considering this phenomenon as part of a wider awakening and consciousness expansion in society, Fentimans – the botanical beverage brewers, have looked at some of the highest-rated sober venues on Trip Advisor that individuals endeavouring to “keep it sober” can visit across the UK and Ireland.
Café Sobar, Nottingham
Trip Advisor Rating – 4.5
Café Sobar is an alcohol-free bar based in Nottingham. As well as being an alternative to mainstream bars, this café is also helping the community. It is run by the drug and alcohol recovery charity Double Impact, which helps people whose lives have been touched by addiction. The café provides people supported by the charity with a place to gain work experience.
As well as a range of non-alcoholic cocktails including Mock-Neapolitan or a Sans-gria, there is also a range of food that you can enjoy whilst also watching one of the many events they host, such as live music and comedy.
The Virgin Mary Bar, Dublin
Trip Advisor Rating – 4.5
Across the Irish Sea, the Virgin Mary Bar in Dublin offers a great night out the city is known for, but with a difference from the other bars, there’s no alcohol. Its mission is to create a well-being bar, wanting people to ‘drink different’ through enjoying their range of mindful drinks.
As well as their own created signature and mood-boosting cocktails (which they say are bursting with natural highs), they also offer a range of non-alcoholic beers, ciders and wines. With their Dublin venue being trendy, they have opened a second bar in Abu Dhabi.
The Brink, Liverpool
Trip Advisor Rating – 4
The Brink in Liverpool is another non-alcoholic bar aiming to help those in recovery from addiction, with 73% of their employees in recovery themselves. Open during the day, offering a range of coffee, cake, mocktails, smoothies and soft drinks; this will be the best place to have a day drink.
As well as helping those in recovery with jobs in the bar, they are a social enterprise, so all their profits go back into the community to help those suffering from addiction. So, while you are sipping your mocktail, you will also know that you are doing well for the area!
Proudfoot & Co, Winchester
Trip Advisor Rating – 5
Go back in time with Proudfoot & Co and drink how they used to in ancient times. By analysing old cookbooks, they have rediscovered and are using old brewing techniques and production methods in their mocktail recipe. As well as using outdated methods, they are also kind to the planet by foraging for their ingredients, tapping local trees for syrup and fermenting in-house, so many of the drinks you will be trying have no air miles on them.
Try the Hampshire Honeydew, a tangy, mead-like drink made with Anglo-Saxon and Roman brewing techniques. Or try a taste of Italy with the Roman Bitters, an aperitif-style herbal tonic coffee based on Roman medicinal texts.
The Nest, Hastings
Trip Advisor Rating – 5
Using Hastings Old Town Hall, The Nest is another social space where you can find a tremendous non-alcoholic bar which also helps the community with money going back into opportunities and support for the local area.
The Nest is a great place to grab a sober drink whilst also enjoying some entertainment in their events space, whether that be live music or one of their cinema nights.