What to Order at a Bar When You're Not Drinking

The hardest part of a night out without alcohol usually isn't the drinking — it's the ordering. You get to the bar, the bartender looks at you, and the only thing that comes to mind is 'a Coke, I guess.' Here's a better list, roughly in order of how well it works at an average bar.

The orders that work almost anywhere

• Soda and fresh lime, with bitters if they have them — a few dashes of Angostura turns soda water into something that tastes like a drink. (Bitters are technically alcoholic, but the quantity is negligible. Skip if you're avoiding alcohol entirely.)
• Ginger beer and lime — a Moscow Mule without the vodka, and most bars stock real ginger beer.
• Cranberry, soda, and a big squeeze of lime — tart enough to sip slowly.
• Iced tea with lemon, if the bar serves food.
• Espresso or an espresso tonic at a bar that also does coffee.
• Whatever N/A beer they carry — most bars now stock at least one.

How to ask for something better

The single most useful phrase: 'Can you make me something non-alcoholic that isn't sweet?' Good bartenders like this question — it's a small creative problem, and it signals you want a real drink rather than a soda. You'll often get something built with citrus, herbs, and house syrups that's genuinely better than the sugary 'mocktail' on the menu.

If the bar has a dedicated zero-proof list, order from it. That list exists because someone on staff cared enough to build it, and it's usually the best thing available. Find bars with real zero-proof menus.

What to skip

• Anything described only as 'virgin' — it's usually the alcoholic recipe minus the alcohol, which means sugar and not much else.
• Sweet sodas early in the night. They're fine for one, but three is a lot of sugar and you'll feel it.
• Frozen drinks, unless you actively want dessert.

The ordering itself

Order first if you're with a group. It sets your drink as normal rather than as a reaction to everyone else's, and it heads off the 'you're not drinking?' moment before it starts. Hold the glass the same way you'd hold any other. Most people genuinely do not notice, and the ones who do usually stop caring within a minute.

Want a place where you won't have to improvise at all? Browse fully alcohol-free bars.