For the Sober-Curious, America’s Zero-Proof Bars Deliver
The sober-curious lifestyle has moved beyond a January reset into a more sustained shift in how Americans approach drinking. According to a national survey from Circana, nearly half of U.S. adults say they plan to drink less alcohol going forward. At the same time, participation in Dry January continues to grow year over year, suggesting that cutting back is becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Joshua James, owner of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach Café and a former bartender and beer brewer, sees that shift reflected across age groups. “The big surprise was the industry didn’t get their guaranteed 21-year-old customer in this era,” he tells Observer, referring to the assumption that once someone reaches the legal drinking age, they become a reliable consumer. Instead, drinking patterns now diverge more sharply by generation, with younger adults opting out earlier and older groups reassessing habits shaped over decades, per James.
Alongside spirit-free cocktails built in familiar formats to traditional boozy drinks, many zero-proof bars now offer drinks made with adaptogens, kava or hemp-derived ingredients like CBD. That approach has helped zero-proof bars take hold as places people actually want to spend time, built around thoughtful drinks and social energy rather than abstinence alone. From San Francisco to New York, these are the zero-proof bars across the country leading that shift.
The Bars Betting on Americans Drinking Less
Sans Bar
- 918 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
Long before “zero-proof” became a well-known category, Sans Bar was already operating as a dedicated non-alcoholic bar in downtown Austin. Founded in 2017, it’s widely regarded as one of the first of its kind in North America. The bar’s programming—pop-ups, collaborations and rotating menus—has been influential in shaping the broader sober-curious movement, particularly in Texas. Specific menu highlights include a pecan praline old-fashioned, a spirit-free Mezcal Ranch Water and the Ume Moon, featuring non-alcoholic bourbon, caramelized fig syrup, white truffle, lemon and ume spritz.
Ocean Beach Café
- 734 La Playa St, San Francisco, CA 94121
Ocean Beach Café was intentionally framed as a café, not a bar—a decision James says was meant to lower barriers and encourage sampling. “I absolutely called it a cafe to create the maximum amount of impact through awareness, free samples and social cocktails that are beautiful, functional and for adults,” he tells Observer. In addition to casual daytime fare like sandwiches and salads, the menu prioritizes non-alcoholic spirits and functional ingredients, including Good Buzz Daisy, made with non-alcoholic mezcal, Bonbuz adaptogenic elixir, Dhos Orange, lime and agave.
Gratitude Zero-Proof Beverages & Kava
- 2752 Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Colorado Springs’ first entirely non-alcoholic bar takes an apothecary-driven approach to drinking, with house-made syrups and ginger beer forming the backbone of the menu. Herbs, roots and spices are used with intention, resulting in handcrafted mocktails that prioritize flavor as much as function. The lineup includes a carrot-ginger margarita finished with black lava salt, a zero-proof mule built on house ginger beer and fresh mint grown on-site and a sparkling, brut-based option that leans celebratory without feeling (or tasting) overly sweet.
Dry Spokes
- 1901 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE 68102
Dry Spokes began as a mobile pop-up before opening a brick-and-mortar space just outside downtown Omaha in early 2023. Operated by married duo Leah Wright and Mi-Ya Mata, the veteran-, female-, Indigenous- and LGBTQ-owned bar adapts familiar cocktail formats to non-alcoholic spirits, with drinks like an old-fashioned, Peachy Keen and Italian Smoke paired with lighter, nostalgia-inducing options like Cotton Candy. There’s also a “Surprise Me” offering that lets bartenders build drinks based on guest preferences.
Mockingbird
- 213 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
In Park Slope, Mockingbird pairs creative non-alcoholic cocktails with what it bills as New York City’s largest selection of NA beers and wines. Food plays a supporting role, with light bites like garlic-parmesan popcorn and truffle pretzel bites, plus weekend brunch and daytime café service using beans from local micro- and nano-roasters. One of the bar’s signature drinks, The Litmus Theory, uses butterfly pea flower, Sobreo Black Cardamom and sparkling non-alcoholic wine; its color shifts from blue to purple when acid is added.
Club Seltzer
- 500 Bellevue Way NE floor 2, Bellevue, WA 98004
Inside Lincoln Square South Food Hall, Club Seltzer takes a different tack from cocktail-first zero-proof bars, focusing instead on adaptogen-infused seltzers. The Pacific Northwest’s first seltzer-focused, alcohol-free bar crafts drinks with sparkling water and real fruit, much of which is dehydrated on-site. Offerings include the Ruby Refresher and Banana Havana, with most drinks customizable through add-ins such as matcha, blue spirulina, aloe and probiotics.
Nightshade
- 32 Banks Ave #105, Asheville, NC 28801
Nightshade is a late-night lounge in Asheville’s South Slope where music, not alcohol, sets the tone. Open since September 2025, the space hosts a rotating line-up of DJs and live sets spanning house, funk, techno and disco. The drink menu moves between zero-proof classics, like a dirty martini and old-fashioned, plus more experimental builds like St. Winter’s Roar, an Irish iced coffee with espresso and non-alcoholic whiskey. Functional drinks are also central to the list, from adaptogenic seltzers like Uplift (a mango-flavored option with CBD, lion’s mane and vitamin B12) to cannabis shots.
Verbena Free Spirited
- 1434 W 29th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
Verbena Free Spirited offers café service during the day and zero-proof cocktails once the sun sets, with an emphasis on non-alcoholic spirits, kava and adaptogens. Daytime offerings include espresso drinks and light bites, while evenings feature drinks like a dirty chai martini, a kava-based Painkiller, and spirit-forward creations such as the Drømme Manhattan (Drømme Calm, spirit-free bourbon, orange bitters and Luxardo cherries). The space also functions as a bottle shop, offering samples of non-alcoholic spirits, wines and canned drinks.
No More Cafe
- 352 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003
No More Cafe opened in the East Village in April 2024, serving as both an all-day café and a non-alcoholic cocktail bar. Coffee, tea and matcha flow through the morning, while afternoons and evenings feature a rotating list of house NA cocktails alongside non-alcoholic beer and wine. Drinks, like The Urban Illusion—a dark-cherry-forward cocktail with vermouth-style botanicals and bitters—are made sans extracts, preservatives or artificial flavors, ensuring the highest quality ingredients (and experience). Guests can also add functional elements à la carte, including special blends focused on energy and focus or on calm and relaxation.
Good News Bar
- 3821 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92103
Named after Mac Miller’s “Good News,” this San Diego spot offers health- and wellness-centric mocktails and spirit-free drinks modeled on classic formats. Expect to see plenty of adaptogens, herbs, kava and CBD, alongside standard mocktails designed for guests who avoid functional ingredients. Flying Away, a cold-brew-based concoction with cardamom, orange, aromatic bitters and a hemp-based botanical spirit, captures that balance clearly. Here, coffee and pastries give way to evening cocktails, NA beer and de-alcoholized wine.