Mixologists at The Monroe craft some of the best zero-proof cocktails you’ve ever tasted. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez

Dry January cometh. I think it’s commendable to try to test yourself and see where you stand with things in your life. Like giving up sweets for a week. Challenging yourself to make the bed every day if you’re feeling a little down. Shifts in behavior are great for our brains. And if you’re trying to give up liquor for a month, it’s gonna be great for your body too.

So, whether you abstain from drinking because you want to try something new, you’re on a health journey or whatever other reason (gurl, you don’t need a reason to not drink alcohol), I have you covered. Get ready to hydrate in style with non-alcoholic sips from local hotels, restaurants and sexy lounges. But first, here are some terms you should know before you start looking at any menus.

Alternative Spirits are zero-proof doppelgangers of traditional liquors like whiskey, tequila, rum or gin. They share the same flavor profile and mouth feel without the intoxicating aftereffects. Don’t drink them on their own though. Yuck. 

Distilled Spirits are relatively new. They aren’t meant to taste like liquors, they stand apart with their flavors and profiles. Like Grindr and Christian Mingle. Popular brands include names like Seedlip, Three Spirit and Amathyst.

Shrubs are a drinking vinegar that can be flavored with fruit, jam, aromatics, syrups, honies or sugar, and are used as a mixer in cocktails and drinking sodas. 

Bitters can be anywhere from 35-45% alcohol, but there are non-alcoholic bitter products too. 

AVA MediterrAegean in Winter Park is the place to see and be seen. Especially if you have a fancy car to park out front (I hide mine near the old library, along with my self-respect). Their food and service are fantastic, and the cocktail menu isn’t anything to sniff your nose job at either. They always have something zero proof, but the last time I was there I had a very restorative glass of Longevity, made with almond, lime and cucumber tonic. I popped my collar, pulled down my sunglasses and pretended I had a family business to leave to an estranged son somewhere. I haven’t been to AVA in a long time, because the last time I was there I really embarrassed myself (and I don’t want to talk about it) but know that it’s a fancy spot for fancy people with a great non-alcoholic option. 

Domu’s non-alcoholic options are crowd-pleasers. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez

The consummate cool kids at Domu have two crowd-favorite non-alcoholic options available at the moment. The Lemony Snicket, which pairs lemon juice, orgeat syrup and soda water is heavily featured on the socials, but you can also enjoy a demurer mango lychee lemonade with boba if you’re feeling a little sexy. They also have a killer pineapple daiquiri that makes me think of dole whips without all the tourists and screaming kids in the background. 

Earl’s Kitchen at The Mall at Millennia didn’t have to go as hard as it did with its zero-proof menu, which features everything from unleaded Guinness and Corona to kombucha and sparkling lemonades. The winner is the Pineapple Cucumber Mule though, made with ginger, pineapple bitters, passion fruit, cucumber, fresh lime, soda and a healthy dose of self-confidence and self-worth. No booze in this body temple, mama.

ETTE Hotel’s Salt and The Cellar by Akira Back serves up high-end, over-the-top, fancy schmancy dishes, like a gold-encrusted steak I had the first time I was there. I watched them painstakingly apply the gold leaf to the steak myself and got worried about where it all went when I ate it. The hotel prides itself on alcohol-free cocktail programming that looks, smells and tastes like magic. They make almost impossible over-the-top drinks in opulent glassware and present it like a science experiment complete with flames, smoke and dioramas, like their Into The Woods, featuring green herbs, ginger, cucumber, lime, cookie crumble and “forest aromatic mist” made with scented dry ice. It looks like something you’d jump with a toy car, or put fairy dolls in. 

The zero-proof menu at Hampton Social is full of light and sparkling drinks that feel very springtime. ©The Hampton Social.

The Hampton Social has a whole zero-proof menu too that’s not just a soda fountain. They’ve got a light sparkling rose with notes of peach and strawberry that feels very springtime but gives late-summer-in-the-park-wearing-big-hats vibes. They also feature a rosemary-infused lemonade called The Lighthouse and a ginger beer with thyme, orange and lime called the Gingerly Thymed, served in a jar-like glass if you want to butch it up a bit. 

Mocktails from The Monroe, Pear-anormal activity. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez

The Monroe, in Creative Village, exudes a cool, timeless urbanness that a lot of Orlando restaurants wish they could pull off. That cool timelessness can be appreciated in the décor, the artwork, the staff and the food and beverage program. They’ve got a few seasonal NA options available now, including their yummy Pear-anormal Activity with lemongrass ginger tea, pear, almond, honey and lemon. The Jackie Daytona has blood orange tea, cranberry, pomegranate, pineapple and ginger beer. And it’s fun to say. Very drag. 

The Neighbors, that sip-and-shop lounge/store on the second floor of East End Market, started as an incubator for pop-up concepts with the Domu group but has since split off and become a real boy of its own. But those innovation superpowers of the young talent behind the concept are still pushing boundaries and trying new things, which has led to one of the best craft cocktail programs in town. Featuring creations like the breezy Zephyr, a drink with ginger beer, lime and cinnamon, or the Theros, made with peach-infused oat milk, Seedlip Garden and rosemary. 

Nami, voted Best New Restaurant in our recent 2024 Orlando Dining Awards, is a little slice of Miami meets New York. It’s tucked away in the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, which is an experience in itself—every time I’m there there’s always a bunch of drones flying overhead, beautiful modern art everywhere and a herd of cows on the other side of a fence judging your shoes. Like, actual cows, not fat judgmental vegans. The Amanranth zero-proof cocktail is something I think about often. It has amaretti, American malt, umeboshi (plum) and Yukari and it’s so pretty and special I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it in town. 

The bartenders at Tori Tori have all the ingredients on hand to make you the perfect bespoke mocktail, thanks to its award-winning bar program. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez

Tori Tori, the 2021 winner of Orlando Weekly’s Best Zero Proof Cocktail, has the requisite ginger beers and craft juices on hand for its award-winning bar program, but their bartenders can also make you a bespoke mocktail, catered to your tastes and preferences on request. And the best part is you’ll only be shelling out $10 for it. Ask them to put a crazy garnish on it if you’re anxious about your friends judging you for not drinking. But if that’s the case, they’re probably not great friends anyway.

Lastly, if you’re California sober and don’t partake in booze but still like a little THC TLC in your life, go see my friends at Tactical Brewing. Earlier this year the Baldwin Park-based brewer released a line of THC-infused seltzers called “Cloud Nine.” The brand is made with Delta 9, which is derived from hemp and doesn’t exceed 0.3% THC, which makes it legal in Florida, even without a medical card. And it still gets you buzzed. They have no sugars, use natural flavors, are 0 calories, are gluten-free and currently come in two flavors: strawberry kiwi or pineapple mango. Delta 9 doesn’t last too long either, so these are a great option if you’re going to the beach. 

A Word About Kava

Ashley Perkins, a kavatender at Elevate Kava Social Lounge

shrub native to the Pacific Islands, kava has been used for centuries to promote physical and mental wellbeing.

“It’s wonderful to ease anxiety, and brings a lot of calmness,” says Ashley Perkins, a kavatender at Elevate Kava Social Lounge. 

Think of it akin to grabbing a beer after a long, hard day of work, but being able to drive after having as many kava drinks as you like. That’s because kava hits on our GABA receptors, which work to calm the mind. 

“Before I started drinking kava, I had panic attacks quite often,” says Perkins. “I learned about kava through a friend of a friend, who said it really relaxed her. So, I tried it. That was three or four years ago, and we only had two [kava bars] in this town. We have about 25 now.”

Perkins estimates that half of the people coming into Elevate are sober, and the other 50 percent is looking for a relaxing environment to hang out in. But no matter why their customers are using it, Elevate’s kavatenders can make a drink to suit any taste. 

In mixing Elevate’s zero-proof cocktails, Perkins likes to put a spin on traditional cocktails and play with seasonal ingredients, such as spicing up a mock margarita or mixing lemonade with wild berries. Read on for her thoughts and a recipe for the Apple-tini, one of Elevate’s newest beverages.