Where to Get the Best Mocktails for Dry January
Even if New Year’s resolutions aren’t your thing, the start of the calendar year always offers an opportunity for reset, reflection, and healthy habits. Now more than ever, bars and restaurants are making it easy to enjoy a night out without alcohol by developing beverage programs featuring creative and delicious craft mocktails.
Whether you’re sober-curious, sober-serious, or just in need of a chill month, here is a list of where to enjoy your Dry January in San Diego.
Herb & Sea
Nestled in charming Encinitas, Herb & Sea offers a delightful beachside escape and a menu full of modern eclectic seafood and fresh Californian fare. During Dry January (or any time of year), choose a non-alcoholic beverage off their list of mocktails to accompany the wide array of locally caught fish, handmade pastas, and brightly flavored shareable dishes.
Skip the booze and enjoy a refreshing Never Have I Heather made with zesty lemon, dragon fruit, and basil syrup or creamy Sea Güey featuring housemade pistachio horchata, strawberry, and cinnamon. And since you saved calories with your mocktail, be sure to spend them wisely on desserts such as Butterscotch Budino with salted caramel, lavender cream, and butter cookie or the Lava Cake with a truffle center, vanilla and chocolate sauce, and mint gelato—which are both gluten-free!
Animae
At the luxurious Animae, you can relax into the plush interiors of the award-winning dining room, and choose one of their exclusive mocktails to sip while enjoying skillfully prepared dishes from Chef Tara Monsod.
Try The Malarkey with Thai chili & tamarind syrup, pineapple, and lime, or the Romeo Loves Julian with galangal green tea, honey, koji, cardamom, and green apple. Made with flavor and mouthfeel in mind, their spirit-free offerings are just as exciting as the rest of the menu.
Herb & Wood
Herb & Wood, Little Italy’s go-to for wood-fired eats and farm-to-table dishes, has a refreshing selection of mocktails that pull from Executive Chef Carlos Anthony’s obsession with local produce and micro-seasons.
Pair rustic Mediterranean-inspired dishes cooked on the open flame with tasty garden-forward drinks like Lemon & Herbs with fresh lemon juice, roasted lemon and thyme syrup, grenadine, and soda water; or Sage & Ginger with peach, ginger syrup, sage, and soda water.
Garibaldi
Perched above San Diego, Garibaldi offers a unique al fresco dining experience. Garibaldi’s Southern Italian fare is a tribute to California’s state fish and Italian revolutionary hero Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Embrace Dry January with the N/A Negroni, featuring Seedlip Garden, Lyre’s Italian Orange, and Aperitif Rosso. Enjoy it on the terrace with sunset views or indoors with San Diego Bay views.
Communal Coffee
Embrace the coziness of Dry January at Communal, where coffees, teas, and more transform into the perfect mocktail, no bar required! Indulge in handcrafted brews while basking in the warm, inviting atmosphere of the creatively designed spaces. Sip on Sparkling Lavender Lemonade, savor an Iced Matcha Latte, or enjoy the refreshing Cold Brew—the choice is yours!
The Local Pacific Beach
The Local Pacific Beach is celebrating with delicious mocktails and FREE weekly workout classes. The Local has partnered with several local instructors and studios to host workout classes throughout the month, including boot camp, barre, yoga sculpt, and more. The full schedule is here, and guests can RSVP for classes here.
After a sweat session, sip on a refreshing mocktail! Offerings include Strawberry Limeade made with strawberry puree, lime juice, simple syrup, and club soda; P.O.G. Soda made with passionfruit, orange juice, guava, and club soda; N/A Michelada made with N/A cerveza, lime juice, bloody mix; and more!
!MPROV Booze-Free Cocktails
This Dry January, !MPROV Booze-Free Cocktails emerges as an excellent option for those participating in the growing movement of mindful consumption. The San Diego-based brand, known for its unique line of booze-free cocktails, offers a non-judgmental and inclusive approach to consumption, allowing customers to enjoy their products on their own or mix them with alcohol. The three flavors—Lime Margarita, Tropical Mai Tai, and Grapefruit Paloma—are vegan, non-GMO, low calorie, low sugar, and gluten-free, providing authentic non-alcoholic alternatives.
Coco Maya
Coco Maya, Little Italy’s rooftop taste of the Caribbean, is celebrating Dry January with the refreshing, non-alcoholic You Can Get It in the Morning with Ritual Tequila (0% ABV), cucumber, ginger, lime, and Topo Chico. Garnished with a cucumber and mint sprig, this mocktail is sure to put some pep in your step!
Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase, North Park’s very own slice of the bayou, brings Cajun bites and delights to the corner of University Avenue and Louisiana Street. LP’s mixologists have hand-crafted several mocktails available for your sober enjoyment.
The Fant-astic Fun includes Strawberry Fanta and lemonade garnished with a dehydrated lemon, the Blue Raspberry Bash features Blue Raspberry Koolaid with lemonade garnished with a maraschino cherry and orange wheel, and the Grape Year mixes Grape Koolaid with lemonade topped with a maraschino cherry and mums.
Miss B’s Coconut Club
Miss B’s Coconut Club transports you to a tropical Caribbean island, just steps from the waves in Mission Beach! Featuring two mocktails in the month of January, be sure to sip on The Not Toddy with lemon, turmeric ginger syrup, honey, and hot water garnished with candied ginger, as well as Ed’s No Rum Runner with pineapple and orange cordial, lime, kiwi, and blackberry topped with pina leaf and cherry.
Karl Strauss
Karl Strauss, San Diego’s longest-operating post-Prohibition brewing company, has released its first-ever non-alcoholic beer on the brink of its 35th anniversary in February. Non-Acoholic Red Trolley is available in 12-oz cans exclusively at Karl Strauss’ five San Diego County locations, including the new San Marcos Outpost beer garden.
The alcoholic Red Trolley Ale (5.8% ABV) is one of the brewery’s core beers, an Irish-style Red Ale that is an 11-time Gold Medal winner at various regional, national, and international brewing competitions. This new take on the beer is “non-alcoholic, still iconic.”
Duck Dive
This January, the Duck Dive in Pacific Beach will feature three no-ABV mocktails to so you can enjoy the beachy vibes without a hangover.
Sip on the Coconut Margarita with Fluère Smoked Agave, coco lopez, cucumber, and fresh lime; the White Macaw with Fluère Spiced Cane Dark Roast and Bitter liqueur, pineapple, demerara, and fresh lime; the Spritz with Ritual Aperitif and Lautus Sparkling Brut; and the Raspberry Sour with Fluère Raspberry Blend, raspberry gomme, egg white, fresh lemon, and Spritz.
Sandbar Sports Grill
Sandbar Sports Grill, neighbors to the Pacific Ocean and Belmont Park, welcomes all to enjoy ocean views from the Sky Deck and a flavorful menu featuring award-winning fish tacos! They would like to specially invite anyone looking to explore a no-alcohol lifestyle to make any of their available cocktails into a mocktail. Crowd favorites include the Mission Beach Melon Margarita, Strawberry Agua Fresca, and the Spicy Tropical Marg.
Cheers to a healthy start to the New Year!
See you there, San Diego!
