All the flavor, none of the booze: A Dry January guide to drinking in Philly

By Molly Given

Dry January doesn’t mean skipping a night out in Philly. Across the city, bars and restaurants are serving up sophisticated mocktails and zero-proof cocktails that deliver all the flavor—minus the booze.

Leo

Mocktail mavens are in luck here. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, Philadelphians can join in on a spirit-free wine and drink tasting at Leo. For $45 per person, participants can enjoy a variety of curated non-alcoholic wines and mocktails, paired with small bites, while being guided by a sommelier. The event will be in full swing from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available via Resy.

1414 Spruce St., leo-restaurant.com

Garden Restaurant at the Barnes Foundation

Why not pair your alcohol-free sips with some art? Before or after exploring the Barnes Foundation, locals can head to the venue’s onsite Garden Restaurant to try out drinks like the Dry Spell ($8) made with coconut, coconut water, lemon, lime and club, or the Mother Earth Milk Tea ($13) made with matcha, feragaia, almond syrup, almond milk and butterfly chai.

2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., barnesfoundation.org

Barcelona Wine Bar

On top of some pretty tasty tapas, Barcelona Wine Bar also serves up some inventive mocktail options. Two standouts include the Bees & Bays for $7 (lime, salted honey syrup, and warming cardamom, topped with sparkling water and finished with torched smoky bay leaves) and the Tea Time for $8 (hibiscus, blue flower, Earl Grey tea, blueberry shrub, salted honey syrup, lemon, aquafaba, and mint.)

1709 Passyunk Ave., barcelonawinebar.com

Mecha Noodle Bar

Noodles and no-ABV sips sound like a good combination. At Mecha Noodle Bar, locals can order up the In My No Drinking Era, a zero-proof option featuring pineapple shrub, ginger, Thai basil, mango, citrus, yuzu, and club soda. The Asian-inspired venue also offers house-made sodas like ginger beer and lemon hibiscus, fresh-squeezed limeade, and an array of boba teas.

1700 N Front St., Suite 2.1, mechanoodlebar.com

Forsythia

This non-alcoholic sipper is for brunch lovers. At Forsythia, sober curious patrons can order up the 75-Year-Old Virgin mocktail, which they say features the perfect ratios of non-alcoholic sparkling wine, cara cara oranges, lemon and juniper ($16). The French-forward locale also serves up a Virgin Bloody Mary for $8.

233 Chestnut St., forsythiaphilly.com

Continental Midtown

One of the Continental Midtown’s most popular drinks is their Astronaut Cocktail, but for Dry January, visitors can try the Astro-NOT ($10) made with fresh orange juice, Tang, lemon, and orgeat. While there, Philadelphians can also sip on the fruit-forward Blackberry Mango Mar’tea’ni ($10), boasting blackberry and mango purée, black tea, and orgeat.

1801 Chestnut St., continentalmidtown.com

Wilder

Wilder owners Nicole Barrick and Brett Naylor are sober themselves, so they opened this Rittenhouse hotspot with mocktails in mind. On the non-alcohol side, locals can find sips like the Doctor’s Orders (Lapsang souchong, ginger and honey, $10), Ben’s Night Out (Philter’s N/A Rum, coffee and condensed milks, $10), One Last Question (Sarsaparilla, vanilla and lime, $10) and many other spirit-free options.

2009 Sansom St., wilderphilly.com

Post Haste

East Kensington’s popular cocktail spot also has plenty of options for those who are sober curious (including beers). The Holy Negroni ($13) offers a hibiscus-forward version of the standard sipper. The Peachy Keen ($14) utilizes in-house smoked peaches for a sour-balanced experience. The Tea El See ($12) is a non-alcoholic take on an espresso martini made with oat milk, and lastly, the Cel-Ray of Light ($13) made with celery syrup, horseradish-infused Ritual Gin, yuzu superjuice and soda water, will only be available for the month of January.

2519 Frankford Ave., posthastephilly.com

Dear Daphni

Mocktail lovers can munch on bites like Turkish dumplings, eggplant matbucha and Lebanese fries while pairing the dishes with Dear Daphni’s Honey Bee (N/A gin, sumac honey and lemon, $9) or Pinamor cocktail (N/A rum, pineapple, lime and Persian cucumbers, $9).

125 S 20th St., deardaphni.com

Andra Hem

Andra Hem has sealed its seat as a cocktail contender in Philly, but those looking to indulge in some mocktails can also pull up a stool here. Spirit-free options at this locale include the Squirt Gun (bitter soda and espresso, $11), The Linc (cucumber water, dill, lime and soda, $11) and Touch Nothing But The Lamp (jasmine tea, fruit, citrus and soda, $11).

218 S 16th St., andrahem.com

Bolo

This rum bar is spirited in its decor and food offerings, but it also boasts a wide range of flavors in its mocktail menu. While here, those celebrating Dry January and beyond can order up drinks like the Virgin Colada ($12) with pineapple juice and coconut cream; the No Jito ($12), a blend of lime, mint, guarapo, and soda; the Hibiscus Lemonade ($12) featuring ginger, lemon, hibiscus, and club soda; and the Pica Piña ($12), a “zesty” mix of lime, pineapple pique, and a tajín rim.

2025 Sansom St., bolophl.com

48 Record Bar

Record lovers in search of mocktails, look no further. Old City’s stylish listening room and cocktail bar is currently serving up non-alcoholic versions of two fan-favorite cocktails: the Moroccan Mint Tea ($10), crafted with mint tea, mint extract, and sugar, and the Chocolate Calida ($12), fashioned with pistachio orgeat, dark chocolate, cream, and baking spices. While there this month, locals can also sip on the Mock Milk Punch ($13), comprised of cherry juice, cacao, spiced syrup, matcha, and coconut milk.

48 S. 2nd St., 48recordbar.com