Whether it’s your new year’s resolution to drink less, you’re participating in Dry January, or you just like to indulge in a mocktail every once in a while, there’s plenty of reasons you might be looking for tasty, non-alcoholic beverages this season.
Lucky for us, Charlotte has no shortage of options. We’ve rounded up our favorite places to get mocktails in the city right here.
South End & Wesley Heights
Restaurant Constance
2200 Thrift Rd
Non-alcoholic beverages are a meaningful effort by Chef Sam Diminich, who has been sober since 2014 and wanted to create a more inclusive fine-dining experience at Restaurant Constance. Instead of mimicking alcoholic drinks, the restaurant aims to create original, complex beverages using locally sourced seasonal ingredients like fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Currently on the menu is the Time Will Tell: a winter-spiced NA sangria with NA red wine, orange, Asian pear, cranberry, clove, and cardamom, infused for 24 hours, as well as other mocktails and N/A wines.
The Waterman
2729 South Blvd, Suite D
Sip on a mocktail while enjoying seafood at The Waterman. Their Midnight Swim, made with lavender and butterfly pea flower simple syrup, lemon, club soda, and edible glitter looks just as good as it tastes. Or try the N/A pornstar martini.
VINYL
1440 S. Tryon St
At this South End staple you can enjoy a variety of mocktails and THC-infused drinks. The N/A drink menu includes a Spiritless Spritz, a Phony Negroni, and a Dark & Spicy cocktail. If you still want a little buzz, try the Get Down made with Loyal Oils Moody Judy Strain Specific Cannabis Cocktail, spiced orange, vanilla, pineapple, lime, and rootbeer bitters.
Superica
101 W. Worthington Avenue #100
Superica is is kicking off the new year with a lineup of creative, alcohol-free cocktails that prove going dry doesn’t mean going boring. Two highlights on the menu include the smoky sweet Frieda’s Eyebrow and the refreshing Texas Starlight, which is the N/A version of the Tex Mex classic the Texas Star.
Seaboard South End
3232 South Blvd #101
At Seaboard South End, many of your favorite cocktails can be made into a mocktail. The bar offers N/A versions of an Espresso Martini, French 74, Spicy Margarita, Blackberry Mojito, Classic Mojito, and Aperol Spritz.
Leluia Hall
1829 Cleveland Ave
This newly opened restaurant has three mocktails on the menu year round. Try the Passionately Yours, a cucumber and serrano non-alcoholic spirit, with passionfruit, citrus and non-alcoholic bitter amaro, the Spirit-Free Gin and Tonic, or the Chicha Morada with purple corn tea, pineapple juice, citrus and fresh green apple.
Blue Door
1508 S Mint St
From January 3rd through January 14th, Blue Door will be featuring a dedicated Mocktail & Low ABV cocktail menu. For this feature, Low & No is defined as cocktails with a combined ABV of under 8%, allowing guests to enjoy complexity and balance without the focus on high-proof spirits. The mocktail experience at Blue Door is sure to be one to remember.
Blinders Sports Lounge
225 W Tremont Ave
Blinders is known for its big screen TVs that show sports games and reality TV alike. If you’re stopping in during Dry January you can check out the Fresh Start Fizz, made with N/A Prosecco, mixed berry and citrus, or the Resolution Refresher with Blanc verjus, mango, pineapple, rosemary honey and soda.
Uptown
Sea Level NC
129 E 5th St
The Purple Sea Urchin, made with pineapple, hibiscus, lime, demerara, and passionfruit flakes is a mocktail you’ll want to sip on long after dry January is over. Sea Level NC also has other mocktails to try too, like the Buzz Kill, which is an Italian orange spritz, and the N/A Passion Star Martini.
Dogwood Southern Table & Bar
601 S College St
Dogwood, which recently re-opened in Uptown, has a selection of year round mocktails on the menu. When you stop in to check out the re-imagined restaurant, try the Cucumber Spritz with N/A Pink London, strawberry jam, N/A apertif, cucumber, lemon and sparkling water, or the Mocking Bird with N/A Italian Orange, N/A Rum, pineapple, lime and ginger syrup.
Merchant & Trade
303 S Church St
Merchant & Trade has quite a few mocktails to sip on while you look out at the Charlotte skyline, but our favorite is the Endless Vacation. Made with N/A Italian Spritz, fever tree blood orange ginger beer, and expressed orange peel, it’s one delicious drink.
SouthPark & Eastover
Napa Restaurants
110 Perrin Pl (Eastover)
1310 Broadcloth St, Suite 101 (Fort Mill)
The Napa Restaurants offer a variety of delicious mocktails all year round. The Golden Orchard Spritz is the perfect combination of sweet and spice, made with N/A Italian Spritz, N/A Grande Classico, spiced apple cider, soda water and a cinnamon sugar rim. Other options include a Sans-gria, and the Autumn Jewel, an apple cider based mocktail.
Peppervine
4620 Piedmont Row Dr Suite 170B
Peppervine has a variety of zero-proof cocktails. Check out the Cherry Lime Rickey with bing cherry, lime and soda, or the Hor-Chai-Ta Cider with spiced N/A spirits, chai cider and horchata next time you stop in for a visit.
Steak 48
4425 Sharon Rd
Pair your steak dinner with a mocktail at Steak 48. All year round there are mocktails on the menu, including the Blueberry Lemon Sour with Seedlip Spice 94, blueberry puree, fresh pressed lemon and egg white, as well as the Passionfruit Margarita with Seedlip Notas de Agave, passionfruit puree, fresh pressed lime and tajin.
NoDa
Artisan’s Palate
1218 E 36th St A
At Artisan’s Palate, there’s a lengthy mocktail menu available all year long. Some highlights include the Tequila Mockingbird, made with tequila alternative, fresh grapefruit, and ginger, the Sober Sour, made with whiskey alternative, egg white and lemon, and the Spiritless Spritz, with N/A aperitif, soda, and orange.
Soul Gastrolounge
4110 Raleigh St #120
This recently reopened fan-favorite tapas restaurant will be doing a special Dry January menu with N/A beverages and mocktails, as well as low ABV options for Moist January and THC offerings for California Sober. The beverage team is still working on crafting the menu, so stayed tuned on their social media accounts for details!
Ever Andalo
3116 N Davidson St
Ever Andalo has an absolutely stellar lineup of mocktails that are perfect for dry January and beyond. Our favorite is the Spirit-Free Bramble, made with Amethyst Botanical, N/A Amarno, blackberry syrup, soda water, and basil, but the View From the Top, and Spirit-Free Spritz are also great choices. Or, if you’re interested in a THC-cocktail, try the new addition to the menu, the Get Up to Get Down with hemp-infused non-alcoholic spiced spirit, lyre’s non-alcoholic white rum, espresso, simple syrup and heavy cream.
Author’s Note: This article was written by Alex Maloney. You can find more of her foodie content on TikTok, @alexmaloney22.
Alex Maloney
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