You don’t have to drink to have a good time. Plenty of Greater Cincinnati bars and restaurants have started offering guests more zero-proof options on their drinks menu, offering popular non-alcoholic options like St. Agrestis Phony Negronis and Leitz sparkling “wines,” as well as delicious mocktails that range from dupes of your favorite cocktails, like gin and tonics and mules, to inventive creations that will make you appreciate the art of spirit-free mixology.

Whether you’re sober, sober-curious or just taking on Dry January (or any other month), here are some Greater Cincinnati bars and restaurants to try when you need a good no-proof beverage. 

Lost & Found 22 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine Lost & Found is a funky, community-driven gathering space with an inventive drink menu and small bites inside of a creative, art-filled environment – once a multi-car garage – where work from local artists fill the walls from room to room. While it’s a cocktail bar, Lost & Found doesn’t skimp on the non-alcoholic options available to its patrons. The zero-proof menu includes the Michael Keaton (beets, lemon, honey, dijon and dill salt), Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus tea) and the Under the Boardwalk (Giffard NA apertivo, passionfruit, lime, demerara and a non-alcoholic IPA. Photo: facebook.com/Lost.and.Found.Cincy
King Pigeon 2436 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills Contemporary coffee lounge and cocktail bar King Pigeon is the perfect place to go if you want imaginative drinks in a relaxed environment. Every few months, King Pigeon releases a special menu featuring a fun and creative tale of the “King Pigeon” that takes you on a journey through the bar’s seasonal drink offerings, including a few non-alcoholic beverages. For the winter, King Pigeon is focusing on the Art of Foraging and mixing up drinks that embody nature. Try the fresh and floral Base Camp, made with oolong and magnolia blossom tea, spruce tip, lavender and alpine bitters; the zesty Golden Hour (apricot puree, pistachio, lemon, tarragon and soda); or take a break from the wilderness and enjoy a St. Agrestis Phony Negroni. Photo: facebook.com/King Pigeon
Northern Row Brewery & Distillery 111 W. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine Tucked down a quiet street in Over-the-Rhine, Northern Row’s taproom and patio slings more than a dozen taps of its own beer, and features a full bar and cocktails made with house-distilled spirits, Five Stories. But if you’re doing Dry January, or Dry Any Other Month, you can pick from two Greek myth-inspired mocktails. The Persephone features pomegranate juice (IYKYK), spiced blackberry simple syrup and lime juice and is topped with ginger beer. Her mother, The Demeter, is more herbal, made with Churchill’s Fine Teas matcha powder, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and lime juice — a drink worthy of the goddess of the harvest and agriculture. Photo: facebook.com/northernrow
Second Story 100 W. Sixth St., #2, Covington Covington’s Second Story bar, the latest vision from Lost Co., is an artistic, Southern Gothic oasis for every sort of reveler. Located on the second floor of a former Covington firehouse, the bar’s main space is a large room with stylish and comfortable seating, dazzling chandeliers and hand-painted murals, complemented by large windows. It also brings some garden vibes indoors, featuring a giant artist-created tree “growing” behind the bar that houses bottles of spirits. On the menu, patrons will find cocktails with a variety of bases, not leaning on any one spirit too much. Drinks are made with housemade syrups and housemade tonic and feature amari, which are herbal liqueurs that typically come from Italy and France. There’s even a housemade version of “Fireball” cinnamon whiskey. And like the views through the windows in the main space, the cocktail menu will change seasonally, offering guests fresh experiences with multiple visits. Photo: Courtesy of Second Story
Vintage on Race 500 Race St., Downtown This new downtown sports bar and lounge offers patrons a great spot to catch a game, grab a drink and enjoy live music. The space has a retro vibe, sporting a color palette of gold, copper orange, magenta and deep blues and features a 9-foot-by-36-foot video wall to watch sports, with other large TVs around the space to provide a view from every angle. On the robust cocktail menu, you’ll find three zero-proof options, all with tropical vibes. The High Dive is made with Tropical Red Bull and black tea, with flavors of hibiscus, lemon and cucumber. The Sun Chaser features pineapple-honey shrub, grenadine, fresh lime and sage. And the Sidewalk Chalk is crafted with vanilla coconut water, ginger, fresh lime and mint. Photo: facebook.com/vintageonrace
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Alive & Well 3410 Telford St., Clifton Spirit-forward cocktail bar Alive & Wellin Clifton’s Gaslight District provides an out-of-the-norm Ludlow Avenue experience, blending the grandeur of the building’s historic Art Deco façade with a punk-rock ambiance. The drink menu features a curated selection of top-quality spirits, cocktails and wines, as well as mocktails like the sweet and citrusy Off the Record (strawberry, mint, lime and lemon-lime soda) and the herby Soulless (Seedlip Spiced, celery and lime). Photo: facebook.com/Alive & Well Bar
Highball 1834 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Gorilla Cinema closed its Cosmic Gorilla comic book shop and bar in July to pivot to what it says it does best: creating unforgettable experiences in bars and entertainment venues. The new concept, Highball Cincy, opened this fall with a menu focusing on highball cocktails. There are two booze-free highball options: the sweet-and-sour tamarind-flavored Rio Vallet and the sweet pineapple cordial-plantain mix Viva La Vida — both of which pair perfectly with Highball’s Spanish-inspired tapas menu and the crackling of vinyl records. Photo: instagram.com/@highballcincy
Ripple Wine Bar 4 W. Pike St., Covington; Ripple Wine Bar is one of those sweet little spots that hits all the right notes: good wine (and lots of it) paired with good food. If you want the wine without the buzz, Ripple serves non-alcoholic Leitz sparkling riesling and rosé, or you can try a mocktail like the Ginger Garcia (ginger beer, apple, lime and soda) or the Althea (strawberry, pineapple, lemon and soda). Pair the beverage with a charcuterie board or one of Ripple’s flatbreads and you’re all set. Photo: Provided by Ripple Wine Bar
The bar with wrap-around seating Photo: Hailey Bollinger
MadTree Brewing Taproom 3301 Madison Road, Oakley MadTree may be best known for their IPAs, but the local brewery also offers plenty of non-alcoholic options as well, like the Hazy IPNA and Upside Dawn Golden. They also have a couple Floral’s THC beverages and can mix you up two kinds of mocktails: The Garden Variety and the Watermelon Limeade. Photo: facebook.com/MadTree
The Baker’s Table 1004 Monmouth St., Newport This farm-to-table restaurant offers rustic, seasonal dishes featuring fresh and locally sourced ingredients. The menu offers prix-fixe dining, as well as pastas and mains, but The Baker’s Table also shines when it comes to drinks, and their beverage menu offers several season-inspired mocktails to choose from. The Petal (pictured) features hibiscus, chamomile and egg white, or, for something decidedly wintry, try The Partridge, a mix of cider, pear and cinnamon. Photo: facebook.com/bakerstablenewport
Alara’s dining room Photo: Lydia Schembre
Homemakers Bar 39 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine Sip like you’re in a magazine. With a “slightly retro-mostly modern” vibe, Homemakers is a colorful, fun place to find your next favorite drink. The bar offers several no-proof beverages to choose from, including their famous Harvey (pictured), with cranberry-rosemary gomme, pineapple, lime, old-fashioned bitters and seltzer. For something more herbal, try The Echo (Seedlip Garden, cucumber, lemon, rye syrup, salt and egg white). Photo: facebook.com/homemakersbar
Metropole 609 Walnut St., Downtown Located inside the 21c Museum Hotel, Metropole offers excellent eats and cocktails in an artful environment, with a number of non-alcoholic beverage options to choose from. Try one of their mocktails — either a gin and tonic dupe called Jam Sesh that features zero-proof gin and spicy blueberry syrup or the Don’t Call Me Shirley, made with seasonal grenadine, citrus and soda. Metropole also offers Leitz sparkling riesling and rosé, Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden Ale and St. Agrestis Phony Negronis. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Somerset 139 E. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine If you’re in the mood to hang in a cocktail bar that doubles as a lush oasis that brings to mind faraway places, but want to skip the cocktail, Somerset in Over-the-Rhine offers four signature mocktails. If you like the bar’s Ube Margarita, give the Ziggy Stardust a try; it’s got flavors of pineapple, lime, hibiscus and coconut to transport you to somewhere warm and sunny. Enjoy the drink in Somerset’s greenhouse bar, their cozy lounge that has dark academia vibes or the outdoor garden. Photo: facebook.com/Somerset.otr
Mid City Restaurant 40 E. Court St., Downtown Helmed by the same team as popular Over-the-Rhine bar Longfellow, Mid City Restaurant describes itself as intimate and relaxed, with a menu of savory small (but hearty) plates. The restaurant features cafe-style seating and walls lined with traditional-style oil paintings, as well as a calming beige, white and green color palette for a laid-back dining experience. And while it’s a popular dinner spot, Mid City also offers brunch on Saturday and Sunday with a menu of elevated dishes. For a sweeter meal, try the corn fritter, with pumpkin butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar, or the bread pudding with benedictine glaze and seasonal fruit. On the savory side, Mid City has the salmon gravlax, their version of bagel and lox, with an everything bagel, herb cream cheese, pickle, dill and onion, or the fried sandwich: yam, leek, black garlic and Manchego cheese with egg on top. Photo: facebook.com/midcitycinti
Somm Wine Bar 3105 Price Ave., East Price Hill East Price Hill wine bar and restaurant Somm has an expansive collection of wine — with over 80 kinds to choose from — but we couldn’t possibly blame you for wanting to try one of their delicious non-alcoholic drinks. For a Negroni dupe, opt for the Phony Negroni. For a spritz, go for the Ghia Le Spritz. Somm also offers two kinds of non-alcoholic wine: Buzzkill’s Sauvignon Blanc and Blanc de Blanc Sparkling. Photo: facebook.com/sommewinebar