As Americans cut back on drinking, non-alcoholic bars offer a safe space to connect with others while still giving that classic “where everybody knows your name” experience.
WORDS Janice Williams
IMAGES Eline Veldhuisen
Walk into Austin, Texas hotspot Sans Bar on any Friday night, and here’s what you’re likely to see: People. People talking. People smiling. People laughing. Maybe people dancing. Most of them will have drinks in their hands—some chugging beer cans with quirky labels, others tending to glasses of sparkling, red or white wine. Bartenders filing glasses to the rim with colorful concoctions and folks huddled in corners sipping serious cocktails. The usuals crowded around the bar in their same old seats while newcomers, full of curiosity, pile in.
Perhaps John will be there welcoming them—Sans Bar is his personal Cheers, and he’s the Norm of the place, according to the owner. But there are plenty of regulars who proclaim the spot as the best bar. Their bar. And even those who come in alone or with friends for the first time leave feeling like everybody now knows their name.
That might sound like any general scene at any ordinary bar, but it isn’t because this isn’t like any typical bar in America. Sans Bar is a zero-proof bar where everything on the menu is non-alcoholic (NA). Everybody here is sober, and they’re having a grand old time.
THE NEED FOR NA SPACES
“When we opened, a lot of people just scratched their heads at the idea of a bar without alcohol,” says Chris Marshall, the bar’s founder and owner. “But the need for a third space that’s focused on connection is something that’s trending.”
What started as a pop-up event in 2017 became a brick-and-mortar location that’s frequented by people abstaining from alcohol for a myriad of reasons, whether committed to sobriety or just not drinking for the night.
“Now we see people coming back because it’s not just a novelty thing—they’re realizing that they’re having a really good time without alcohol,” says Marshall. “And we have a following. People come out and hang at the bar all the time, and it’s lots of fun.”
“The thing I really like about bars, in particular, is that it’s the lowest common denominator of going out and having people around without necessarily having to do anything. It’s a place where we can be around people, but sometimes you want to do that without
having to drink.”
The patrons of Sans Bar aren’t alone in their quest for sobriety. Whether for health, religious or personal reasons, more and more people across the United States are cutting back on alcohol.
A study by NCSolutions released in January 2024 found that 41 percent of Americans planned to drink less in 2024, up from 34 percent in 2023. Meanwhile, an IWSR drinks market analysis report from December 2023 suggested that the overall alcohol market share for NA drinks could hit four percent by 2027. That same report also found volume for non-alcoholic drinks specifically grew five percent in 2023, making that market worth over 13 billion dollars today.
What’s becoming clear is that as more people join the sober curious movement in an attempt to better understand their relationship with alcohol and the mindful consumption—or not—of it, they’re looking for places to go to commune with others who are also interested in socializing and connecting without all the booze. A May 2023 study of 1,000 Americans by Casinos.us found that more than 80 percent of drinking-age Americans don’t have access to spaces, like bars, that focus entirely on non-alcoholic drink options, but over 50 percent wanted somewhere to go and drink only NA beverages.
SOCIAL WHILE SOBER
More than just a place to indulge in libations, a bar is a pillar of community. It’s a designated space people can go to engage with one another or not talk at all but merely be in the presence of others. It’s in bars where strangers become friends and bartenders turn into therapists, where people celebrate life or mourn it. For many, the bar is not just an establishment to visit when thirsty for a drink—the bar is the great connector, and people still want to enjoy the company bars keep without sacrificing their sobriety.
“The thing I really like about bars, in particular, is that it’s the lowest common denominator of going out and having people around without necessarily having to do anything,” says Sam Bail, founder of Third Place, a pop-up series that focuses on non-alcoholic drinks in New York City.
“It’s a place where we can be around people, but sometimes you want to do that without having to drink.”
While Third Place’s goal is to eventually operate as a full-scale bar, Bail hosts events centered on community building and bringing people together in a venue where they can interact and sip on something creative and delicious sans alcohol. Third Place hosts sober karaoke, trivia nights, mocktails and movie events, sober comedy shows and a lively movie bingo extravaganza.
Bail says the usual reaction from guests is shock to find so many other people similarly searching and joining in on fun social experiences without alcohol.
“These kinds of events, where people can look around and see there’s 40, 50 people in the room who are all totally fine socializing without drinking or engaging in any other substances, are really big drivers of creating that community that shows you’re not the weird one and you’re not alone,” says Bail. “There is a different type of community of people who don’t drink that you can also be a part of.”
A GROWING COMMUNITY
NA bars are opening up all around the U.S., and some are already amassing a cult following. Places like Listen Bar and Absence of Proof in New York City, Bendición Dry Bar in Chicago, Binge Bar in Washington, D.C., and Stay in Los Angeles draw in large crowds regularly.
That’s thanks, in part, to having thoughtfully curated menus full of drinks that go beyond the mix of tonics and syrups. However, a big reason behind their success is that so many people seek places to hang out without consuming alcohol.
“People want that same experience—having the chance to connect with people while having delicious drinks, except there is no alcohol poured,” says Derek Brown, the author, wellness coach and no- and low-alcohol cocktail expert behind Positive Damage, Inc.
There is certainly room for more NA spaces, especially as people across all age demographics set their intentions on drinking less. These spaces provide a chance for people to experience authentic connection without all the social lubricant.
Of course, there is certainly room for more NA spaces, especially as people across all age demographics set their intentions on drinking less.
“We’re in the middle of a cultural shift, and these spaces are very much needed,” says Laura Silverman, creator of Zero Proof Nation, an online resource hub for all things NA. Silverman’s platform is one of the most up-to-date, if not the only, sources for people to find NA bars, pop-up events, bottle shops and drink brands available in the United States and Europe.
“What’s really great about these spaces is manifold,” she says. “The obvious thing is that there’s no alcohol served, but there are lots of delicious drinks. It feels like a bar. It sounds like a bar. And now there are so many of these concepts that you can have a cocktail bar, a dive bar, a gay bar. All of the bar culture is now translating into NA bar culture, which is really cool.”
These spaces provide a chance for people to experience authentic connection without all the social lubricant.
“These bars are offering the opportunity for true community—not just for some, but for everybody,” says Brown. “And that’s what I love about them. When I walk into an NA space, I see a lot more people getting to know each other. I see a lot more of a diverse crowd. I feel like there’s just a really cool opportunity to build community in the best sense of the word.”
This article was published in the Summer 2024 issue of Full Pour. Don’t own it? Pick one up today!