Have you noticed how many hit songs center around cocktails and getting sloshed? Timeless party anthems are especially infectious, and we all know the words no matter how many years it’s been. The music gets us amped up and ready to go out and have a good time! There’s truly no harm in that. Everyone deserves to have a good time. Admittedly, I still love to sing along with these fun songs when they come on the radio in the car. I will be the first to say sometimes the words hit different now that I’ve parted ways with alcohol.
An exciting new, non-alcoholic nightlife option is coming to Detroit for everyone who is interested in becoming alcohol-free, sober, sober-curious, or just wanting to experience the joy of having a fun, booze-free night out.
The pandemic was a weird time in general for all of us. You may have felt that your relationship with wine went from “might be problematic” to “definitely not okay” when the nightly bottle became a bottomless morning mimosa that quickly slipped into a state of “we’re stuck at home, so why not sip all day.”
In October 2022, I had my last drink on Halloween. I don’t remember much. It was the end of a long time spent drinking more than I knew was healthy to do, but it seemed normal because everyone was doing it. I hit the wall of “Nope, not me. Not anymore.” It just wasn’t worth it to feel like I was on the fast-track to destroying myself and all that I had worked so hard to accomplish.
Society says success and stress go hand-in-hand, and that the only socially acceptable way to decompress is to drink alcohol. While that’s simply not true, all the “successful” people do it in all the movies and popular TV shows to the point that it’s socially normalized everywhere we look. Only, drinking alcohol tends to make matters much worse, nearly stressing the success straight out of the equation over time until it doesn’t even feel fun anymore to partake in drinking alcohol.
Exploring A Better Way to Be
Parting ways with alcohol isn’t always an easy decision to make. In the past few years, a door opened into the brand new world of non-alcoholic alternatives to favorite wines and spirits – gin, tequila, bourbon, etc. You name it, there’s an alcohol-free version that tastes so close to the real thing, the only ingredient missing is the toxicity. Choosing to take a break from alcohol can feel lonely. For some, the community element is still missing from the newly sober lifestyle that is embarked upon.
These area bars, restaurants, and cocktail lounges are concocting spirit-free drinks with fresh ingredients this month and beyond.
Rose House Brunch
This new trending Macomb County spot is open for brunch from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. On the menu, you’ll find beautifully crafted brunch staples including waffles and burgers, along with teas, coffees, and mocktails including the Lavender Butterfly and Blackberry Mule. Rose House Brunch, 47363 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; instagram.com.
Basan
Basan offers four no-ABV options: the Vanishing Act (oolong ice tea, chrysanthemum, honey, orange blossom and salt), Holy Shishito (peach, shishito, grapefruit, lime, and togarashi), Sucker Punch (calico, blackberry, thyme, orange, and ginger), and Baby Bird (roasted coconut, market lime, lemongrass, lime, and soda). Basan, 2703 Park Ave., Detroit; basandetroit.com.
The Black Salt
This cocktail bar specializes in spell cocktails and 10 non-alcoholic mocktails including the Dark and Stormy, Painkiller, Pineapple Mojito, and Coconut Margarit-nah. The Black Salt, 2764 Florian St., Hamtramck; theblacksaltbar.com.
Le Suprême
If you like apples, try The Temptation at this Parisian-inspired brasserie, located on the ground level of Detroit’s Book Tower. It’s made with Granny Smith apple juice, lemon juice, honey, orange flower water, and seltzer. They’re also offering the Citron Crush, which blends Ghia, raspberry, lemon juice, and muddled oranges. Le Suprême, 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; lesupremedetroit.com.
Host Utica
Host Utica offers three “zero-proof” drinks: Megalomaniac, made with ginger, orange juice, and champagne acid; Keep Your Eye on the Tiger, made with hibiscus, lime, orange juice, and coca-cola; and Dads at Kyoto Again, made with strawberry, calico, and flower cordial. Host Utica, 7759 Auburn Road, Utica; hostutica.com.
Bar Pigalle
The winter 2024 menu at Bar Pigalle features two speciality non-alcoholic options: The Pigalle Bitter Spritz, which is made with Dhos bitter aperitif, verjus blanc, cinnamon, and soda, as well as the N/A Skeleton Key, which is made with Kentucky 74, elderflower, ginger, lemon, ango, and soda. Bar Pigalle, 2915 John R. St., Detroit; barpigalle.com.
Eastern Palace Club
The “Immaculate Concoctions” section of the menu includes five alcohol-free drinks to choose from. For a tropical flavor, try the Undercover C.O.P. (made with coconut milk, orange juice, pineapple, and nutmeg) or get the Paradise Trap (blends spiritless Kentucky 74 Spiced Whiskey, pineapple, mint, and lime) for something with a little more of a kick. Eastern Palace Club, 21509 John R. Road, Hazel Park; epchp.com.
Testa Barrá Kitchen & Cocktails
This neighborhood eatery is known for it’s spin on Northern Italian cuisine, but their director of operations on sommelier, Jeffrey Baldwin, makes the drink menu just as memorable. Among the classics is a mocktail menu that includes three options: Noloma (grapefruit soda, agave, and lime), Strawberry Basil Cooler (fresh strawberries, basil, lemon, and soda), and Blackberry Nojito (mint, house blackberry puree, lime, ginger, soda). Tessa Barrá Kitchen & Cocktails, 48824 Romeo Plank Road, Macomb Township; testabarra.com.
M Cantina
Dearborn-based M Cantina serves up Halal craft cocktails, including non-alcoholic versions of a piña colada, mojito, and margarita. They also offer more unique mocktails including the Aguas Frescas, which is made with your choice of horchata, hibiscus, or daily special. M Cantina, 13214 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; mcantina.com.
Bandit Tavern & Hideaway
This Oakland County spot offers three zero-proof drinks. Choose from the Kitty Pride, made with falernum, coconut, mint, cinnamon, and soda; Red Queen, made with pomegranate, mint, lime, and ginger ale; or Shadow, made with black tea, cherry juice, and old fashioned syrup. Bandit Tavern + Hideaway, 419 S. Main St., Royal Oak; bandittavern.com.
Nara Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse
Find four speciality mocktails including two based off of Nara’s popular cocktails. Asian Fusion, which was inspired by their Mood Swing, features Butterfly Pea Flower Tea, lemon juice, pineapple juice, lemonade, and an orchid garnish, while the Blueberry Bliss, inspired by the Blueberry Lush, is made with house-made blueberry purée, lemon juice, and a blueberry skewer garnish. There’s also the Fruity No-Jito, and Nara Punch. Nara, 5656 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield; naragrille.com.
Ima Izakaya
This Japanese-inspired spot offers low alcohol by volumn cocktails, and three mocktails: Cookie Chip (strawberry shies simple, lemon, lime and soda), Accordian (guac juice, lemon, and gravy Prosecco), and Gorilla Monsoon (jasmine tea syrup, lie juice, coconut cream, pineapple juice, and soda). Ima Izakaya, 2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit; imaizakaya.com.
Standby
Several of the drinks on the regular cocktail menu including the Sweet Potato Apple Streusel, Baklava, and Lemon Bar are all available to order sans alcohol. Standby, 225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; standbydetroit.com.
Zao Jun
There are five mocktail options at Asian fusion eatery Zao Jun. You can go slightly sweet with Thai Iced Tea, described as an orange and vanilla fusion with sweet cream, or try the Kafir Lime Soda for a more floral flavor. Zao Jun, 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township; zaojunnewasian.com.
Dragonfly Detroit
Try the non-alcoholic Housemade White Wine or a zero-proof espresso martini. There’s also the Naranja Picante, which is made with spicy Thai tea, passionfruit, and mustard maple, and Blueberry Haze, a blend of coffee, lapsang tea, blueberry, lemon, and soda. Dragonfly Detroit, 2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; dragonflydetroit.com.
Castalia at Sfumato
The Fairy Tales cocktail menu at Castalia has unique non-alcoholic drinks alike. The mocktails include the Kombu, nori, and cayenne pepper Check The Fine Print; the cinnamon, orange spiced tea, each eleo, and lemon Preheat the Oven; the ginger, pine, turmeric, honey, soda, and lemon Spun Out Of Control; and others. Castalia at Sfumato, 3980 2nd Ave., Suite E, Detroit; castaliacocktails.com.
Host
The Dad’s at Kyoto Again is made with rotating fruit, calpico, and flower cordial. They also offer Keep Your Eye on the Tiger and the Megalomaniac, along with an extensive menu of speciality cocktails (with alcohol). Host, 7759 Auburn Road, Utica; hostutica.com.
