The ultimate guide to sober-curious drinking in Philadelphia

Each year, a new wave of “sober-curious” drinkers kicks off Dry January, looking for inspiration and motivation to cut back on alcohol. The monthlong challenge has fueled a cultural movement around mindful drinking, and Philadelphia’s robust zero-proof scene offers plenty of options to support newcomers year-round.

Gone are the days of juice and soda-based “mocktails.” Across Philly, bartenders are crafting inventive alcohol-free drinks, new zero-proof bars are opening, and bottle shops are expanding their selections of nonalcoholic spirits.

Start your Dry January journey at Bar Palmina in Fishtown, where Nikki Graziano, a “former heavy drinker,” serves creative zero-proof craft cocktails featuring brands like Monday and Lyre’s.

Over in Collingswood, Mercantile 1888 offers spicy blood orange margaritas with Monday mezcal, Seedlip cosmopolitans, and salted caramel old-fashioneds with Ritual whiskey.

Other options include:

There are plenty of events in honor of Dry January, too.

In Ardmore, Wallace Dry Goods is hosting:

The options for alcohol-free spirits in Philadelphia are vast, with plenty of stores and shops selling an expansive selection of alcohol-free spirits for you to try at home.

At Cork in Rittenhouse, brands like Spiritless tequila, Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso vermouth, canned Ghia aperitifs, and others are priced up to $50. Herman’s Coffee, the South Philly cafe known for espresso tonics and food pop-ups, offers a selection of over 200 nonalcoholic wines, spirits, and beers. And Riverwards Produce in Old City and Fishtown are stocked with nonalcoholic spirits, along with a variety of ingredients for cocktail making.

Whether you’re seeking a zero-proof wine, beer, or spirit, there’s something for every palate — explore more options in the Inquirer guide.

But with such a wide selection of spirits, where do you begin?

Buyer Michelle Flisek asks visitors walking into Cork one key question to help guide them in the right direction: What flavor profiles are you looking to enjoy? With over 100 varieties of nonalcoholic items in the store, starting with flavor is a good way to determine what brands and cocktail accessories will work for you.

Each brand has distinct flavor profiles and ingredients. Brands like Ritual Zero Proof and Monday use botanical ingredients like Mexican blue agave and coriander seed extract to mimic the flavor profiles of mezcal, gin, and other traditional spirits. Wines like Prima Pavé create grape beverages through dealcoholization, a process that begins with the traditional fermentation process, but includes the additional step of removing alcohol from the final product.

Remember the key to working with these nonalcoholic products is experimentation, according to Kasey Ehrgott of Manayunk’s now-closed alcohol-free bar the Volstead by Unity. Ehrgott recommends Ritual products, All The Bitter zero-proof bitters (created by botanical extraction with vegetable glycerin), and Pathfinder, a hemp-based drink with dark botanical notes of angelica root, saffron, and wormwood.

“It’s important to remember it’s not going to be identical — you might like something you didn’t expect to,” she said.

Reducing alcohol consumption, even temporarily, can offer meaningful health benefits, according to experts. Dr. Henry Kranzler, director of the Center for Studies of Addiction at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, emphasized to The Inquirer that “alcohol is not good for you, by and large,” highlighting the potential risks associated with drinking.

In a recent report, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy outlined a direct link between alcohol consumption and an increased likelihood of developing cancer. The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk stated “alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity, increasing risk for at least seven types of cancer” with about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths annually.

With the city’s ever-growing sober-curious scene, Philadelphians are able to prioritize an alcohol-free lifestyle, even during the holidays. But sustaining mindful drinking beyond Dry January can be a challenge for some.

Understanding what leads you to drink is the first step, according to Amanda E. White, the founder of Therapy for Women Center and author of Not Drinking Tonight.

White and other experts say changing your mindset and having more options can help you stay booze-free year-round.

“Sometimes people go back to drinking without even realizing why they started again,” White told The Inquirer. “This is likely because they are not familiar with their triggers or reasons that they drink — maybe it’s feeling awkward at a party or a warm day that makes you crave a margarita.

“Learn your triggers and come up with a plan for how you will combat them.”