Here’s your guide to zero-proof wine, beer, and other beverages in the Philly area

Bored of just drinking ginger ale and Diet Coke on a night out, Sara Villari would carry a bottle of bitters in her purse to zhuzh up her sodas.

But with the influx of zero-proof spirits offered at bars and stores, the owner of Occasionette gift shops in Philly, Kennett Square, and Collingswood, finds herself using her trick for aperitifs less often.

“Five years ago when we had a couple of things [in the store], it seemed like more of a niche thing,” Villari said. “But now, [nonalcoholic products don’t] feel like a novelty. More [customers] are willing to understand it and willing to wrap their minds around it.”

The sober curious movement, also referred to as spirit-free, nonalcoholic, zero-proof, or N/A, has grown over the years, with alcohol-free beverages taking up more space in Philly-area stores, bars, and restaurants. Shop owners and bartenders alike are normalizing an alcohol-free lifestyle, teaching folks how to use and enjoy these alternatives to wine, beer, and spirits.

Buyer Michelle Flisek asks visitors walking into Cork, a Rittenhouse wine shop, which carries these products alongside traditional wine, 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.

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 which begins with the traditional fermentation process, but includes the additional step of removing alcohol from the final product.

For the wallet-conscious, who may not be willing to commit to larger bottles of unfamiliar products, Flisek recommends purchasing canned wines, cocktails, aperitifs, and more for an affordable way to learn what you do and don’t like. “It can seem really daunting to whip up a great mocktail, but if you turn it into a fun afternoon with your friends or invite everybody over for an N/A happy hour, it can be a fun activity,” she said.

The key to working with nonalcoholic products is experimentation, said Kasey Ehrgott, front-of-house manager at Manayunk’s alcohol-free bar the Volstead by Unity. Ehrgott recommends Ritual products, which are easily accessible and have a great bottle shape for pouring drinks, to start building your home bar. She also suggests All The Bitter zero-proof bitters (created by botanical extraction with vegetable glycerin) and products with intriguing flavors, like Figlia aperitivo, for a subtle orange sweetness and strong clove finish, or the Pathfinder spirit, a hemp-based drink with dark botanical notes of angelica root, saffron, and wormwood.

“Often people will try a nonalcoholic spirit and say, ‘It’s close, but there’s something missing in this.’ Well yeah, there’s no alcohol,’” said Ehrgott. “It’s important to remember it’s not going to be identical — you might like something you didn’t expect to.”

To help you navigate nonalcoholic products and create your own cocktails, here’s where to taste and shop zero-roof wines, beers, spirits, and more in the Philly area.

At Cork, you’ll find zero-proof spirits neatly displayed in the middle of the store. Brands like Spiritless tequila, Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso vermouth, canned Ghia apéritifs, and others are priced up to $50. Pick up bar cart accessories, like pretty packages of fruit garnishes, jars of maraschino cherries, infused organic cane sugar cubes, syrups, and mixers, while you’re there. 📍253 S. 20th St., 📞 215-735-2665, 🌐 audreyclairecork.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

At Herman’s Coffee in South Philly, owner Mat Falco began stocking nonalcoholic products in 2020 after becoming intrigued by Ghia. Now, the red-brick cafe known for espresso tonics and food pop-ups offers a selection of over 200 nonalcoholic wines, spirits, and beers; 50 to 75 mixers and syrups; and over 100 types of bitters, for $50 and under. 📍1313 S. Third St., 🌐 hermanscoffee.com, 🕒 Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Riverwards Produce, with locations in Old City and Fishtown, stocks a rotating selection of zero-proof products, priced up to $40. Find Seedlip plant-based blends, Ritual tequila and whiskey, and best seller Tost rosé — plus a variety of ingredients to make cocktails, including syrups, Fever Tree tonic waters, fruit bitters, Fee Brothers non-egg alternative for shaken drinks, and more. And don’t forget about the canned cocktails, including AB0VE, a 0% ABV gin-and-tonic. 📍146 Bread St. and 2200 E. Norris St., 📞 215-592-4650 and 215-678-4304, 🌐 riverwardsproduce.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

With locations in East Passyunk, Chestnut Hill, Kennett Square, and Collingswood, Occasionette sells about a dozen varieties of zero-proof spirits. Find gin, whiskey, and more from brands including Ritual and Monday, along with Pathfinder, a hemp-based amaro dupe, and Curious Elixirs craft cocktails infused with adaptogens (de-stressing herbs), and Three Spirit plant-based alternatives. There are also zero-proof wines, nonalcoholic cocktail recipe books, and a seasonal selection of garnishes. Buy single-serve, ready-to-drink, and mixed drink-making products for $9 to $54. Tasting events are also offered. 📍1825 E. Passyunk Ave., 📞 215-465-1704 ext. 2, 🌐 occasionette.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Venture to Ventnor for nonalcoholic wines at Wahine Wine Co., which carries a line of Leitz wines, including pinot noir, rosé, riesling, sparkling rosé, and sparkling blanc de blanc, priced between $25 to $27. Don’t feel like driving to the Shore? The Fishtown location offers bottles, too.📍101 N. Dorset Ave., Ventnor, and 1525 Frankford Ave., Philly, 🌐 wahinewine.com, 🕒 Ventnor: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Philly: Monday and Tuesday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday noon to 10 p.m.

As Robin Cummiskey prepares to open her nonalcoholic bottle shop and tasting room in Ardmore (hopefully) at the end of October, the owner of Wallace Dry Goods is busy hosting tasting events throughout Philly. The Ardmore brick-and-mortar will offer products, including nonalcoholic wine, spirits, beer, funky, fun glassware, and cocktail accessories. There will be an eight-seat bar, where tastings, workshops featuring local mixologists, and industry nights for brands to meet local hospitality folks.📍1 W. Lancaster Ave. (late October), 🌐 wallacedrygoods.com

Where to buy zero proof spirits

Cork:📍253 South 20th St., 📞 215-735-2665, 🌐 audreyclairecork.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Herman's Coffee:📍1313 S. Third St., 🌐 hermanscoffee.com, 🕒 Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Riverwards Produce:📍146 Bread St. and 2200 E. Norris St., 📞 215-592-4650 and 215-678-4304, 🌐 riverwardsproduce.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Occasionette:📍1825 E. Passyunk Ave., 📞 215-465-1704 ext. 2, 🌐 occasionette.com 🕒 Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Wahine Wine Co.:📍101 North Dorset Ave., Ventnor City and 1525 Frankford Ave., 🌐 wahinewine.com, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday to Tuesday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday noon to 10 p.m.