What to Order at a Bar When You Are Not Drinking

A good non-alcoholic bar order should sound normal, taste adult, and not leave you drinking soda all night.

Start with the bar you are in

The best order depends on the place. A cocktail bar can usually make something with citrus, bitters, herbs, ginger, tonic, or NA spirits. A sports bar may only have NA beer, seltzer, ginger ale, and lime. A wedding bar may have almost no flexibility.

Do not over-explain. Ask for something specific enough that the bartender can make it quickly.

Easy orders that usually work

• Tonic with lime and bitters if you want something sharp and adult.
• Ginger beer with lime if you want bite without ordering a mocktail.
• Soda water, cranberry, and lime if the bar is basic.
• NA beer if the place carries one you actually like.
• Virgin mojito, less sweet if the bar has mint.
• Spritz-style mocktail if the menu has aperitifs or NA spirits.

What I would say at a cocktail bar

Try: “Can you make something non-alcoholic, not too sweet, with citrus or bitters?” That gives the bartender direction without forcing them into a childish drink.

If they ask what you like, say one of these: “bitter and bubbly,” “gingery and tart,” “citrus and tonic,” or “something like a spritz but without alcohol.” Those phrases usually work better than asking for “a mocktail.”

What I would say at a regular bar

Keep it simple. Ask what NA beer they have. If the answer is bad or nonexistent, order ginger beer with lime, tonic with lime, or soda with cranberry and lime. If the bar has bitters and you are comfortable with trace alcohol in bitters, tonic with bitters and lime is one of the easiest grown-up orders.

What to avoid

Avoid anything that sounds like a dessert unless that is what you want. Many bar mocktails are just juice, syrup, and soda. If you do not want sweet, say that first.

Also avoid making the bartender invent something complicated when the bar is slammed. A fast, clear order is better than a long explanation.

Bottom line

At a good bar, ask for something non-alcoholic, not too sweet, with citrus, bitters, ginger, tonic, or bubbles. At a basic bar, order NA beer, ginger beer with lime, tonic with lime, or soda with cranberry and lime. The goal is not to make a statement. It is to have something in your hand that you actually want to drink.