19 mocktail spots in Virginia to check out in Dry January

Experience Dry January at some of Virginia’s top mocktail spots, where going without alcohol doesn’t have to mean going without flavor. 

Whether you’re dedicated to seeing Dry January, a month-long challenge to go without drinking after the holidays, or simply abstaining from alcohol for a night, Virginia’s restaurants and bars ensure going without alcohol doesn’t mean having to go without flavor. From artsy lounges to speakeasies, these establishments know how to make mocktails the right way. Here are 19 top mocktail spots in the commonwealth to try out this Dry January.

1. Leesburg Public House

Location: 962 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA 20176

The beloved neighborhood restaurant Leesburg Public House doesn’t just offer seasonal snacks but also enticing mocktail and non-alcoholic beer options. The mocktail options include Lavender Lemonade, Pina Colada Mocktail, and Mango Honey Mule, which comes with mango puree, honey syrup, fresh lime juice, ginger beer, and soda water.

2. Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen 

Location: 6641 Old Dominion Dr., McLean, VA 22101

Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen’s mission is to bring people together on neutral ground, allowing them to connect over its new interpretations of American classics.

Try one of the zero-proof drink options, like the Spiced Tide, Harvest Breeze, and Poinsettia. The Poinsettia comes with orange juice, hibiscus syrup, spiced syrup, and Wolffer Estate non-alcoholic sparkling rosé.

3. Rebellion Bourbon Bar & Kitchen

Location: 309 William St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

While Rebellion Bourbon Bar & Kitchen is known for its bourbon, it also boasts two tasty mocktail options, including the Blueberry Mint Smash and Strawberry Fields. Non-alcoholic gin can be added to either mocktail. The Blueberry Mint Smash comes with blueberry puree, simple syrup, lime juice, muddled mint, and soda water.

While there, be sure to marvel at the 188-year-old building’s historic charm; the shelving and bar features were been constructed from repurposed beams and floorboards.

4. WHINO

Location: 4238 Wilson Blvd. 2nd Floor, Arlington, VA 22203

WHINO is the perfect place to enjoy a mocktail while viewing art, given that it’s an open-concept restaurant and art gallery.

Its mocktail offerings extend to the Blood Orange Moon, Lime After Lime, and Smoke Without Fire. Smoke Without Fire features Seedlip spice non-alcoholic spirit, pear nectar, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and a topping of nutmeg smoke bubbles.

5. SER

Location: 1110 North Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22201

Try one of SER’s four non-alcoholic cocktail options, including the Lunita G&T, Nora Bean, Sabilicious, and The Major Negroni Non Alc, which features Ritual zero proof whiskey, turmeric, orange, cinnamon smoke, and cherry.

SER is a neighborhood restaurant that’s known for its authentic Spanish comfort cuisine. It even obtained the Restaurants from Spain Certification, signaling that it uses authentic ingredients.

6. Circa at Clarendon

Location: 3010 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

Circa at Clarendon, a neighborhood bistro, doesn’t disappoint on the mocktail front.

Zero-proof cocktail options range from the Blossom Lounge to the Pineapple-Jalapeno Faux-Rita to the To Each Their Own to the Ruby Rose. The Ruby Rose consists of ruby red grapefruit-rosemary shrub, passionfruit, pineapple, lemon, and Q Mixers sparkling grapefruit.

7. Sfoglina Rosslyn

Location: 1100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209

Enjoy a zero-proof offering at Sfoglia Rosslyn, including the Spritz Zero, That Spiced Life, Apple Cider Sparkling Lemonade, and Volare. The Volare is a mixture of pear shrub, lemon, and non-alcoholic sparkling rosé.

Pair your mocktail with a savory handmade pasta dish.

8. Salt

Location: 1201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209

Salt, which bills itself as an establishment offering a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life, serves classic cocktails with modern updates.

Mocktail drinkers can select from the Las Palabras De Amor, I Want To Break Free, and Innuendo. The Innuendo includes fresh lime, matcha, lavender, ginger, orange blossom water, and honey.

9. Ruthie’s All-Day

Location: 3411 5th St. South, Arlington, VA 22204

Enjoy a mocktail any time of the day in front of the custom-built wood-burning hearth at Ruthie’s All-Day. The house mocktails include the Tea Refresher, Draft Kombucha, and Garden Sipper, which features cucumber, honey, mint, lemon, and soda.

10. Palette 22

Location: 4053 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA 22206

Come to Palette 22 for the spirit-free cocktails, but stay for the gallery-like atmosphere. The establishment has in-house artists available to chat about their pieces, all of which are for sale.

Its spirit-free cocktails include the Bail-Ginger Lemonade, Blue Boy Mojito, Aguas Frescas, Strawberry Fields, and Sobrio Margarita, which mixes fresh lime juice, housemade sour mix, and simple syrup.

11. Ivy Inn

Location: 2244 Old Ivy Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903

The Ivy Inn has a storied history in the Charlottesville area, dating back to the early 1700s, with the current inn being circa-1816. Since 1973, the inn’s restaurant has offered locals and visitors alike an elegant dining atmosphere steeped in history.

One of the things it does well is mocktails, offering the N/A Margarita, “Del Conte” Aperol Spritz, Phony Negroni, and N/A Cosmo. The N/A Cosmo comes with cranberry juice, lemon, lime, Lyre’s London Dry, and Dyre’s Orange Sec.

12. The Milkman’s Bar

Location: 946 Grady Ave., Charlottesville, VA 22903

The Milkman’s Bar is an eclectic cocktail and mocktail destination that evokes 1950s/1960s drugstore soda-fountain vibes. It offers customers four mocktail options, including Lemon Crème Pie, Strawberry Acid, Magic-Ade, and Cold Brew Julip. The standout Cold Brew Julip comes with cold brew, mint, maple syrup, and soda.

If none of those options sound enticing, consider opting for the build-your-own dirty soda route. Customers start with a base, like Fever-Tree ginger beer, then add mixers, like hibiscus grenadine, and then top it with options like nutmeg or candied ginger.

13. Pinky’s 

Location: 3015 Norfolk St., Richmond, VA 23230

Wash down a coastal Mediterranean meal at Pinky’s with one of its three mocktail options, including the Feeling Mellow, Cyprus Cooler, and Afternoon in Monaco. Afternoon in Monaco comes with strawberry, basil, lime, and soda water.

14. Fanboy

Location: 2713 West Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220

Fanboy, an intimate cocktail bar-meets-vinyl listening room, takes artisanal cocktails seriously by twisting classic drinks with new ideas, and this approach extends to its mocktail offerings. While its mocktail menu changes frequently, current options include fun choices like Poinsettias and Pomegranates and Rudolf’s Revenge.

15. The Daily Kitchen & Bar

Location: 2934 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA 23221

Try one of the five mocktail options, including the Blue Ridge Ginger Bucha RVA, Strawberry Limeade, Coco-Mo, Passionfruit Lime Soda, and Cucumber Cooler, at The Daily Kitchen & Bar. The Cucumber Cooler consists of basil, cucumber, lemongrass, coconut water, and soda.

The establishment’s mission of serving options that are both delicious and healthy clearly extends to its drink menu.

16. Bellarissa

Location: 216 E. Plume St., Norfolk, VA 23510

While Bellarissa operates as a coffee shop in the mornings and early afternoons, it turns into a non-alcoholic cocktail bar in the late afternoons and evenings. Owner Andrea Sewell describes it as a place for those seeking to abstain from drinking alcohol for just a day or the rest of their life.

The drink menu features a number of options, 13 to be exact. The Honey Old Fashioned, which comes with a bourbon alternative, honey syrup, and orange and black walnut bitters, and the Salted Caramel Espresso Martini, which comes with an amaretto alternative, coffee liqueur alternative, half and half, nutmeg, and cocoa bitters, are two solid options. Non-alcoholic beer and wine options are also available.

17. Gershwin’s 

Location: 332 Granby St., Norfolk, VA 23518

Gershwin’s has a respectable mocktail menu with five options that are made with ritual non-alcoholic spirits. Its options include Margarita, Cinderella, Tequila Sunrise, Strawberry Basil Lemonade, and Paloma. Consider going with the Paloma, which comes with non-alcoholic tequila, lime juice, and ruby red grapefruit juice.

The restaurant is a fun place to sip a mocktail, tapping into its Theater District vibes with a speakeasy-style bistro and live jazz from the piano bar.

18. Heirloom

Location: 2484 N Landing Rd. #113, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Heirloom is a farm-to-table casual fine dining restaurant that also knows how to make a mean cocktail. The three non-alcoholic cocktails include Free Bird, Groni Sbagliato, and French 86. The French 86 option comes with Seedlip Grove non-alcoholic gin, lemon, and Sugar Love Conquers All Non Alcoholic Sparkling.

19. The River and Rail

Location: 2201 Crystal Spring Ave., SW, Roanoke, VA 24014

The River and Rail is a southern-style bistro that takes a locally sourced and housemade approach. The zero-proof options range from Strawberry Fields Forever to Very Ginger Switchel to Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda, which includes apricot, spiced chai sugar, lemon, and ginger beer.