Drink Without the Buzz at the Midwest's Best Nonalcoholic Bars and Bottle Shops

Glistening bottles brimming with buzz-free liquid line the walls of nonalcoholic bars and bottle shops across the Midwest, reflecting a trend that's sweeping the nation. Customers come with different rationales for avoiding alcohol, but one of the appeals of an exclusively NA business is to socialize with like-minded sober people. Whatever your motivation, "adult beverages" have never tasted so sweet—or bitter, balanced or tart.

Dry Spokes, Omaha

This stunning bar in the heart of Omaha is straight out of a magazine. The luminous interior is highlighted with teal accents and swirly lights for a stylish feel. Launched in 2022, Dry Spokes was inspired by a COVID-19 venture into mocktail-mixology—while the world was making sourdough, Dry Spokes' creators were crafting flavorful drinks without the punch. The shop serves unique cocktails (like their lime-coconut drink Car Keys, and their ode to a peach pie Peachy Keen) and a wide selection of NA brewskies.

Unimpaired Dry Bar, Iowa City, Iowa

This bar is for the trendsetters—or perhaps we should say, it is a trendsetter. Unimpaired Dry Bar was the nation's first full-service nonalcoholic bar. The vibe befits a college town (think pool table, jukebox, darts, bands, karaoke and trivia), all without the alcohol. The beverage lineup includes top NA brands such as Hairless Dog, Athletic Brewing and Gruvi beer, plus wine products. Pair your drink with build-your-own pizzas.

Verbena Free Spirited Shoppe, Cleveland

A stunning forest-green bar is the focal point of this newly opened cafe and bar space in the Cleveland neighborhood of Hingetown. Located in the former storefront of Cleveland Tea Revival, Verbena integrates that history in the drink menu, with teas and tea blends in both their cafe and bar menus. Try a Lavender Haze cocktail (butterfly pea tea lemonade and Three Spirit Livener) or La Verbena (iced jasmine tea with Aplos Arise) for a taste of the past and present. Verbena's exterior is covered with the herb that gives the shop its name, and inside arched bookshelves show off the cans and bottles for purchase. Cleveland's first completely NA gathering space, Verbena also serves small bites and desserts, like warm dates and limoncello affogatos.

Generation NA, Lafayette, Indiana

Generation NA stuns with a brick interior and industrial lighting—oh, and their alcohol-free drinks, too. The store, Indiana's first NA brew and bottle shop, offers CBD and hemp-infused drinks, psychedelic water, sparkling botanicals and nonalcoholic wine and beer. Although primarily a bottle shop, Generation NA also has a bar, small lounge area and vintage arcade-style games where patrons can relax or test out a drink before buying a bottle.

More or Less NA Bottles and Beer, Grand Rapids, Michigan

This new bottle shop is just a hop away from the Grand River in Grand Rapids. More or Less NA Bottles and Beer (recently rebranded from Alt City) is Michigan's largest retailer of zero-proof spirits and beer. Blue industrial-esque shelves hold diverse options like Rationale Citrus Hazy IPA (a tropical, grapefruity near beer) and Immorel's Wake the Eff Up mushroom sparkling tea (with notes of blood orange and cinnamon). New choices arrive regularly, and you can also sample before you buy.

The Other Side, Crystal Lake, Illinois

The Other Side serves up sober drinks and delicious eats with a side of charitable giving. The hybrid coffee shop and NA bar is a part of New Directions Addiction Recovery Services. Every dollar you spend here goes directly to the recovery community for projects like the creation of sober homes. The Other Side has seen numerous evolutions, starting in a warehouse as the state's first sober bar to this now-expanded, retro-industrial space. Enjoy mocktails that draw on natural flavors, such as the Pica Pica (with notes of lime and pineapple) and the Chile Sunrise.

Loren's AF Beverages, Carmel, Indiana

Named for their father, Loren's AF Beverages was created by two sisters looking to expand the nonalcoholic offerings in the Indianapolis metro. Their shop is chic, bright and airy— a standout from your typical liquor store—and overhead, cafe lights line the ceiling for a Parisian feel. But all the colorful bottles and packaging truly steal the show. Find alcohol-free spirits, wines, and seltzers, plus messaging about disrupting the idea that people need to drink in order to have a good time.

Nostalgia Room, Lawrence, Kansas

Take all the great aspects of a bar—the convivial atmosphere, funky glassware, social interaction—but remove the alcohol and you've got Nostalgia Room. This bar is the NA dream of bartender Emily Kate. Her classics and seasonal signatures are just as good as any craft tipple.

Marigold, Twin Cities

Hairstylist and salon owner Erin Flavin would often hear stories from her customers about troubled relationships with alcohol. When she decided to embark on her own sober journey, she realized a hole in Minneapolis' market: There wasn't a bottle shop selling interesting and unique alcohol-free drinks. She opened Marigold next to her salon and now stocks a variety of local and international NA drinks for the sober and sober curious. A second location just opened in St. Paul.

2048 Non-Alc Wine Shop, Chicago

2048 Non-Alc Wine Shop began as a pop-up initiative to connect Chicagoans with the best NA wines on the market. Now, the newly opened West Town bottle shop is the nation's first NA wine bar. They also sell bottles for shipping nationwide via a mobile app.

Inmoxicated, Racine, Wisconsin

This "sobar" brings the swank. Inmoxicated overflows with late-night ambiance, offering the quintessential bar feel (sans the alcohol). Its large interior is grounded by a corrugated sheet metal bar that serves up colorful-bordering-on-neon cocktails (like the Blue Curacao Tropical Mocktini). Located in one of the states known for high rates of alcohol consumption, Inmoxicated offers a social setting for sober people without the triggers or fuss of a typical bar. Here, people can enjoy staples like pool and karaoke, and browse a wide selection of bottles to take home, originating from France to Waunakee, Wisconsin.

3 to Order for Home

Vers'eau This flavor-packed aperitif isn't trying to be something else. Made with grapes harvested in Southwest Michigan, Vers'eau's dark fruit flavors mingle with herbal notes and warm spices. Top it with club soda for a summer sipper or enjoy it straight on a chilly night by the fire.

Ritual Zero Proof The idea behind Chicago-based Ritual Zero Proof wasn't to make it an either/or—it's meant to be an "and." Add the spirit alternatives to your bar cart and use them when you want that margarita or G&T without the buzz.

Untitled Art When Untitled Art decided to make nonalcoholic beer, there was no question it was going to taste exceptional (and come in gorgeous cans). The Waunakee, Wisconsin, brewery makes NA beers through the same process as its regular offerings, then removes the alcohol after the fact. That means you get all the same great taste and flavor in brews like the Juicy IPA or Citra Haze.

In The Know: What Do All the NA Terms Mean?

What's the difference between alcohol-free, nonalcoholic and dealcoholized? Nonalcoholic and dealcoholized (where alcohol is removed after fermentation) can still contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, while alcohol-free truly means 0 percent.