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You may have heard of it or even participated in it. “Dry January” is the annual month-long period when people decide to refrain from drinking any alcohol. Some see it as a challenge, but anyone can do it with the right friends and support. To make it even easier, several local spots in town offer non-alcoholic beverages while serving beer, cocktails, and wine for the folks you’re hanging out with — folks who aren’t partaking in Dry January.
Here are a few that we gathered (some have their very own beverages while others are serving out-of-state NA options). This isn’t every spot in town but it ought to help you out throughout your Dry January journey. Plus, it’s a great way to keep supporting these local businesses during dry times.
The taproom over the east side of town has a few NA options including a tasty brew by Deschutes Brewery, another beer by Brooklyn Brewery, and sour and oatmeal stout by Bravus Brewing (all non-alcoholic). These are all in cans, as opposed to being on tap, so crack one open and forget about having to call an Uber to get home.
A beer and a movie are a wonderful combination but so is an ice-cold non-alcoholic beverage and a mouthful of movie theater-style popcorn. Go on, make a mess with that popcorn, too. Casa Film Bar has an entire fridge full of NA beverages to enjoy while your friends are pounding beers. You’ll likely find Lagunitas Hop Water, various teas, Jones Soda, and Glow sparkling beverages — the spicy watermelon flavor is a favorite.
Also, Casa Marana, located at 8225 N. Courtney Page Way #191, has similar options if you’re on the northwest side of town.
For owner, Sally Kane, it all comes down to the general love of food. She admires dishes from all over the world and the importance of the ingredients used in each — this includes cocktails, too. During Dry January, try any of the four mocktails on the menu and you won’t be disappointed.
Kava. For hundreds of years, it’s been known as a ceremonial drink in the Pacific Islands. It’s similar to drinking a spiked cocktail due to its effects of happiness and a slight numbing feeling in the mouth — meant to be enjoyed while relaxing and socializing with others in a comfy environment. Popular options include their non-alcoholic “kocktails” or in the traditional manner — poured into a bowl that’s best handled with two hands.
Also, if you’re downtown, check out The Kava Den at 63 E. Pennington St.
Kon Tiki Restaurant & Lounge has been serving drinks, dishes, and good times now for 60 years in Tucson. Below the iconic Polynesian Kon Tiki sign, which can easily be spotted from Broadway, is a tiled pathway that leads you into the restaurant. Over at the bar, they’re serving up a couple of “no liquor drinks” like the Kon Tiki Fruit Punch and Coconut Milk Punch (both $3 each).
With a menu that features chilaquiles, chicken tortilla soup, and enchiladas to sink your teeth in, you’ll need to wash it all down with something refreshing, right? The downtown restaurant has multiple non-alcoholic augas frescas. Have one or have ’em all!
The bottleshop on the corner of Scott Avenue and Broadway Boulevard has a few NA options if you’re trying to obtain wine during January. They have several bottled sodas, ginger beer, NA beers, and Italian sodas. Also, pick up a bottle of wine and crack it open in February!
The popular brunch spot located at 2660 N. Campbell Ave. and 6450 E. Grant Rd. has a couple of non-alcoholic drinks on the menu all year. Drinking the Cactus Annie (prickly pear, hibiscus, lime, and soda water) and the With a Vengeance (honey, ginger, sencha green tea, lime, and pineapple) will help you forget you were craving alcohol in the first place. Vodka, who?!
Pueblo Vida Brewing Company went all out and made its very own NA beverage — the Vida Spritz. “We have found it is nice to have a beverage that is hop-forward and bubbly that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere,” the Pueblo Vida team shared. “This is one of the brews we keep available year-round for you. It is brewed with the same ingredients as our usual beers, with malt, yeast, and hops.”
They also offer Presta cold brew by the can and Dram beverages (also in a can).
The spot on the corner of Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue just celebrated its sixth anniversary. A lot of partyin’ was done and every once in a while you need something minus the alcohol. In the fridges, you’ll find NA beers, sodas, and Ghia — a grown-up drink with crave-able flavors from pure botanical extracts.
The neighborhood bar has plenty to drink — ones that’ll make you feel mighty goofy, too. However, they have a “softails” menu featuring the following collection:
The downtown location is going all out for Dry January. Over in the fridge, hunt down NA beers from Alesmith Brewing, Athletic Brewing, Pueblo Vida Brewing, a Prickly Paloma from Parch, and then other beverages like Busty Lush malt beverages (all alcohol-free).
Tap & Bottle’s north side location is serving up much of the same as the downtown taproom (NA beers from Alesmith Brewing, Athletic Brewing, Pueblo Vida Brewing, and then other beverages like Busty Lush malt beverages (all alcohol-free). . So, head over to whichever one is closest!
Tough Luck Club rang in its ninth anniversary on New Year’s Eve this year. The underground cocktail lounge is always changing up its cocktail menu and the same goes for mocktails, too. Head down the stairs and see what they can shake up for you!
The brand-new taproom (they opened right at the end of 2023) has the Free Wave hazy IPA by Athletic Brewing as well as a golden NA brew. Enjoy it out on the patio when the heaters are fired up or indoors on the ground-floor of the historic apartment building.
15 years ago, True Food Kitchen was founded by Tucson native and renowned medical doctor Dr. Andrew Weil, who developed the restaurant’s mission to inspire people to eat better, feel better, and live better. Therefore, these mocktails are around all year — not only during January.
When visiting Tucson Hop Shop, a drink isn’t required to have a great time. You’ve got the patio (with heaters during colder temperatures), the bar area, the upstairs area above that where you can feel like a scholar as you read a book in the corner, or the newest area, which has a lounge area with couches on the first level and then an upstairs fancy seating area with a balcony.
Oh, and they offer non-alcoholic drinks in one of the fridges so pop your head in an have a great time.
Westbound is the perfect place to relax, enjoy the sun, meet up with friends, and then walk around to the neighboring businesses like Beaut Burger. During January, they’re making NA cocktails with Ghia, Parch, and more. They’re also serving NA sparkling wines, beers, and malts.
