Taking a breather from alcohol, choosing not imbibe for a stretch or going completely sans liquor can mean a lot of things. For some, it’s a reset for the mind and body. For others, it’s about health, sober curiosity, or simply showing up more clearly for family, friends, and conversation. And for many, it’s not about quitting drinking at all, but widening selections at the table.
In Tucson, that doesn’t mean that opting out of alcohol means less of a social life. Indeed, with every passing year, more bars, restaurants, and bottle shops are taking non-alcoholic drinks out of the domain of soda with a cherry and into well-crafted beverages served in spectacular vessels worth ordering. You can still meet friends, linger over a drink, and feel part of the room.
This is not exhaustive, but a local snapshot in which zero-proof cocktails (or mocktails) feel intentional rather than an afterthought. It’s a toast to our city, where a something crafted in regional flavors like prickly pear, hibiscus or even sprinkles of chiltepin might forever be in your flavor. For additional non-alcoholic options, check out our previous guide for Dry January here.
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Housed in the historic Ferrin House, an adobe landmark built in the 1860s, The Coronet feels steeped in Tucson’s history, while very much alive in the present. Once home to a tailor’s shop, later the Cushing Street Bar, the space now unfolds across a café, restaurant, soothing, cozy patio and the adjacent Nightjar, an upscale lounge focused on culinary-inspired cocktails.
Importantly, the sophisticated mocktails match the chic, iconic setting: Night Gardener, with smoky mezcal notes, pomegranate, and sage; Our Root Beer, with sassafras and lemon; Terra Incognita, bright with grapefruit, basil, and tonic; and a Rosé Champagne Cocktail that keeps things celebratory…all without alcohol.
For over two decades, Feast has been a constant in Tucson’s dining scene, helping shape the city’s dining evolution. Now 24 years in, that same openness to evolve carries into its non-alcoholic cocktails. Here, NA libations are as vigorous as the food.
The cleverly named Vim & Vigor is clean and restorative with Three Spirits Livener and tonic, while the Barrio Burro brings spice and lift with Seedlip, mint, and ginger beer. Oil Slick turns contemplative, layering of cacao, orange, and sesame. Drinks made with zero-proof used here are made with conscious consideration, formed by a kitchen that’s been paying attention for a long time
The night comes first at Jackrabbit Lounge, where live entertainment, karaoke, late sets, and that retro glow are made for lingering. It’s the place for night owls who want disco lights and vibe until the next day’s sunrise.
A few standouts: Spring Step with watermelon, lime, and mint; Tucson Tropics layered with passion fruit, pineapple, and ginger foam; and Dusk Downtown, all raspberry and rosemary. These are zero-proof drinks built to keep pace with the night.
A Tucson institution since 1993, Kingfisher Bar & Grill brings the same care to its non-alcoholic drinks as it does to seafood and service.
The NA menu is expansive, featuring handcrafted classics like the Arnold Palmer and prickly pear lemonade, which are crisp and refreshing, while drinks like Can’t Beet It, using basil, beet shrub, and ginger beer, display fun, creative sparks. Pineapple Piquant adds chiltepín heat, and Pentire-based options like the Coastal Spritz feel polished and adult-like, perfect along a lingering lunch in the Sonoran Desert.
Beyond margaritas and sangrias, La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood offers an NA drink program that showcases the vibrancy of Mexico and the wider Caribbean.
Here, just like agua frescas, the Mexican street drinks found throughout the country are creatively made with house-made syrups and scrumptious fruit-forward mixes. La Frida’s inventiveness and balance mocktails pair well with their ceviche, tacos, or mole; these drinks stand on their own as lively, palate-happy companions.
Beyond the steaks and seafood, Miramonte leans fully into a midcentury atmosphere. Opened in Fall 2025, the space pays homage to George Allen “Slim” Aarons’ elegance, anchored by a teak-wrapped bar and plenty of room to settle in at booths or on a stool. This location holds layers of Tucson history, including a soda shop and longstanding but now ghosts of former restaurants, but today Miramonte gives it a stylish new life.
The NA list includes pre-made cocktails, such as an elderflower spritz, a sparkling floral lime-mint refresher and a prickly pear paloma that feels perfectly at home in the desert.
At Mojo Cuban Kitchen & Rum Bar, the mocktails draw on Caribbean and Cuban traditions, offering balance, brightness, and flavor without alcohol.
El Mojito Libre delivers a familiar lift of mint and citrus, while being zesty and cooling. Amancer (Sunrise) leans into the tropics, with a soft, sweet layering of liquids, like its namesake. Rejuvenezca lives up to its name, built for refreshment and reset. These food-friendly, vibrant drinks are meant to stand on their own or be paired with the spirit of the kitchen.
The new Sam Hughes Redbird – as well as the first location on Oracle Road – offers the reassuring ambiance of a dear comrade, especially in its new space inside the re-purposed Rincon Market. Belly up to the bar, order the wings or tacos and watch the Arizona Wildcats on TV while the environment thrums around you.
The non-alcoholic cocktails, such as the Lux Cherry Spritz with mint and sparkle, a chamoy-rimmed Mangorita, or the seasonal Dry County Mule, offer easygoing sipping made for settling in and staying awhile.
In the medieval era, shrubs were a way to preserve fruit, combining juice, sugar, and vinegar into a puckering yet refreshing drink that was stirred into water. Today, that tradition lives at Slow Body Beer Brewery, where shrubs are made entirely in-house with fresh juice, cane sugar, vinegar, and lots of TLC.
Seasonal flavors are used at the brewery’s discretion, but are always sourced locally from area farmers’ fruit and veggies. The non-alcoholic beverage can be spiked with the in-house “spicy” water, making it wholly Tucsonan.
At The Parish, Southern comfort extends well beyond the kitchen and into the glass. Inspired by Louisiana, Texas, and Arizona, the gastropub’s non-alcoholic drinks blend naturally into its Mardi Gras-like atmosphere.
The Spiced Cinnamon Apple Mule feels familiar and cozy, while the Prickly Pear Palmer nods to the desert. Sugar Hi, crafted with coconut purée, grenadine, Dr. Pepper, heavy cream, and whipped cream, is pure indulgence. These drinks are meant for deep conversations and loud camaraderie.
In the convivial hum of Midtown, Tito & Pep, in its mid century glow, treats non-alcoholic cocktails as part of the experience, not a sidebar. Built alongside mesquite-fired cuisine and the multicultural history of the Southwest, the zero-proof drinks echo the kitchen’s balance and composure.
With a multitude of ingredients, including NA spirits, citrus, pineapple, quinine, and shrubs, concocts thoughtful, layered beverages. All of these are meant to pair seamlessly with the food and the room Chef-owner John Martinez has shaped.
Chef Aaron Lopez, who knows the Sonoran Desert’s indigenous ingredients well, uses his craft to approach Ursa’s non-alcoholic drinks the same way he does with his food, showing an appreciation for the region’s flavors. Guests will discover his NA cocktails to lean into complex, herbal infusions with natural sugars. It feels complementary to Lopez’s thought-provoking, seasonal menu. These are drinks meant to be sipped at a turtle’s pace, admiring the finishing notes like a glass of wine, while offering structure and dimension without alcohol.
A tea made from creosote and topped with sparkling water becomes a cola or mesquite beans and syrup has the flavor of a sour beer. At Ursa, zero-proof means drinking in the Sonoran Desert experience.
Restaurant impresario Sam Fox’s first and only Wildflower, this longtime Tucson landmark still sets the spirit for relaxed, globally minded dining, and the non-alcoholic cocktails echo that sensibility.
Garden Harvest layers strawberry, mint, yuzu, and lime. Pink Dove balances grapefruit with toasted cinnamon, sea salt, and chilled tzer. Sunset on Sentinel brings passion fruit, pomegranate, citrus, and orange oil. Thoughtful, food-friendly drinks that travel without leaving town.