Non-alcoholic drinks to order at a bar

At almost any bar you can order soda water with lime and bitters, a ginger beer with lime, a Shirley Temple or Roy Rogers, an Arnold Palmer, a Virgin Mary, or a non-alcoholic beer. At a cocktail bar, ask for a "spirit-free" or "zero-proof" version of a sour, spritz or mule, made with fresh citrus or a non-alcoholic spirit. Ordering it the same way you'd order any drink is usually all it takes.

Below: what to order by kind of bar, the exact words to say, what "non-alcoholic" means on a label, the sugar and caffeine to watch, and how to use these drinks to have fewer drinks on a night out, not only none.

The short list: drinks every bar can make

These need nothing a normal bar doesn't already have behind the counter. They're the safe order at a dive bar, a sports bar or a wedding.

• Soda water, lime and bitters. Tall glass, lots of ice, a lime wedge and 2–3 dashes of Angostura. Dry, not sweet, and it looks like a gin and soda. Bitters contain alcohol (see the label section below); skip them if you need zero.
• Ginger beer and lime. The mule without the vodka. Ask for it in a mule mug or a tall glass. Spicy enough to sip slowly.
• Shirley Temple. Ginger ale or lemon-lime soda with a splash of grenadine and a cherry. Roy Rogers is the same with cola. Sweet; one is plenty.
• Arnold Palmer. Half iced tea, half lemonade. Ask for unsweetened tea to cut the sugar.
• Virgin Mary. Tomato juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon, celery salt. Savory and filling, good with food or at brunch.
• Cranberry and soda. Cranberry juice topped with soda water and a lime. Lighter than straight juice.
• Tonic and lime. Bitter and grown-up. Tonic has nearly as much sugar as soda, so it's not the light choice it looks like.
• Non-alcoholic beer. Most bars now stock at least one, often Heineken 0.0, Athletic Brewing or a big-brand NA lager. Ask what's in the fridge; it's often not on the menu.

What to order, by kind of bar

At a cocktail bar: ask for a spirit-free version

Good bartenders like this question. Most classic cocktails are a strong part (the spirit), a sour part (citrus), a sweet part (syrup) and sometimes bubbles. Take the spirit out and you still have a drink, especially if the bar has a non-alcoholic spirit to put in its place.

• Spirit-free sour: lemon, a little syrup and egg white or aquafaba, shaken. Ask for bitters on top if you're fine with a trace.
• Virgin mojito: lime, mint, sugar and soda water. Ask for less sugar; most are sweet.
• NA mule: ginger beer, lime, and an NA spirit if they have one.
• NA spritz: an alcohol-free aperitif or bitter orange syrup with soda or NA sparkling wine.
• Espresso tonic: a shot of espresso over tonic and ice. Bitter, fizzy, and it feels like a drink, but it's caffeinated.
• NA "gin and tonic": a gin-style non-alcoholic spirit (Seedlip, Lyre's and Ritual are common brands) with tonic and a citrus peel.

The easiest way to get a good one: give the bartender a direction instead of a name. "Something sour, not too sweet, with ginger" gets you a better drink than "a mocktail".

How to order without making it a thing

Most people around you won't notice what's in your glass. A few habits help even more:

1. Order first. When you order before anyone offers you a drink, the question never comes up.
2. Say it plainly. "Ginger beer and lime, please" sounds like any other order. You don't need to say "I'm not drinking".
3. Ask for the real glass. A rocks glass, a coupe or a pint glass with ice and a garnish looks the same as everyone else's.
4. Keep one in your hand. An empty hand is what invites "what are you having?".
5. Tip as you would on a cocktail. A made-to-order mocktail is the same work for the bartender, and a good tip gets you a good second one.

Words for when someone asks

• "I'm good with this, thanks."
• "I've got an early morning."
• "I'm driving."
• "I'm taking a month off, it's been great for my sleep."
• "Not tonight, but I'll get the next round of fries."

You don't owe anyone a reason. A short, friendly answer and a change of subject works better than an explanation. Our guide on how to cut back on drinking alcohol has more on handling the offer of a drink.

What "non-alcoholic" means on a label

Not every alcohol-free order is zero. In the US, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) sets the label rules for beer and other malt drinks:

To put 0.5% in context: a 12 oz NA beer at 0.5% has at most a tenth of the alcohol of a regular 5% beer: about 1.4 grams, against 14 grams in a standard drink. It won't make an adult drunk. It matters only if you need zero, for example during pregnancy, with certain medicines, or in recovery, in which case pick a "0.0" bottle.

Other places alcohol hides in alcohol-free drinks:

• Bitters. Angostura is 44.7% alcohol. A few dashes add a very small amount, far under a gram of alcohol against 14 grams in a standard drink, but it isn't zero.
• Kombucha. It's fermented, so it can carry a trace. Kombucha sold as a soft drink must stay under 0.5%; some taproom and home-style kombucha can run higher.
• Non-alcoholic wine. Most is made by removing alcohol from wine and many bottles land at up to 0.5%; "0.0" ones exist.
• Desserts and sauces on a bar menu sometimes use spirits. Ask if it matters to you.

A note if you're in recovery: some people find that the taste and ritual of NA beer or a fake cocktail brings back cravings, and others find it helps them stay comfortable at a bar. There's no single right answer. A counselor, sponsor or doctor who knows you is the best person to talk it through with.

Sugar, calories and caffeine

Leaving out the alcohol takes out a lot of calories, but some bar mixers are sugary. Typical numbers (from USDA data and the makers' labels):

Two things follow. If you're cutting calories, soda water drinks and NA beer are the light picks; three Shirley Temples aren't. And if you're out late, cola, iced tea and espresso drinks can cost you the sleep you were trying to protect.

Drinking less, not none: how to use these drinks on a night out

You don't have to go all evening without a drink for this to help. Non-alcoholic drinks are the easiest tool for having fewer on a night out:

• Start with a non-alcoholic one. The first drink goes fastest, mostly from thirst. Make it a soda and lime or an NA beer, then order your real drink.
• Alternate. One alcohol-free drink between each alcoholic one roughly halves what you'd have had in the same time.
• Set your number before you arrive, and switch to NA when you reach it. NIAAA's daily low-risk line is no more than 3 drinks for women and 4 for men, and fewer is better.
• Finish on an NA drink. The last drink of the night does the most damage to sleep and the next morning.
• Order NA when you're thirsty, a real drink when you want to taste it. Most of us drink the first beer for thirst, not taste.

If wine is your usual order, our guide on how to cut back on drinking wine covers spritzers and alcohol-free wine. And if you want to know what those skipped drinks are doing for you, the benefits of drinking less alcohol lays out sleep, blood pressure and more, with when each shows up.

If nights out are where most of your drinks happen, it helps to know that for sure. Our free 2-minute drinking pattern quiz asks when, where and why you usually drink and names the pattern behind most of your drinks.

Mistakes that make it harder

• Ordering something you don't like. If the drink feels like a punishment, you'll switch back. Try a few until one is "yours".
• Only sweet drinks. Two sugary mocktails can leave you feeling worse than you expected. Mix in soda water drinks.
• Waiting to be offered. Order first; it removes most of the pressure.
• Turning it into a speech. A long explanation invites debate. "I'm good, thanks" ends it.
• Assuming "virgin" means zero. If you need no alcohol at all, ask about bitters and choose 0.0 bottles.

Questions people ask

What's the safest non-alcoholic drink to order at any bar?

Soda water with lime: every bar has it, it costs little, and it looks like a mixed drink. Shirley Temples, Arnold Palmers and NA beer are close behind.

How do I ask a bartender for a mocktail?

Ask what they can make spirit-free, and give a direction: "something sour and not too sweet" or "something with ginger". Words like "zero-proof", "spirit-free" and "virgin" all work.

Can you get drunk on non-alcoholic beer?

Not in any normal amount. NA beer is under 0.5% alcohol, about a tenth of a regular beer. If you need zero for health or recovery reasons, choose a 0.0 bottle.

Do Angostura bitters have alcohol?

Yes, Angostura is 44.7% alcohol. A few dashes add only a tiny amount, but it isn't alcohol-free. Ask the bartender to leave them out if that matters to you.

Is it rude to order a non-alcoholic drink at a bar?

No. Bars sell soda, juice and NA drinks every night. Order clearly, tip as you would for any drink, and you're a normal customer.

What can I drink at a bar instead of beer?

An NA beer in a pint glass is the closest match. Ginger beer with lime or soda water with bitters gives you something cold and fizzy to sip at the same pace.

More on drinking less: all our drink-less guides.

Sources: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), labeling rules for malt beverages ("non-alcoholic", "alcohol-free", "low alcohol", "reduced alcohol") and kombucha guidance. NIAAA, Rethinking Drinking (standard drinks, daily low-risk limits). USDA FoodData Central (tonic water, cola, ginger ale, cranberry juice cocktail, beer, espresso). Makers' nutrition labels: Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA; Heineken 0.0; Coca-Cola (caffeine). House of Angostura, Angostura aromatic bitters (44.7% ABV). This guide is about habits and is not medical advice.