Photos by L.G. Patterson

With the new year comes the desire to try something different. Whether that’s a new fitness regime, a new hair color, a new diet or anything in between, we have all heard the saying “new year, new you.” For many, the new year brings resolutions like trying Dry January to cut down on your alcohol consumption. Dry January, which is the challenge to cut out alcohol for the month, started in 2013 as a health campaign by the British nonprofit Alcohol Change UK. The goal was to encourage people to reduce their alcohol intake, especially to help detox from holiday consumption. According to UC Davis Health, cutting out alcohol can improve sleep, help with weight loss, give you more energy, improve your mood, increase your physical activity, decrease growth factors related to cancer, insulin resistance and blood pressure and decrease negative effects on the liver. According to Alcohol Change UK, in the first year of DryJanuary, 4,000 people took part in the challenge. The trend took off over the next several years and in 2024, the Alcohol Change reported more than 215,000 participants.While a month might seem like too big of a hurdle to jump, there are ways to make it easier to complete. According toHarvard Health, some tips for having a successful Dry January, include avoiding temptations by keeping alcohol out of your home, creating a support group or having someone take part in the challenge along with you and finding a substitute drink that you turn to when craving an alcoholic beverage. If you’re embracing this challenge, you don’t have to settle for plain soda or tea when it comes to substituting drinks. Our guide is here to help you discover the best mocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails in Columbia. Whether you’re out with friends or enjoying a cozy night in, you can savor every sip without feeling like you’re missing out.

Mocktail Menus

Columbia is no stranger to a great bar. There are so many options— whether you are in the mood for a cozy neighborhood pub, fancy night out or anything in between. But if you’re attempting the Dry January challenge, you want to be able to enjoy these local brews without feeling left out. Alexa Magee, director of front-of-house operations at 11Eleven, says when creating her mocktail menu, she wanted to serve more than juice and soda.“

I wanted to go beyond the typical juice-based mocktails and offer something more interesting,” she says. These cocktails include her Blue Lemon Fusion cocktail, which is a refreshing house-made blueberry lemonade, the Sunset Paradise, which is a vibrant, non-alcoholic beachy drink made with pineapple juice, lime juice, strawberry simple syrup and topped with club soda. There’s also the Fiery Punch, which she says is her take on a zero-proof spicy Paloma, which comes with muddled jalapenos, lime juice and grapefruit juice. But sometimes when drinking a mocktail, people are still craving that bite of alcohol. That’s when Magee brings in Ritual Zero Proof alternatives. “I wanted to push boundaries and create mocktails that replicate the complexity of traditional cocktails,” she says. “This innovative line of non-alcoholic spirits is crafted from natural botanicals, extracts and flavors designed to mimic the taste and experience of popular spirits.” 11Eleven currently offers gin, whiskey, dark rum and aperitif alternatives to create different cocktails, including Magee’s personal favorite, the Botanical Tonic, made with zero-proof gin, muddled lime, simple syrup and tonic. She also offers the Spritzer, which is a non-alcoholic twist on the Aperol Spritz, the New Fashioned, which is the mocktail version of the classic 11Eleven Old Fashioned cocktail, and the None & Coke, which is made with zero-proof dark rum and coke. While these are just some of the offerings, Magee says customers are welcome to customize any mocktail to their liking. “Whether they want to adapt one of their favorite cocktails or create something entirely new, we’re happy to accommodate their preferences and make the experience even more personalized,”she says. Magee says while these mocktails might not be for everyone, she thinks it’s important to have options for all to create“an inclusive experience for everyone.”

Dan Dethrow, co-owner of Flyover, agrees with Magee, saying having non-alcoholic offerings is important to make sure every customer feels included in the dining experience, whether alcohol is being consumed or not. “We have found that customers who don’t drink alcohol like to be included in cool drink options,” he says. And even those not necessarily taking part in Dry January sometimes don’t want a drink with alcohol. “Many folks like to order a mocktail after having had one or two alcoholic drinks so that they can still drive, and many of us who work at the restaurant like to take breaks from booze,” Dethrow says. While Flyover’s cocktail menu changes a bit every few weeks or so, some of the mocktails offered include the most popular N.A.Paloma and Spicy Margarita mocktail, as well as the Gin Free & Tonic made with house-made Juniper-based “gin”, N.A. syrup, Pinckney Bend tonic and lemon juice and the N.A. Dark Daiquiri with Ritual Zero Proof Rum alternative, lime juice and simple syrup. If you’re looking to get a zero-proof alternative to make a mocktail at home, Dethrow says it’s important to note it doesn’t have the taste of alcohol on its own.“It is when you mix them with classic cocktail recipes that the ingredients get accentuated in the drink and mimic various spirits.”

For those looking to enjoy a drink while getting a bite to eat, Marita Karl, general manager of 44 Canteen, has the perfect list of six mouthwatering mocktails for $5 each that are “shaken, not slurred.” From the Ginger Bear with ginger beer, grenadine and lime, TheChristopher Robin with house-made honey-cinnamon syrup and lemonade to the most popular mocktail, The Firefly.“It’s a sweet and spicy mocktail featuring our house-made peach-habanero shrub, pineapple juice and cranberry juice,” Karl says.

Matt McGee, owner of On the Rocks, has also enjoyed creating a mocktail menu with tastes and flavors for all palate.“We focused in on making non-alcoholic versions of currently popular drinks all made with quality ingredients,” he says.“We’re quite proud of the No’spresso, Pal-no-ma and Ginger No Rickey. All are tasty cocktails and among our most popular.”On the Rocks also has the OTR Punch,Cherry Limeade, seasonal homemade hot cocoa and free soft drinks and teas for designated drivers. McGee saw the desire for customers to enjoy alcohol-free drinks and decided to jump on the mocktail train a few years ago. “Sometimes people don’t need or want another alcoholic drink,” hesays. “Designated Drivers are an obvious target for mocktails.”

If you are more of a wine drinker, Kalle LeMone, owner of Nourish Café and Market, sells organic, non-alcoholic wine that is low in sugar and free of hangovers.“They add in grape skin extract during the winemaking process,” she says. “This GSE is rich in naturally occurring antioxidants, delivering more of those benefits that canal ready be found in red wine but without alcohol,” she says. LeMone says while the non-alcoholic wine doesn’t taste the same, it is a pretty close alternative. “It tastes like it’s missing something because it is,”she says. However, it’s not too sweet and is really enjoyable to sip if you wish to avoid alcohol. It’s festive, delicious and no hangover.”

Sometimes, it’s just about having a delicious drink with dinner. Franzia Esquivel, the manager of Las Margaritas says they offer seven different mocktails and occasional seasonal mocktails. The main mocktail menu includes a virgin margarita, a NOjito, a sober Paloma, daiquiri, a cucumber mint cooler, Frida and a passion fruit delight. “I wanted to create a mocktail menu to provide an option for our customers to enjoy a flavorful drink without alcohol,” she says. “Not everyone drinks alcohol due to health reasons, preferences, or other reasons. Providing this menu ensures no one is left out of the dining experience.”While all the non-alcoholic options will be a scrumptious substitute, Esquivel says the Frida, which is a mango dragon fruit drink with a sour-strip candy, is one of the most popular mocktails.

For Katie Mericle, owner of TropicalLiqueurs, having non-alcoholic options is great for different groups of people, not just those participating in DryJanuary. “We rotate flavors in our non-alcoholic machine. It’s great for kiddos and pregnant ladies,” she says. The usual alcohol-free flavor offered is the Pirate’sPunch, which is basically a fruit punch.But depending on the season, you might see a flavor switch. “During football season we put in Tiger Paw Jr., which is an orange, pineapple and peach schnapps mix but the non-alcoholic is just the orange and pineapple.”

Having options for everyone is something Frances Harvey, bar manager at Barred Owl Butcher & Table, makes a priority. “It’s always been important to us to have drinks available to everyone, so,we have always offered mocktails,” he says.We do our best to offer a range of flavor profiles to please any palate,” The most popular options at Barred Owl include the Sunshine Soda and the Shrub andClub. “The Sunshine soda was created by Andrew Ruth, our previous bar manager and resident spiritual advisor,”Harvey says. He wanted to be able to serve a bubbly drink to his kiddos that wasn’t full of sugar and was still tasty.What he came up with was a mixture of fresh juices (lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit) with a touch of honey for sweetness and topped with club soda.”The Shrub and Soda had a different goal in mind. “This was created with the idea of eliminating excess waste,” Harvey says. “Shrubs are syrups that are made with scraps, in our case, from juicing fruits, breaking down peppers, etc.”Harvey says the bar staff works hard to make sure there is always something tasty for customers to try whether it includes alcohol or not. “All bar staff has a hand in creating new and exciting mocktails for the menu!”

There really are so many different ways, flavors and combinations to enjoy a night out in Columbia without the addition of alcohol. So, whether you’re embracing Dry January or simply seeking a refreshing, alcohol-free option,Columbia’s vibrant mocktail scene offers plenty of delicious ways to toast to health and happiness.