The clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve and suddenly you’re catapulted from the holiday season and straight into a new year full of fresh starts, possibilities, and likely a resolution or two to tackle.
According to Forbes, 1 in 5 American adults participates in dry January. If you are among them, you might think dry January means a month of being a hermit and withstanding painful levels of FOMO. Hold on! Before you go canceling your standing girl's night out or brewery crawl with the boys this month, consider our list of curated cocktail bars, breweries, and restaurants offering unique mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages to help you stick to your goals while still having fun in Pierce County. Whether you're just "dry" for January, or are a full-time teetotaler, there’s something for everyone sober in the South Puget Sound.
Field Bar & Bottle Shop
Field Bar & Bottle Shop is a triple threat bar, restaurant, and retail bottle shop with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients and featuring a stunning rotating menu of delectables and drinks. Booze-abstaining customers can enjoy a “No Booze” menu featuring eleven seasonal cocktails (you try resisting a hot buttered no-rum!). The best part? If you absolutely fall in love with a menu item, you’ll likely find the ingredients used to make your booze-free beverage in their bottle shop, allowing you to bring the craft cocktail experience home with you. Their latest feature is a no-booze Berry Aperitif by Ghia to provide the experience of a wintery January drink while staying dry.
Wooden City Tacoma
Looking for a place to snag a slice of wood-fired pizza and enjoy a non-alcoholic beer or cocktail with the guys or gals this January? Look no further than Wooden City. Nestled in downtown Tacoma, Wooden City offers American Cuisine and sincere hospitality with a healthy selection of non-alcoholic cocktails including the “NAgroni” and “Lavender Lemonade” as well as some n/a beer selections for every taste. Sounds like a New Year's resolution loophole we can get behind!
Cactus Tacoma
Come for the guac, stay for the bounty of booze-free options this dry January at Cactus! Since 2019, Cactus has been offering the Proctor District a self-described menu of innovative Southwestern, Mexican, and Spanish cuisine. What sticks out for those participating in Dry January is a notably large non-alcoholic “No Sin” cocktail menu featuring 6 mocktails to choose from, including a seasonal housemade horchata and a hibiscus mango sour. For those looking to skip the fruity drinks, they also offer Athletic Brewing Co. booze-free beer sure to satisfy you through your second (or third, we don’t judge) basket of chips.
7 Seas Brewing
What do smash burgers, a competitive game of pinball, and a healthy selection of booze-free beer and other beverages have in common? 7 Seas Brewing, of course! This taproom opened its doors in the historic Brewery District of Tacoma in 2016. If you thought hanging out at the brewery with your pals—a quintessential PNW activity—had to go this dry January, think again! 7 Seas offers a huge selection of alcohol-free drink options including an on-draft kombucha, booze-free kolsch and IPAs in a can, N/A canned champagne, and even CBD drinks at the connected coffee shop Naomi Joe. Toss in a sick set of pinball machines and some tots from the Canteen and you’ve got yourself a successful dry day/night out for the whole month or a lifetime!
Boom Boom Room
If your idea of a night out on the town includes a stop at a chic cocktail lounge, look no further than Boom Boom Room. For those Pierce County residents still looking to take to the town while staying sober, they offer a section of their menu called “Part of the Party” which features several craft mocktails including a Bittersweet Spritz and a Lady in Waiting using Dhos non-alcoholic gin. Best yet, they also offer a “bartender’s choice” option challenging the mixologist to craft a booze-free beverage based on a requested flavor profile.
Stanley & Seafort’s
If you’re looking to enjoy a more upscale night out and pair your non-alcoholic beverage with a fabulous meal, why not take a trip to Stanley & Seafort’s this dry January? You can sip non-alcoholic cocktails while taking in panoramic views of downtown Tacoma and Commencement Bay with the help of their “Absence of Proof” menu. Featuring a massive selection of 8 ABV free mocktails and mixes, there’s not only great food but great drinks for every guest. Booze free espresso caramel martini anyone?!
en Rama
What’s better than a cozy cocktail bar on a cold winter’s night? With en Rama, you can sip and still stick to your new year’s goals with a wonderful list of mocktails and some house-made pasta to boot! Located in the historic Courthouse Square building in downtown Tacoma, this cocktail lounge focuses on local, seasonal ingredients with an emphasis on items as “house-made as possible.” Their “No Booze” menu features a house-made ginger beer hibiscus mule and Chill Spritz with lavender chamomile honey, to name a few.
The Living Taproom
The final item on our list offers a unique experience for your next day/night out - a self-serve tap room! Skip the lines and get yourself an RFID bracelet tied to your credit card that will track ounces poured at one of over 30 beverage stations, allowing you the freedom to explore the space and your tastes. The Living Taproom offers a wide range of non-alcoholic options from CBD to N/A beers, craft root beer, and even hop water (sparkling water with IPA flavors), making it the perfect way to taste through N/A options until you find your favorite.
Did we miss any noteworthy mocktail or booze-free beverage spots? Let us know! Tag us @traveltacoma on Instagram and Facebook.