Toast to the best mocktails for Dry January in Houston

Start the year with sober celebrations at 11 Houston bars and restaurants serving up alcohol-free cocktails for January 2023.

Whether you’re looking to kick off 2023 with healthy decisions or you’re sober-curious in the month of January, there are plenty of bars and restaurants in Greater Houston that are serving up some of the city’s best mocktails.

We’ve highlighted 11 places from around Houston that offer refreshing zero-proof cocktails and other delicious drinks to keep your streak going through this month and beyond.

Please note that many of these offerings are bar specials available for January 2023, and may be off-the-menu at the end of the month.

11 Houston Bars & Restaurants for Alcohol-free Cocktails

Bludorn in Fourth Ward

Chef Aaron Bludorn’s French-inspired stunner on Taft Street introduces four zero-proof cocktails for January, curated by the restaurant’s beverage team, including Head Bartender Fabio Pontes and Beverage Director Darryl Chan.

Sip your choice of the Dove’s Nest, made with grapefruit, lime, Seedlip Garden, vanilla and chili; Apple Bottom Sage, which blends apple and Verjus with fennel-sage foam; Bissap, consisting of hibiscus, mint, hop soda, makrut leaf and lime oleo-saccharum; and the Sardoodledom, a coffee drink made from espresso, star anise, citrus and tonic.

Dish Society at Multiple Locations

At its five locations in Katy, Memorial, the Galleria area, West University and the Heights, you can take to one of Dish Society’s three mocktail offerings in January; the Butterfly Effect ($7), consisting of butterfly pea blossom iced tea; Phantom Lemonade ($7), which blends rose syrup, fresh lemon juice and activated charcoal; and the Fauxjito ($9), a mocktail built on seedlip non-alcoholic spirit with a chamomile and citrus infusion, garnished with mint.

Plus, you can still sip on a wide selection of house cold-pressed juices, coffee drinks and kombucha.

Kin Dee Thai Cuisine in the Heights

The beautiful North Shepherd Thai spot in the Heights adds on to its bountiful cocktail menu with five zero-proof offerings that utilize Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic spirits, ranging from $13 to $16 each.

Try the Tom Yum, with lemongrass, Thai chili, kaffir leaves and lime; the Saneh Jan with agave spirit, lime juice, passion fruit puree, garnished with a chili ice sphere; the Butterfly Tea Margarita with agave blanco spirit, non-alcoholic orange sec, lime juice, butterfly tea and lemongrass syrup; the Melonic with Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Pink London spirit, plus watermelon, grapefruit and lime juices, garnished with a fresh slice of watermelon; and the Mango Sticky Rice, which offers a twist on the beloved dessert with cane spirit, mango puree and coconut milk.

Coltivare in the Heights

The beloved Italian spot in the Heights is known for their pizzas and fresh-from-the-garden eats, but they’ll also offer four alcohol-free cocktails for Dry January.

Try their twist on the Dark & Stormy with The Perfect Storm, a blend of Caleño Dark & Spicy, lime juice, simple syrup, ginger beer, Coca-Cola floater and lime; sip on Lord Tennyson’s Tonic, featuring Tennyson black ginger, cherry and ginger syrups, lemon juice, orange and Topo Chico; taste the Soho, built on Caleño Light & Zesty with lime juice, simple syrup and mint; or go for the Not & Tonic, made with Cut Above Gin, lime juice, elderflower tonic, grapefruit, mint and green peppercorn.

Eloise Nichols near Uptown

On Westheimer, just east of 610, you’ll find this all-day café serving five refreshing mocktails for $8 each like the Mexican Mule, featuring Lyre’s Agave Blanco Spirit with lime juice and ginger beer; Adair Agave Lemonade made with Lyre’s White Cane Spirit; the Kalelujah which blends fresh-pressed juice with pear simple syrup; a Pear Old-Fashioned with spiritless Kentucky 74 and pear simple syrup; and the Earl Grey & Tonic, a mocktail of Lyre’s Pink London Spirit with earl grey simple syrup.

Eunice in Upper Kirby

This Modern Cajun-Creole restaurant celebrates the Gulf Coast and, in addition to its signature cocktail menu, will also offer several mocktails for $8 each, featuring the non-alcoholic spirit Cut Above.

Check out highlights like the Paloma with Cut Above agave, grapefruit and grapefruit soda; the Puro Passion with Cut Above mezcal, passionfruit and black pepper syrup; the Blackberry Smash, built on Cut Above gin with blackberry and lemon; and the Cucumber Mule, which provides a refreshing combination of Cut Above gin, cucumber, lime and ginger beer.

Navy Blue in Rice Village

A newer addition to the Rice Village dining scene, Navy Blue comes from Chef Aaron Bludorn (of the aforementioned Bludorn restaurant) and offers a Gulf Coast seafood experience, along with a mocktail menu that features a few that can only be found here.

In addition to the Dove’s Nest (also available at Bludorn), you can also sip on the Jumbo Ozaki, a twist on the classic Arnold Palmer and named for Japanese golfer Masashi Ozaki, consisting of yuzu, matcha tea and star anise; the Peni-chillin is crafted from Lapsang Souchong, with ginger, lemon and honey; and the Only Sans is a layered up pink drink made with passion fruit, vanilla, lime and hibiscus

GJ Tavern in Downtown

The Georgia James outpost near Market Square Park serves up a pair of mocktails for $7 each throughout the month of January.

The Noontime offers a refreshing twist of cucumber, pistachio orgeat, lime and tonic; while the Daily Program blends pineapple shrub with cinnamon, lime and grapefruit soda. Diners are also welcome to add CBD to either drink for an additional $4.

Le Jardinier in Museum District

Located inside the Kinder Building at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the French modern restaurant features two zero-proof cocktail additions to its beverage menu this month, each available for $10.

The Cardi-Brew is a coffee mocktail with layers of cold brew, cardamom, cinnamon and oat milk in a gimlet glass with espresso bean garnish. And the bright, refreshing Le Jardin offers a taste of cucumber, fine herbs, mint, lime and soda.

Daily Gather at CityCentre

The New American restaurant in CityCentre adds on to its boozy cocktail list with three $7 drinks that are alcohol-free but big on flavor.

Try the Ginger Strawberry Lemonade; the Daily BLT with blueberry, lemon, thyme and sparkling water; or a Cucumber Refresher with fresh lime, cucumber, orange, basil, vanilla and ginger beer.

Tobiuo Sushi & Bar in Katy

Sherman Yueng’s innovative sushi restaurant at La Centerra at Cinco Ranch is offering a trio of fruit-forward, alcohol-free mocktails crafted by General Manager Le Chau, each available for $6.

Sip on a Strawberry Basil Lemonade with lavender lychee, pineapple and cherry juice; try the Orange Dreamsicle with orange juice, pineapple and vanilla; or take to a Honey Ginger with honey, lemon juice and ginger.