Many sober people actually do enjoy hanging out with friends at a bar. A 2025 Gallup poll revealed that only 54% of adults in the U.S. drink—that’s a record low, and it means the number of people saddling up for an NA drink is on the rise. And young people? They're more concerned about alcohol's harms than any other generation.
As any non-drinker knows, options can vary from place to place. Will there be O’Doul’s? Sad soda water? A four-juice mocktail just pulled out of a bartender's ass?
Shitty drink roulette isn’t fun. So, I ventured out to a few bars in Minneapolis to see what I can get as a sober person. I work in the beer industry, so I’m familiar with the usual fare like Athletic and hop waters. But for this story I was on the lookout for more curated options.
Below are my honest, unabridged reviews based on the options and the service I received at the joints I happened to make my way to while out and about.
Bryant Lake Bowl
Bryant Lake Bowl is smack-dab on Lake Street in the grey zone between Uptown and Lyn-Lake. Vintage and a little worn down in an irreverent, eclectic way. It certainly is an institution, and it's a great place for those looking to grab a drink while enjoying some old-school bowling (old-school as in, you will be tallying your scores by hand on paper).
I went for the date-night special BLB offers on Monday nights ($38 for two beers or a bottle of wine, two entrees, and a round of bowling) with my partner. She got a local craft beer and I got... a Diet Coke.
At the time, there were no NA options available and I had to settle for a soft drink. But I'm pleased to say that I've recently gone back and found they have added the 8ZERO5 blonde ale from Firestone Walker Brewing out of California to the menu. It is crisp and easy drinking, and I was able to crush a few during my last round of bowling.
Little Tijuana Neighborhood Lounge
Little T’s has been a favorite of mine for years, but I haven’t been as frequent a guest since I stopped drinking. Good news: The NA menu is pretty solid, with some fun options for sober folks.
I went with a Phony Negroni by St. Agrestis, the damage being $12. Sitting at the bar I could watch the bartender lovingly prepare my drink, the glass chilled with a large ice cube and topped with a generous orange peel expression. It was mixed and served like any negroni I’ve ever ordered in the past, just without the alcohol.
Folks can also get an NA Mai Tai, Bauhaus Brew Lab’s Nah Lager, an NA Michelada, and a Lil’ T’s Tonic.
I had a lot of fun at Lil’ T’s. The staff is definitely cooler than anyone in town and its “neon cowboy” aesthetic really sets it apart from other bars in the neighborhood. Bask in the red light at one of the many diner-style booths or a lounge on a sofa by the bar. Relax knowing the right drink for you is on the menu.
Grumpy’s Northeast
Beloved Northeast dive bar Grumpy’s is a simple, one-room space with booths, high tops, and plenty of people.
Grumpy’s has staple NA options like Heineken 0.0, Lagunitas Hop Water, and 0.0 Guinness. There’s also a patio to smoke on, so I was a happy sober camper that night, drinking Lagunitas IPNAs for $6. I also got to watch a friend try Malört for the first time (she hated it!).
There’s no specialty NA cocktail menu to be found here, as Grumpy’s is all about beer and single mix rail drinks. Fittingly, its NA offerings stay in a similar lane. What it had didn't blow me away, but it made sense for what the place is: a true dive.
Brit’s Pub
I popped into Brit’s during happy hour, expecting the NA menu to start and stop with your typical macro beer, but I was pleasantly surprised. This downtown mainstay offers a unique lineup of bottled NA cocktails from Bar Diver and St. Agrestis, and there’s even a non-alcoholic wine by Serena Mode. That last one is a huge surprise; I haven't really seen it offered anywhere else in Minneapolis. All of this is in addition to the typical NA beers I’ve seen at other bars.
The staff couldn't have been friendlier, and the service I received was the best I have had in the cities—no bullshit. The NA wine cost $9 a glass and was dry and citrusy, pairing surprisingly well with my happy-hour poutine.
Meteor Bar
Meteor Bar is a dimly lit establishment with a divey vibe and high-end cocktails. This extends to the alcohol-free drinks as well. There are three really solid, spirit-free cocktails on the menu, as well as St. Agrestis’s Amaro Falso and a selection of fermented botanical drinks by 3 Leches.
I tried one of the cocktails: the Keyboard Cowboy ($13), a spirit-free tequila highball with beet, lemon, and fresh thyme as a garnish. It was really well-balanced, and the NA tequila gave the drink a bright peppery note (bell pepper not hot pepper) with the sweetness you would get with an agave syrup. It’s clear that a lot of care was put into the menu, presentation, and service regarding the spirit-free drinks, and I know that I’ll be bellying up again very soon.
Chatterbox Pub
One of the oldest bars in Minneapolis, Chatterbox has been operating since the 1920s. It’s got a good line up of NA beers—Beck’s, Guinness, and Heineken 0.0—as well as some house-made NA cocktails.
I decided to go with a cocktail called the Bora Bora Brew, a mix of fizzy pineapple juice and what is listed as “Island Spice.” After taking a few sips of the drink I asked my server what this “Island Spice” was, and I was told it was Angostura Bitters, an alcoholic product clocking in at 44.7% ABV.
Now, I’m not sure how much of the stuff they put in my drink (probably only half an ounce), but this is something that should not be listed as just “Island Spice.” The staff was very understanding and swapped out the drink when I informed them of my sobriety. My night wasn’t ruined, but ingredients like Angostura should either be removed from the NA menu, or at least indicated there, so that folks can make a more informed decision.
In Conclusion...
So there you have it. You don’t have to settle on ordering the worst cranberry-Sprite-lemon concoction or watery NA beer if you are sober and want to go out. At a lot of the spots I visited you can get a drink that’s right for you and receive the same level of service. There’s obviously room to grow and things aren’t perfect, but it does feel like we’re moving in the right direction as bars and restaurants work on accommodating our ever-growing sober community.
