If your New Year's resolution was to drink less, here are five Brooklyn spots where you can get your hands on fantastic mocktails and more for Dry January.
TARIQUE (447 Bergen Street)
For an unconventional mocktail, head to TARIQUE, an American bistro in Park Slope influenced by Indian and French cooking. There are two non-alcoholic (NA) cocktails ($12) on TARIQUE’s menu — they’re stuffed at the bottom section under the title “Softys” -- but they deserve their own moment in the sun. The mango mule is sour and pleasantly spiced, made with cardamom-flavored syrup and ginger beer and served with a chaat salt rim. The pomegranate fizz is similarly dressed up with a tajin rim, but the contents are brighter and bubbly and also heavily gingered.
Grand Army (336 State Street)
For something more theatrical, head to Grand Army Bar in Boerum Hill, where they’re currently offering a Mean Girls-themed drink menu. In honor of Dry January, the bar has added additional NA cocktails ($14), including five mocktails with names ranging from “Regular Mom,” which they describe as a "fancy" Sprite, to the “That’s So Fetch,” which is functionally a stepped-up matcha, made from Seedlip NA spirits, matcha, lemongrass, and milk punch.
Bohemien Bar (97 Atlantic Ave.)
This Brooklyn Heights gastropub is a bright and inviting space with a listening-room-quality sound system — the perfect environment for a Dry January date. The drinks menu lists five sophisticated, spirit-free cocktails ($12–$15). The Roselle, their version of a NA margarita, is made with tangy, bitter orange cordial, lots of lime, and a ghost pepper heat that sticks in your throat and resonates like real alcohol. Plus, the drink is visually stunning, with a purple hibiscus ice cube glowing from the center.
Talea (multiple locations)
Talea is Brooklyn’s preeminent female-owned brewery, famous for its fruity, approachable beer list, with a flagship location in Williamsburg and other smaller shops popping up throughout the city. Currently, Talea has four NA drinks on draft ($7–$10), ranging from a seltzer to a porter. This January, they’ve also released a canned NA version of their popular strawberry lemonade splash sour. Talea’s vast taprooms make for a surprisingly calm work-from-home environment during the day and a great place to gather with a group of friends at night.
Time Out Market (55 Water Street)
You can get more traditional mocktails, like a good ol' New Fashioned, at the Time Out Market bar in DUMBO. Here, the bartenders are actually trying to approximate the taste of real alcohol to pretty impressive effect — the apple cider rum punch tastes like it really is made with sweet rum. At Time Out, there's also the added bonus that you can enjoy drinks on the rooftop overlooking the city skyline, and grab some food (or a decadent hot chocolate with toasted marshmallow fluff on top!) from one of the other esteemed vendors while you’re at it.
