Designated Driver Drinks: What to Order at a Bar When You Are Driving
What can a designated driver drink at a bar?
NA beer, mocktails, hop water, NA wine, and zero-proof cocktails. All of them stay under 0.5% ABV, a trace level that does not cause impairment, so you drive exactly as sober as you arrived. Most bars now carry at least one, and many carry several.
This site started as Beer For Driving for exactly this reason: the designated driver deserves a real drink. The ChillMaps app shows you which bars near you pour NA options worth ordering.
Yes, NA beer is safe for the driver
Non-alcoholic beer in the US is capped at 0.5% ABV. For perspective, kombucha and very ripe fruit reach similar trace levels, and studies have shown that drinking NA beer does not produce measurable blood alcohol in any meaningful amount. Your body processes the trace alcohol faster than you can consume it.
If you prefer literal zero, plenty of options are labeled 0.0%, including Heineken 0.0 and most hop waters, THC-free seltzers, and mocktails. The choice is comfort, not safety.
The DD order, ranked
What to reach for depends on the bar you are stuck in.
- Craft beer bar: an NA IPA or stout. Athletic Run Wild and Guinness 0 are everywhere now and taste like the real thing.
- Cocktail bar: a zero-proof cocktail. Good bars mirror their signature drinks without the spirits.
- Sports bar or chain: Heineken 0.0 in the bottle is nearly universal, even when it is not on the menu.
- Dive bar: ask what NA they have. O'Doul's survives in coolers everywhere, and hop water is spreading fast.
Never get stuck with water again
Thirty seconds in the app before you head out tells you exactly what you can order where you are going.
- 1
Get the free app
Download NA Beer & More: ChillMaps on iPhone or Android, or use the web app at chillmaps.com. The free version shows you nearby results instantly, no account needed.
- 2
Look up tonight's venue
Search the bar you are driving everyone to. If it is tracked, you will see its full NA menu with brands and ABVs.
- 3
Suggest a better spot when needed
If tonight's bar has nothing, the map shows better options nearby. You are the driver, you get a vote.
- 4
Save your regulars
Favorite the bars that treat the driver well, and the app keeps you posted when their NA menus grow.
Or use the web app right in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Will non-alcoholic beer show up on a breathalyzer?
No meaningful reading. NA beer is under 0.5% ABV and your body metabolizes the trace alcohol about as fast as you drink it. Studies of people drinking NA beer back to back show blood alcohol staying at or near zero.
Do bars give designated drivers free drinks?
Some do. Plenty of bars offer the DD free soda or coffee, and some events run formal DD programs. It never hurts to mention you are driving, but a good NA menu is the more reliable win.
What if the bar has no NA beer?
Ask for a mocktail or bitters and soda, most bars can build one. Better: check the venue in ChillMaps before you go, and steer the group somewhere with real options.
Why is the drinking age applied to NA beer at some bars?
Policy varies. NA beer is not federally regulated as alcohol, but many venues and some states treat it like beer and card for it. Expect ID checks and you will never be surprised.
Find your next NA drink in seconds
Over 1 million bars, restaurants, and stores with non-alcoholic drinks, in your pocket. Free on iPhone and Android.
