What to Order at a Bar When You Are Not Drinking
What should I order at a bar if I am not drinking?
Order a drink that reads like a drink: an NA beer, a zero-proof cocktail, hop water, or soda with bitters in a rocks glass. You hold something real, nobody asks questions, and the bartender has heard all of these a thousand times.
The upgrade is knowing what the bar pours before you walk in. ChillMaps shows the actual NA menu at bars near you, so your order is decided before you reach the stool.
The order matters less than having one
The awkward moment at a bar is not being sober, it is hesitating. Walking in knowing you will order a Run Wild IPA, or a zero-proof paloma, or a soda with angostura and lime, removes the entire dynamic. You order, you get a drink, the night moves on.
Whatever you pick, get it in a proper glass. Bartenders will serve a mocktail in cocktail glassware and soda over ice in a rocks glass if you ask. A drink that looks like a drink is social camouflage that works.
The menu, decoded by bar type
Every bar can serve you something. Here is the strong order at each.
- Craft beer bar: NA beer, often several. Ask what NA they have on draft first, bottles second.
- Cocktail bar: ask for a zero-proof cocktail, or name a flavor direction and let them build. This is where NA spirits shine.
- Wine bar: sparkling NA wine by the glass is increasingly standard.
- Anywhere else: Heineken 0.0 from the cooler, hop water, or bitters and soda. All read as drinks, all taste like you chose them on purpose.
If you are pregnant or fully avoiding alcohol
NA beer, NA wine, and NA spirits can contain up to 0.5% ABV, a trace level similar to kombucha. If you are avoiding alcohol entirely, stick to drinks labeled 0.0%, or mocktails built from juice, syrups, and soda rather than NA spirits. The venue menus in ChillMaps list ABVs so you can check the exact number on any drink.
Know your order before you arrive
The app turns "hopefully they have something" into a decided order.
- 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 the venue
Search the bar you are meeting at. Its page lists every tracked NA drink with style and ABV.
- 3
Pick your order in advance
Compare options and check nutrition on drink pages, calories, carbs, and exact ABV included.
- 4
Rate what you try
Your ratings sharpen future recommendations, and your favorites list becomes your personal drinking-well-without-drinking map.
Or use the web app right in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
How do I not drink at a bar without people noticing?
Hold a drink that looks like a drink. NA beer in the bottle, a mocktail in cocktail glassware, or soda with bitters over ice all pass without comment. Order first, before rounds start, and nobody thinks twice.
What is the sober curious movement?
Sober curious means questioning the default of drinking without necessarily quitting forever: drinking less, skipping nights, and choosing NA options when the drink is more habit than pleasure. The NA drink boom exists because millions of people drink this way now.
What do bartenders think when you order non-alcoholic?
Nothing. NA orders are routine at every bar type now, and craft bartenders often enjoy building zero-proof drinks. The internal monologue is entirely yours.
What non-alcoholic drink has the fewest calories?
Hop water is usually zero calories, soda with bitters is close, and most NA beers run 50 to 90 calories, about half a regular beer. Drink pages in the ChillMaps app show calories and carbs for thousands of NA drinks.
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.
