Where To Enjoy Dry January In Chicago 2024

With the new year almost upon us, we’re all pondering what healthy changes we should aim to enact in 2024. While boozing is a great way to ring out 2023, starting the new year off by taking a break from alcohol and taking part in the increasingly popular Dry January can be a great way to hit the reset button. Lucky for you, Chicago’s top restaurants have nonalcoholic and equally Insta-worthy cocktails ready for you to experience. Sip on refreshing fruit juices, fun fizzy sodas and creative liquor substitutes so tasty you’ll actually enjoy staying true to your booze-free goals.

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Cafe Robey

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1616 N. Milwaukee Ave. / Website

Enjoy locally sourced, seasonally inspired brunch and dinner menus at Cafe Robey. Instead of opting for a tired mimosa or espresso martini, try something new this year with Cafe Robey’s housemade sodas.

• Purplesaurus: housemade purple soda.
• Litchi Noir iced tea
• Housemade orange drink

See Also: Chicago’s Best Vegan Restaurants

Daisies

2375 N. Milwaukee Ave. / Website

It’s no surprise that this Logan Square hot spot—a recent recipient of Chicago’s first Michelin Green star for its exceptional sustainability practices—would have an equally impressive slate of N/A offerings. Among the menu’s featured cocktails, herbal sodas and shrubs is one mainstay: the mushroom sour, a sweet-and-savory sipper featuring housemade syrup made from fermented mushroom stems.

Esmé

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2200 N. Clark St. / Website

One Michelin-starred Esmé goes all out when it comes to nonalcoholic beverages. Director of beverages Stevan Miller crafts all the syrups, shrubs and juices used in their innovative booze-free creations in-house and pays special attention to the flavors of the dining menu’s dishes so she can create flavors that will pair seamlessly. The restaurant’s N/A offerings include a spirit-free pairing with its tasting menu along with spirit-free cocktails made with nonalcoholic spirits like Giffard Aperitif and various Seedlip products.

Fioretta

318 N. Sangamon St. / Website

Who says steak houses are all martinis and red wine? This Fulton Market hot spot tempts with one particular spirit-free cocktail that has become a house favorite.

• Pineapple Punch: Seedlip, grapefruit, pineapple, cardamom, ginger, lemon

Formento’s

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925 W. Randolph St. / Website

Head to this Fulton Market District Italian haven for nonalcoholic beverages featuring bright, light and fresh flavors inspired by Italy.

• Redbud: Opia, blueberry, lime, shrub, cold-pressed pineapple juice
• Juniper: Seedlip Spice, gingerbread rooibos, Opia, fresh grapefruit juice, ginger beer
• Flowering Apple: Spiced cranberry orange, Opia, fresh lemon, cold-pressed blood orange

LondonHouse Chicago

85 E. Wacker Drive / Website

One of the city’s premier rooftop destinations, this riverside hangout boasts stunning views and a see-and-be-seen crowd—plus a slate of tempting N/A drinks to boot, like the below.

• Aperitif & Soda: Bitter-Sweet Aperitif Cordial, Soda, Orange, $10
• One In A Melon: Seedlip Garden, Rtc Mallorca Melon Shrub, Pineapple, Lemon, $10
• Kombucha Spritz: Ginger/Lemon Kombucha, Raspberry, Soda, Basil, $10
• Tost Wine: Bottle Sparkling White Tea, Cranberry, Ginger, $40/bottle

LYRA

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905 W. Fulton Market / Website

Known for its transportive atmosphere, stellar Greek cuisine and lighthearted Mykonian vibes, LYRA offers guests simply delicious nonalcoholic beverages. With a mouthwatering brunch, dinner and dessert menu, this is a fabulous spot to give Dry January a try.

• Halara: Amass zero proof, pomegranate, lemon, mint and tonic
• Cypress: Amass zero proof, pineapple, lime and ginger

Pigtail

500 N. Clark St. / Website

This subterranean speakeasy inside master chef José Andrés’ River North tapas spot Jaleo beckons with an extensive libations menu ranging from classic cocktails to daringly contemporary drinks (cold vacuum-infused G&T anyone?), plus spirit-free cocktails that are equally intriguing.

• Emerald Coin: Seedlip Grove, honeydew juice, lime, lemongrass, celery
• Squaring the Circle: Spiritless Kentucky 74, spiritless amaretti, maple syrup and cumin tincture

Prime & Provisions

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222 N. LaSalle Blvd. / Website

Pair your premium dry-aged cut of steak with a light, booze-free cocktail crafted using bright flavors and refreshing fruit juices.

• Pomegranate Mint: 100% pomegranate juice, lemon San Pellegrino, blood orange and mint leaves
• Spiced Grapefruit: Spice 94 Seedlip nonalcoholic spirit, grapefruit juice, soda and lime

Sushi-San

63 W. Grand Ave. / Website

This Lettuce Entertain You sushi fave is so dedicated to its spirit-free offerings that they have their own menu—the N.W.A, as in "nothin' with alcohol). The newest addition is The Glitter Bomb, which is a shot of strawberry cordial and fresh coconut water (with some edible glitter) dropped into housemade banana soda.

• The Glitter Bomb: Strawberry cordial, fresh coconut water, housemade banana soda, edible glitter

Three Dots and a Dash

435 N. Clark St., alley / Website

Staying clear-headed at this beloved tiki bar can be particularly challenging given the boozy nature of most of the libations on offer (we’re looking at you, Rum Barrel). Now there’s a solution that involves neither club soda nor cranberry: Undead Reckoning, a spirit-free version of the classic rum-based Dead Reckoning, this one made with tangy verjus rouge that imitates the red wine notes normally contributed by late bottle vintage port.

• Undead Reckoning: Verjus rouge, pineapple, lemon, maple, vanilla, sarsparilla

Yardbird

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530 N. Wabash Ave. / Website

Head to Yardbird to dine on locally sourced farm-fresh menu items and imbibe spirit-free cocktail creations.

• Cucumber and Lime Fizz: Cucumber, lime, egg whites and Fever Tree club soda

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