Rochester’s first sober bar is fully up and running.
AltBar opened its bottle shop in June at 1947 E. Main St. in North Winton Village. But because it lacks parking, owners Meg and Bob Hartman had to get a special-use permit from the city to operate the bar side of the business.
“I had no idea it would take as long as it did,” said Meg, who manages the establishment day-to-day.
Having secured it, about a month ago they started serving AltBar’s unique selection of cocktails and mocktails and nonalcoholic wine and beer to the sober, sober-curious, people looking to cut back on their alcohol consumption, and expectant and new moms.
The customer base is “all over the board,” Meg said. “It’s really cool.”
Something to know: AltBar’s cocktails contain nonalcoholic spirits made from distilling botanicals and extracts. However, they can be triggering for some alcohol-abstainers.
“Some people are like, ‘I don’t want any of it. I don’t want to be around it.’ And I don’t want to be the reason they have a problem in their recovery,” she said.