Many sober people actually do enjoy hanging out with friends at a bar. A 2025 Gallup poll revealed that only 54% of adults in the U.S. drink—that’s a record low, and it means the number of people saddling up for an NA drink is on the rise. And young people? They’re more concerned about alcohol’s harms than any other generation.
As any non-drinker knows, options can vary from place to place. Will there be O’Doul’s? Sad soda water? A four-juice mocktail just pulled out of a bartender’s ass?
Shitty drink roulette isn’t fun. So, I ventured out to a few bars in Minneapolis to see what I can get as a sober person. I work in the beer industry, so I’m familiar with the usual fare like Athletic and hop waters. But for this story I was on the lookout for more curated options…