About Dry January Guide
This article is part of our guide to Dry January around DC. Today’s bartenders are catering to the sober—and the sober-curious—with more sophisticated options than ever. Dry January doesn’t have to mean bland January. Here’s how to (not) drink your way through Washington in style.
New year, new you? Maybe you’re jumpstarting 2025 with a healthier version of your old self or are interested in changing up your drinking routine. Regardless, joining the Dry January or Damp January trend doesn’t mean you have to spend the first month of the year avoiding all social engagements and refraining from dining out. DC restaurants and bars are increasingly adding creative nonalcoholic options to their menus, and many are offering special zero-proof menu options for the month. Here are 13 places where you can imbibe without the booze this January.
Arrels
333 G St., NW
This new Penn Quarter restaurant by Pepe Moncayo in the recently opened Arlo hotel serves modern takes on Catalonian staples. If you’re skipping G&Ts, try NA drinks like the “Jardin De Mora” made with blackberry and lime or the “Barca Higo Y Chispa” with fig, lemon, soda, and spice.
Binge Bar
506 H St., NE
H Street’s hip, subterranean bar exclusively serves nonalcoholic beverages, regardless of the month. Offerings may include a “Cucumber Mangorita,” with fresh cucumber juice and mango puree; a “Peach Apple Mule” with ginger beer; and a “Hemp Infused Negroni.” It also has a regular lineup of events including comedy shows and singles’ meet-ups.
The Dabney
122 Blagden Alley, NW
A spirit-free drink list is available alongside the Dabney’s tasting menu or a la carte at the bar. Among the options: the “Fennel Sour” made with toasted fennel, egg white, lime, and lemon, or a riff on a Manhattan featuring a sorghum-based faux whiskey, spicebush “amaro,” and black walnut bitters.
Dōgon
1330 Maryland Ave., SW (inside the Salamander hotel)
Half a dozen “Low & No” drinks accompany chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Afro-Caribbean menu. Try “The Great Takeover” with a bourbon alternative and mango syrup, or the faux G&T made with a botanical nonalcoholic gin and edible flowers.
Lapis
1847 Columbia Rd., NW
This Afghan restaurant in Adams Morgan offers refreshing NA drinks—like the “Anar” with pomegranate juice, rose water, soda, and lemon zest—to pair with its dumplings and lamb stew. Lapis’s lower-level cocktail bar, Lapop, will be serving an NA Negroni throughout January, alongside other options like the “Sumac Highball,” an Afghan-inspired creation with NA gin, sumac, and pineapple.
Lutèce
1522 Wisconsin Ave., NW
This snug French neo-bistro in Georgetown has a large selection of NA wines and cocktails. Try concoctions like the “Indulgence in Moderation” made with nonalcoholic vermouth, honey, and almond, or opt for a full NA drink pairing, which includes Jörg Geiger Mirabellengold sparkling wine and Oddbird Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay.
Moon Rabbit
927 F St., NW
Bar Manager Thi Nguyen, who recently received a Michelin award for exceptional cocktails, incorporates many Vietnamese ingredients from the kitchen into her drinks. Try a spritz with purple shiso or the “Dynas-Tea” with a five-spice-infused NA whiskey and miso caramel.
Pascual
732 Maryland Ave., NE
If you can snag a reservation at Capitol Hill’s hot new Mexican restaurant, try the “Temperate Margarita” with NA tequila and orange liqueur or the “Nada Colada,” a pina colada riff with a hint of mango.
Pineapple & Pearls
715 8th St., SE
Looking to celebrate with something as festive as Champagne but with none of the goes-to-your-head bubbles? Aaron Silverman’s fine-dining destination in Barracks Row offers an entirely booze-free pairing with its multi-course tasting menu, plus riffs on classic cocktails.
Planta
Bethesda, Dupont Circle, and Logan Circle
The plant-based restaurant always feels healthy, and its roster of Seedlip drinks continues in that spirit. Planta’s “Not-A-Rita” is a spin on the classic marg made with NA agave and notes of peppercorn, cranberry, and lime.
The Wells
727 C St., SE
This gin-focused hideaway across from Eastern Market has two signature spirit-free cocktails, including one with burrata water and toasted corn and another with vanilla and yuzu.
Yasmine
1309 5th St., NE
While the Lebanese street food-inspired eatery also has locations in Tysons and Chevy Chase, the counter in Union Market always has spirit-free options, and we love their Jallab, a grape-and-date concoction with golden raisins and almonds, and the limonata with mint and lime.
Mindful Drinking Fest
Union Market
Over the January 10-12 weekend, pop in to Union Market’s Mindful Drinking Fest. The three-day event will offer a lot more than just nonalcoholic and low-alcohol drinks, although there certainly will be plenty of those. Come for yoga, panel discussions on the NA space, classes on creating the perfect mocktail, and treats to taste from Union Market and La Cosecha vendors.
