See the Brisbane venues helping you stick to that booze-free resolution

Whether you are designated driver, pregnant, or just abstaining, you can say goodbye to feeling like a child sipping a Shirley Temple at your next dinner event or gathering with these 10 Brisbane venues acing their booze-free offerings.

Pubs and clubs are having to come up with unique curated no-alcohol drinks list, as millennials turn their backs on the Aussie drinking culture.

Vincent Lombino from Talisman Group, which operates high-profile venues including Sasso Italiano and South City Wine Bar, says restaurateurs are having to pivot when it comes to the beverage market.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE 10 BRISBANE BARS EMBRACING THE NO-ALCOHOL TREND

“Non-alcoholic trends like Dry January and Dry July are inspiring more people to explore alcohol-free options, and we love being part of that movement,” Mr Lombino said.

“For us, it’s about offering great choices and fostering inclusivity — ensuring that those who choose not to drink still have access to the same level of quality and creativity.”

Similarly, Sarah Baldwin of joy restaurant, who has been completely sober for several years herself, prides herself on her degustation venues’ full ‘alternative’ drinks pairing.

“We like to remind our guests that it’s about a drinks experience, so we try not to say “non alcoholic” vs “alcoholic” instead we just like to point out that there is an alternative pairing option,” Baldwin said.

“We felt that saying “non alcoholic” implied we were removing something from the pairing.”

Darcy Moore 26 with a Nogroni, and Montana-Rose Lamb 25 with a Passionfruit Limonata, enjoying Mocktails at Sasso Italiano in Woollongabba. Picture Lachie Millard

Global beverage number cruncher IWSR is predicting the international no-alcohol market to grow by almost 4 per cent within the next two years.

NON wines is perhaps one of the most widely stocked non-alcoholic options in Brisbane venues, with its creation prompted by a simple holiday moment.

Founder and CEO of NON, Aaron Trotman said he was inspired by the incredible flavours of a non-alcoholic pairing his wife enjoyed while in London.

“With one in four diners choosing not to drink, it’s just as important as meeting dietary requirements to offer options that stand on their own,” Trotman said.

While the sober-curious aren’t opting for non-alcoholic beverages in an effort to save money, the question on everyone’s lips remains “why do non-alcoholic options cost as much, if not more than their alcoholic counterparts?”

The answer, simply put, is because most non-alcoholic options, be it alternatives to beer, wine or spirits, first have to be crafted into an alcoholic beverage, before the alcohol is removed, leaving producers with an incredibly time-consuming and costly task.

Similarly, even mocktails made without non-alcoholic spirits often include a myriad of specially crafted shrubs, syrups and garnishes, and often taking even more effort from bar staff than a classic cocktail.

The Lobby Bar at The Calile

As Brisbane’s go-to celeb hangout and recognised in the top 25 hotels in the world for two years running, it’s unsurprising that the Calile Hotel has its finger well and truly on the pulse.

The hotel’s Lobby Bar menu is simply bursting with quality no-alcohol options, with six mocktails, three non-alcoholic wines and a reminder that the highly-trained team can make non-alcoholic versions of any classic cocktails a guest could request.

The Lobby Bar at The Calile.

Hibiscus Bar and Terrace

The Hyatt Regency’s rooftop bar Hibiscus is another venue with an impressive full-page of no-alcohol drink options.

Four specialty mocktails, including their signature, native Australian botanical inspired Bottlebrush Sunset, along with several different non-alcoholic beers and wines are on offer for guests opting not to drink.

Sasso Italiano

Nestled among a beverage list to envy sits Sasso Italiano’s epic non-alcoholic cocktail list, with five fresh mocktails, like the Blueberry Fauxito and the Nogroni, each designed to be an option worth ordering.

Founder of Talisman Group Vincent Lombino said the venue strived to ensure that those who choose not to drink can still have access to the same level of quality and creativity as those who do.

“With our focus on health and wellbeing across our venues, providing an extensive mocktail selection is just one way we celebrate balance and mindful living,” Lombino said.

Kazba and ZA ZA TA

Ovolo the Valley’s on-site Middle Eastern wining and dining duo Bar Kazba and ZA ZA TA have embraced the uptick of interest in non-alcoholic options in recent times.

Kazba is proud to have three ‘zero-proof’ mocktails on offer, while ZA ZA TA is preparing for a wine pairing takeover with NON wines.

The Conservatory dining space at Za Za Ta, Fortitude Valley.

Joy

joy Restaurant, while mostly known for the incredible food served as part of its incredible 10 seater degustation experience, also boasts one of the city’s best alternative drink pairings.

Sarah Baldwin, who is proudly several years sober, said it was important for the restaurant to offer an alternative option, while stressing that no-alcohol doesn’t mean a guest is ‘missing out’.

The alternative drink pairing features drinks handcrafted in-house by sommelier Loren Mitchell-Moore and wines by NON.

Ghanem Group venues including Iris Rooftop, Bisou Bisou, Luc Lac and Byblos

Ghanem Group, the team behind icons like Byblos, Iris Rooftop, Bisou Bisou and Donna Chang, proudly boast numerous mouth-watering non-alcoholic options at each of their venues.

From no and low-alcohol beer and wine options, to carefully crafted mocktails, most of the Ghanem venues offer a diverse selection of each.

In 2022, group bar manager Aaron Clark told The Courier Mail that non-alcoholic drinks made up a quarter of CBD venue Donna Chang’s beverage revenue.

Exhibition Restaurant

Tim Scott, head chef and owner of another of Brisbane’s incredible degustation experiences Exhibition, is another hospitality powerhouse to abstain from drinking, and has made it a key staple of their offering.

The ‘Sober pairing’ with the ever-changing omakase menu features five distinct, in-house non-alcoholic beverages, and their drinks list also includes a wide array of house-made drinks, non-alcoholic spirits and mixed drinks.

Favourites on the current menu include the aperitif-style ‘Bottlebrush + Rosella’ made with a bottlebrush flower syrup, house-made rosella vinegar and native thyme or the ‘Marigold Verjuice Spritz’ made with marigold-infused verjuice and house-made orange tonic water.

Maya Mexican

Even if you are ‘on the wagon’ you can enjoy an insta-worthy Maya rooftop moment with its extensive Lyre’s mocktail list.

Featuring six classic cocktails made on Lyre’s no-alcohol spirits, Maya’s alternative drinks menu has something for all tastes, from a spicy margarita-esque blend of agave, orange, lime and chilli to a coco pina, blending coconut, mango, pineapple, lime, agave and chocolate bitters.

Maya Mexican rooftop bar.

Savile Row

While Savile Row might not have an extensive booze-free selection, the true talent of their bar staff is apparent with guests encouraged to guide staff to their favourite classic cocktail or a style/flavour of drink.

The bartenders will then ‘endeavour to recreate a classic cocktail as a mocktail or something completely bespoke to their taste’.

In addition, the bars menu features a house drink called ‘The Outfit’ featuring verjus, coriander citrus and rose, as well as a rotating style of iced-tea and lemonade based Arnold Palmer.

Supernormal

For a venue who first launched in trendy Melbourne, it should come as no real shock that Supernormal would be well across drinking and dining trends, including the switch to sober.

Diners looking for luxe booze-free options won’t be disappointed with seven reasonably-priced, no-alcohol mixed drinks on the menu, with everything from a pandan and coconut milkshake to a Grupetto amaro highball, as well as several zero beer options.

The dining room at Supernormal, Brisbane.