Dry January in Tacoma: Where to drink if you’re not drinking now — or ever!

Out of the December haze, Tacoma-area bars and restaurants are tip-toeing into the new year. Instead of sharing photos of celebratory cocktails, the social-media mood has morphed into one of moderation.

Not so long ago, non-drinkers, regardless of their reason or need of abstention, were offered glasses of Coke or iced tea, maybe a flavored lemonade or juice. That slice of the U.S. population has actually never been all that small. At its lowest, around a third of people reported skipping the stuff — and that number has only grown since the 1970s.

Gallup has been polling Americans on their drinking habits since 1939. For nearly 20 years, the numbers held steady, with up to 70% of people reporting that they drank regularly or occasionally. Last year, though, the split inched closer than ever to 50/50. Just 54% of about 700 respondents to the annual “Consumption Habits” survey said they’re drinking at all. The leading reasons for not driking were simply no desire, followed by about 15% each for general distaste, concern about health impacts, fear of consequences and negative experiences.

Still, sales at beer, wine and liquor stores usually spike every December. Welcome Dry January.

Research has shown that “even a short-term pause in drinking” can improve physical and mental well-being. A Brown University School of Public Health study of 150,000 participants of the increasingly popular sober month revealed better sleep and mood, weight loss, greater abilities to concentrate and an overall sense of just having more energy. In the long-term, researchers found that the break led participants to long-term gains they describe as “sustained moderation.”

Take the Beer Institute’s January 2025 survey as respondents began their own Dry January journeys: Sales of nonalcoholic beer have increased by double digits, and consumers prefer these suds to NA versions of liquor or wine, which have also experienced impressive growth in recent years.

Taken together, bartenders have paid attention. Now there are more ways than ever to have some fun in your cup. For this list, we focused on places that specifically call out their NA menus, which shows a dedication to the idea, as opposed to just being an afterthought, plus a dedicated NA space and a game cafe that feels apropos.

Here are some of the best NA restaurants and bars around Tacoma if you’re not drinking, no matter the reason or time of year — or day!

Sober AF - Zero Proof Bottle Shop

• 5222 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253-302-4228, soberaf253.com

Owner Stephanie Housden has built a shop, cafe and all-around gathering spot for anyone and everyone who, as she puts it, is “sober, sober curious, or just taking a break from drinking.” The shelves are packed with NA drinks of all kinds, in bottles and in cans, which you can enjoy on site or buy for later. Check the calendar for upcoming events, from karaoke or craft nights to mocktail-making and painting classes. Housden also bops around town to other venues to pour NA delights — she’ll be at Hob Nob Jan. 8, 6:30-8 p.m., for a monthly pop-up with local creatives.

Juniper Botanical Bar

• 5226 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253-212-2358, juniperbotanicalbar.com

This new STW bar has positioned itself as an inclusive destination — for casual hangs with friends and family (kids welcome until 9 p.m.), snacks a-plenty (BYO lunch-tray charcuterie boards), cool and colorful cocktails. On the mocktail front, the signature Cherry Chapstick adds Pathfinder to lime, cherry and coconut. A few cocktails are easily converted to NA, including the Gold Star with lime, ginger and mango; the Green Flag with lemongrass and wasabi; and the Pillow Princess, a fun combo of ube, coconut cream, pineapple and black walnut bitters.

The 15% Board Game Cafe

• 3518 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-301-1952, 15percentbgcafe.com

Right — not a bar, more of a coffee and game shop, as the name implies. New in 2024, this sister-owned board game cafe is stacked with games — hundreds, quite literally. So your neighbors are more likely to be invested in the table than their cup! For $7 on weekdays and $10 on weekends, you can play for as long as you’d like, and entry includes a nonalcoholic drink (coffee, energy sodas, canned goods, etc.) If you happen to be with someone who does want a beer, wine or cider, they have options. It also operates as a regular cafe, whether you’re tackling a round of Catan or not.

Busy Body!

• 2717 6th Ave., Tacoma, busybodytacoma.com

This Sixth Ave bar is always up to something fun. For Dry January, slurp the Cocaine and Rhinestones, lacking both but including lime, coconut and soda in a tulip glass pinned with a chunk of pineapple. In a coupe, the Mademoiselle Noir blends ginger, lemon, honey and a smoky lapsang tea. The fridges are also stocked with various NA bottles and cans, all of which will gladly accompany baskets of popcorn chicken and hand-cut salt-and-vinegar fries.

Field Bar & Bottle Shop

• 2614 6th Ave., Tacoma, fieldtacoma.com

The team at Field Bar has few Tacoma peers in its cocktail and wine prowess, and its “No Booze” menu holds the same esteem, in combination with a delightfully seasonal menu built for sharing. Cocktails feature NA aperitivos like the bitter, citrusy, floral Ghia, Figlia (with a ginger-berry backbone) and Pathfinder, inspired by dark amaros, as well as house ingredients such as a zippy ginger beer. They’re served in pretty glassware, hit several price points ($6 for a shrub and soda to $13 for cocktail styles), and new ones come about often. Grab a bottle for home from the retail shelves, too.

Holy Moly Bar

• 3013 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-302-3047, holymolybar.com

Like their neighbors on this list, Holy Moly is at heart a cocktail bar, but you can also sip on a No-Groni with Pathfinder, Oregon’s own Wilderton aperitif and Stappi, a bitter red Italian sparkling soda of sorts. The Wanderer with grapefruit and lemon juice adds Wonderfoam, a vegan egg-white alternative, for a surprising refresher. Tee up a charcuterie board, snacks of deviled eggs and spiced nuts and tinned fish as you settle into a board game in the cozy back room. Bonus: brunch, with an English muffin breakfast sandwich, fritattas and avocado toast, is served every Saturday and Sunday.

Side Pony & The Mule Tavern

• 2914 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-442-0221, sideponytacoma.com
• 5227 South Tacoma Way, 253-247-6314, themuletavern.com

The Mule brought the freshest, zingiest, lemony-est ginger beer and a pink-hued tonic to STW when it opened in 2016, and in 2023 expanded to Sixth Ave with the similarly kitschy Side Pony. Both are naturally NA, and while they’re readily used in cocktails, they stand on their own with soda, too. The bar also stocks NA beer and cider, ready-to-drink NA cocktails, and Monday brand zero-proof spirits, which staff can stir into an old fashioned or sour.

Cactus Proctor

• 2506 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253-458-9900, cactusrestaurants.com

Cactus is oft-mentioned as a go-to for a satisfying meal with “No Sin” cocktails that don’t leave you wanting. Instead of using various NA bottles, the menu relies on fresh juices and classic techniques like muddling and shaking hard with ice. There’s the Perfect Prickly Pear with lemon and grapefruit, served in a martini glass; a hibiscus-mango sour with fresh lime and mint à la mojito; Mexican lemonade with sparkling water, lemon, cilantro and the kick of jalapeno; and creamy house horchata (seasonal). The best part? They’re all under $7.

Corbeau

• 3819 N 26th St., Tacoma, 253-533-4833, corbeautacoma.com

Goodness the wine and cocktail program at Corbeau is sensational, but staff puts the same cleverness and care into their “Sans Booze” menu. Like everything else at this Franco-Tacoman favorite in Proctor, the NA menu changes with the seasons. Right now, you’ll find refreshing wintery numbers like the Lemongrabs with an orange aperitif, chamomile and lavender honey, lemon juice and sparkling water, or the Tree Trunks, featuring a spiced pear cordial, apple cider, ginger and lime. There’s always a house shrub, hibiscus tonic and ginger beer.

Bar Rosa

• 1202 S. 11th St., Tacoma, barrosatacoma.com

This wood-fired pizza haven in Hilltop heads into its fifth year in 2026. While the bar is known for highly sippable cocktails and an impressive amaro collection, equal care is put into the zero-proof menu. Think a Charred Rosemary Sour with fresh lemon and orange, house syrup and foam or a custom citrus tonic and soda. The flagship NA might be the cheekily named On the Wagon: a negroni spin with Roots Divino and Giffard apertivos, Pathfinder and an orange twist. From the fridge, you can also snag a Best Day Kolsch and Odd Bird’s blanc de blanc sparkling white.

Proof Tacoma

• 2312 N. 30th St., Tacoma, prooftacoma.com

House ingredients shine in everything Proof does within the nighttime confines of Anthem Coffee in Old Town, and that includes “Zero Booze” concoctions. The spritz combines a grapefruit cordial with lavender and chamomile honey. The Remedios marries a cold-brewed yerba mate and rooibos tea with sparkling lemonade. And the hibiscus mule takes house ginger beer to task with a whisper of rose and cayenne. You can also enjoy said ginger beer on its own, dabble in tonic and drinking vinegars, or let the talented bar staff take the wheel.

Lobster Shop

• 4015 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253-759.2165, lobstershop.com

The NA cocktails at this waterfront mainstay lean into the spritzy side but offer a range of flavors. Find apple, ginger and lime in the Emerald Spritz; blackberry, mint and Wilfred’s Bittersweet aperitif in the Blackberry Fizz; and blood orange with Seedlip citrus in the Cantarito Cooler. The Pink Beret starts with elderflower, a rosemary-honey syrup and lemon, topped with a bubbly NA rosé. Light and effervescent sounds just right to sip alongside a dozen oysters or fish of the day.

Wooden City

• 714 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-503-0762, woodencitytacoma.com

Since 2018, Wooden City has drawn major crowds to Pac Ave for stuffed wax peppers, salmon toast, beet ravioli and wood-fired pies. A seat at the bar is coveted, and the cocktails mean business — and so goes the Zero Proof options. Try a pineapple daiquiri with the citrus spirit from Seedlip, a British NA brand, or the NAgroni with rose “vermouth” and Wilderton’s Lustre, inspired by gin. Adventurous? The Space Jam blends carrot juice with condensed milk infused with earl grey tea, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Packaged options include the German NA Bitburger, Best Day and Alesmith beers, as well as an NA rosé.

en Rama

• 1102 A St., Court House Square, Tacoma, 253-327-1509, enramatacoma.com

Warm up with a bowl of homemade pasta, plump mussels in broth or a top-notch burger alongside No Booze sippers. The Namaro Sour froths up Pathfinder with Giffard’s NA pamplemousse (grapefruit) liqueur, fresh citrus and a real egg white. Keep it simple with a hibiscus mule, seasonal shrub and soda or house agua fresca. The bartender will happily take your tastes into account for something new, too.

Devil’s Reef

• 706 Court C, Tacoma, instagram.com/devils_reef

You might be flummoxed by the news that a tiki den swims in the booze-free sea, but Devil’s Reef does — and then some. By focusing on the dark, mysterious flavors evoked by the various rums and juices that form the foundation of tiki cocktails, the bar delivers on its “temperance” menu. The Brainless Zombie shakes pineapple, passionfruit, lime and lemon with vanilla. The Queen’s Cargo adds tropical juices to cold-brew coffee. The Shipmate’s Grog is “all of the Navy, minus the grog” — meaning: lime, grapefruit, honey, cinnamon and seltzer without the high-proof Navy rum. There’s even a Nada Colada. Get whisked away while you’re here, then remember how you got home.

Breweries & Bars with NA

Most breweries offer various NA options, whether cans of special seltzers, probiotic sodas or other packaged goodies on the market today. Here are a few specifics:

• E9 Brewing Co. makes a few flavors of Tahoma Hop Water, a sparkling water infused with hops that strikes a chord if you like a lightly bitter but refreshing note.
• Camp Colvos usually has an NA beer on tap — recently it was Seattle’s Fremont NA IPA.
• 7 Seas Brewing keeps a few sodas and such in the fridge, and usually has a kombucha on tap. At the Tacoma taproom, Naomi Joe Coffee operates daily until 5 p.m., so caffeine is also at the ready, along with some cool bottles of things like yuzu seltzer.
• The Red Hot saves some tap handles for the likes of nitro coffee and locally made root beer, plus extra options in cans.
• Peaks & Pints usually has a nitro cold brew on tap and an array of canned goods in the extensive coolers.
• Berliner Beerhall honors its German theme by pouring mostly German beers, which means an NA beer on tap from a brewery that’s been doing it for centuries.

Did we miss a spot? If you’ve found other great nonalcoholic drinks or options at bars and restaurants in or around Tacoma, drop a line to TNT Diner.

This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM.