Alcohol-free bars

A bar that doesn't serve alcohol. That's it. You still get a bar top, someone behind it who knows what they're doing, and a room full of people who came out to see each other.

People search for them a dozen ways: alcohol-free bars, dry bars, sober bars, non-alcoholic bars, zero-proof bars. They all mean the same thing. Some people quit drinking, some are taking a month off, some are driving, some just don't like it. Nobody at the door asks which one you are.

Mocktail and NA bars

Cocktail bars without the alcohol. Bartenders build drinks from juices, syrups, bitters, NA spirits and NA beer. Expect cocktail-bar prices and a cocktail-bar room. They're easiest to find in big cities.

NA bottle shops

Stores that sell only non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits. Some have a tasting bar or a few seats. More shop than hangout, but a good place to stock up and ask questions.

Tea houses and cafes

Coffee shops, tea rooms and boba spots have always been alcohol-free. Some stay open late and run open mics or game nights. Great for a quiet hour; usually not a bar crowd.

Kava bars

Real bars where the main drink is kava, a root from the South Pacific. A bar top, a kavatender, regulars who know your name, games and live music, open from morning to late. Most also pour kratom tea, coffee and mocktails.

Kava bars. HappyKava lists 804 of them that don't list alcohol, in 354 cities across 42 states, with Florida out front at 474. No other kind of alcohol-free bar comes close to that many rooms.

That's the big difference. A mocktail is a drink you order. A kava bar is a place you end up belonging to.

Kava is a root from the South Pacific (Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa) that people have drunk together for thousands of years. It's ground, mixed with water and served in a shell.

It relaxes your body and keeps your head clear. It tastes like bitter earth, so you drink it in one go and grab a chaser. Numb lips mean it's working. Many people feel little the first time or two; that's normal.

• Walk up to the bar and say it's your first time. Kavatenders love a first-timer.
• Ask for a shell of the house kava, or whatever they recommend for a first try.
• Pick a chaser from whatever they keep on the bar.
• The room says "Shells up!", then "Bula!", and everyone drinks.
• Drink it in one go. Give it a few minutes before you decide how you feel.
• Stick around. Grab a board game, rack up the pool table or talk to whoever's next to you.

• Kava. Served in a shell. Drink it in one go, then the chaser.
• Kratom tea. A leaf, brewed as tea, hot or iced. It can be habit-forming.
• Mocktails. Most kava bars make a few. Some mix them with kava.
• Coffee or tea. For when you just want something warm.
• Nothing at all. Plenty of people come for the games and the people.

• In the glass. A mocktail bar makes drinks that taste like cocktails. A kava bar pours kava, kratom tea, coffee and mocktails.
• How it feels. A mocktail is just a drink. Kava relaxes your body and keeps your head clear.
• The room. Mocktail bars feel like cocktail lounges. Kava bars feel like the neighborhood bar: regulars, games, music.
• Where. Mocktail bars are mostly in big cities. Kava bars are in 354 cities and counting.

Kava isn't alcohol. Whether it fits your recovery is your call, and your program's. Kratom is a different plant and can be habit-forming; every city page marks the bars that list kava only.

Never mix kava with alcohol. Skip it if you're pregnant, nursing, or have liver problems.