This bar placed second on the World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2022, and co-owner Monica Berg received the Altos Bartners’ Bartender Award in 2019. It is a bar that is fun and elegant, and flavour is the centre of all it does. Try the “I’m Not Drinking… But Make It Delicious,” which is a martini-esque drink with a non-alcoholic red vermouth Martini Vibrante balanced with bitter orange, peppery notes from timur berry cordial, and floral botanicals from Everleaf’s Mountain aperitif.

Although an agave bar, and specialising in flights and agave tasting, Hacha has a short cocktail list with two of its modern classics reimagined as non-alcoholic pours. The Mirror Margarita, a signature drink truly worth the hype, is made with a proprietary sour mix, cane syrup and grapefruit zest. For the spirit, Hacha uses Seedlip Garden, because “it has green and herbaceous notes, which are not dissimilar to what you find in tequila, being a plant-based spirit.”

The drinks at this Crouch End favourite are named unassumingly, with serves including “Peach + Hops” and “Grapefruit + Bitters.” Reading the menu a little more closely, it becomes clear how much thought goes into creating something so simple. The Peach + Hops combines fermented peach with hops and the clever addition of petitgrain, an essential oil from the bitter orange tree which brings a lovely perfumery aroma to the drink. There’s even a house alcohol-free “gin,” made because the bar team found those on the market simply “never tasted like gin.” Instead, the bartenders created a sugar syrup that did the job of gin without the booze, combining juniper and coriander seed oils, with some lemon, lemongrass, and a few highly concentrated bitter infusions. Sugar and citric acid provide stability, and the spirit now anchors the bar’s non- and low-alcohol offering.

This bar is all glamour and fun. They have changing menus that explore a concept and also have room for non-alcoholic creations in these themed drinks lists. Currently the menu looks at the idea of duality - opposing elements that come together to create a whole. For a summery drink that doesn’t fall into a seasonal sweetness trap try Moon, which is a light spritz with a smoky notes. Or, Darkness for savoury, herbaceous flavours — a perfect digestif. 

The non-alcoholic menu in this award-winning bar is placed in prominence alongside the alcoholic cocktails, in both its Shoreditch and Soho locations. The list is not just spirits-oriented; it also has a German lager, a few wines and a Real Dry Dragon kombucha — each drink noting the exact amount of alcohol present. The back bar also has non-alcoholic spirits available to create booze-free cocktails to suit any palate.

A new addition to the Ryan Chetiyawardana “library” of bars. There might not be a separate non-alcohol menu, but almost 50 percent of the cocktails can be reimagined as a booze-free option by using thoughtfully chosen non-alcoholic spirits. Plus, the bartenders are all up for a creative challenge and with a number of syrups, juices, and interesting mixers they can concoct something for any palate. From the menu, definitely try the Galangal Penicillin, with Martini Vibrante as the spirit substitute. This spot gets included because it has an immaculate vibe that everyone should experience — there’s even a drinks “pass” where each beverage gets finished off and approved by the head bartender. It’s also a truly beautiful room, and the bar snacks include potato smileys.

With a dedicated menu to non- and low-alcohol cocktails, the new Nightjar is taking this category seriously. This bar, the little sister of the well loved Old Street institution, is fun: The bar is arranged around a small stage where musical acts perform, contributing to the feel of a place to indulge in the glamour of a cocktail bar. It is also a place to spend time, so this menu offers a great way to pace oneself if also drinking alcoholic cocktails. The Kaya Yen Orgeat is the complex flavour layering anyone could want in a long drink: spiced citrus; coconut and almond orgeat; coconut water; mango puree; fresh galangal and lime leaf. Or, the Cafe Kirsch Elixir is a play on the espresso martini, minus the vodka and with an added sharpness of cranberry.