Wanting a night out that still feels social and flavorful is why Sarah Just and Angie Carducci team up for an occasional Zero Proof series on Instagram, where they highlight spots around Pittsburgh that take their non-alcoholic offerings seriously. This list of 10 of their recent favorites involved making few tough cuts, because the city’s restaurants and bars keep raising the bar on what zero proof can be. That’s a smart investment of time and talent: the U.S. non-alcoholic beverages market reached $280.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow 7.4 percent annually through 2030.
What Bars Around Pittsburgh Have the Best Non-Alcoholic Options?
Alta Via
Fox Chapel and Downtown
This hometown favorite pairs its cozy, pasta-forward menu with one of the city’s most thoughtful N/A programs. The Golden Hour Sour, made with Lyre’s Amaretti, lemon, and simple, earned top honors at a Teetotal Initiative event and also leads a list that includes the Amalfi Escape, a bright take on an Aperol spritz. Three crisp refreshers round out the non-alcoholic list, including Rose Colored Glasses, a grapefruit and rosemary spritz lifted by Fever Tree ginger beer.
Golden Gai
116 Bakery Square Boulevard, East Liberty
The spirit-free menu here shows the same precision as the sushi counter. The standout Night Rain blends blue spirulina, cucumber, honey, white tea, and lime, then tops it with a cascade of salt foam. It tastes like a shoreline breeze that feels made for a slow evening.
EYV
424 East Ohio Street, North Side
At this plant-forward, chef-driven spot on the North Side, the threecourse prix fixe pairs beautifully with a lineup of bright and clean mocktails. The A-Tonic Cuke, made with cucumber, lemon, ginger, and tonic, is a refreshing opener; the Cosnopolitan, made with cranberry, lime, as well as orange, offers a polished alternative to a classic.
Pre Amp Coffee Studio
Shadyside and Squirrel Hill
Vinyl spinning, espresso humming, and a sophisticated nonalcoholic bar make Pre Amp a haven for anyone who craves complexity without the buzz, because here the buzz is all caffeine. The Unplugged Old Fashioned layers Kentucky 74, Dr. Zero Zero Amaro No, Chicory Pecan, Pappy Maple Bourbon, as well as cherry into a drink that could satisfy even the most devoted whiskey drinker. The lineup also includes a riff on an espresso martini with Kyoto cold brew and latte bubbles. The bar’s housemade syrups and sodas are worth mentioning, too, bringing the same thoughtfulness to every glass on the menu.
Space Bar
22 Market Square, Downtown
Market Square’s cosmic cocktail lounge takes its N/A offerings seriously, with a long list that’s as imaginative as its theme. The N/A Tartooine Sour is the star. It blends soursop, passionfruit, lime, pandan, clarified coconut milk, and also kaffir lime leaf, and arrives with a glowing cosmic light. The drink is playful, tropical and a little otherworldly, befitting the room’s sci-fi glow.
Palm Palm
5996 Centre Avenue, East Liberty
This East End small plates destination channels vintage West Coast cool. Not to mention, its house made sodas are every bit as compelling as any mocktail. The Lychee Coconut is where to start. It’s lush, fragrant and creamy, and also arrives looking as good as it tastes.
Mixtape
4907 Penn Avenue, Garfield
This Garfield night spot is known for themed dance nights and immersive installations, and its zero-proof program is just as inventive. The rotating mocktail list rivals the cocktail menu, and even the welcome drinks at ticketed events come with an N/A option. The recent award-winning Maize Runner, made with sweet corn, coconut cream and milk, jalapenos, salt, agave, and citric solution, also shows the kind of creativity that’s always on display.
Co-Sign Speakeasy
145 East 8th Avenue (4th Floor), Homestead
Half the fun is getting in, and the other half is discovering how seriously this Prohibition-era hideaway takes its mocktails. The Speakeasy Lemonade, made with lemon juice, blueberry, vanilla, and lavender, is fragrant as well as refreshing. The bar team also enjoys crafting bespoke N/A drinks on the fly.
Pusadee’s Garden
5319 Butler Street, Lawrenceville
At one of Lawrenceville’s most celebrated dining rooms, you can pair your Thai dish with a mocktail as nuanced as the food. The Spa-like Solitude blends Free Spirits N/A gin with green apple, celery, bok choy, ginger, citrus, and then vegan foam. It’s crisp and also herbal in a way that makes it a natural companion to the restaurant’s iconic Khao Yum salad.
Two Frays
5113 Penn Avenue, Garfield
This Garfield brewery is a leader in N/A beer with a rotating lineup that spans Munich styles, porters, IPAs, and more. The current Ruby Crush, a blood orange and raspberry blonde with nostalgic notes of Trix cereal as well as Haribo Berries, shows how fun and flavorful a zero-proof brew can be.
Story by Sarah Just and Angie Carducci
Styling by Star Laliberte
Photography by Dave Bryce
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