Where To Enjoy Dry January In Chicago

With the new year fast approaching, you’re likely pondering what healthy changes you should aim to enact in the year 2023. While boozing can be fun in moderation (and, okay yes sometimes in excess too, we can’t deny that one,) start the new year off by taking a break from alcohol and taking part in the increasingly popular Dry January. Lucky for you, Chicago’s top restaurants have non-alcoholic, and equally Insta-worthy, cocktails ready for you to experience. Sip on refreshing fruit juices, fun fizzy sodas and creative liquor substitutes, so tasty you’ll actually enjoy staying true to your booze-free goals.

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Aboyer

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64 Green Bay Road / Website

Aboyer’s chef Michael Lachowicz is passionate about your food and beverage pairings when devising his dining experiences, but couldn’t care less about your beverage’s booze contents. With that in mind, he’s created a list of no-alcohol cocktails featuring exciting flavor profiles, fresh ingredients and Insta-worthy presentations, perfect for Dry January. Better yet, the booze-free cocktails can also be paired with the tasting menu at George Trois.

• Garden Gate: Seedlip Garden 108 non-alcoholic spirit, blueberry lavender syrup and lemon juice
• Tangerine Dream: Seedlip Grove 42 non-alcoholic spirit, Tangerine Cordial, lemon juice and soda water

Cafe Robey

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1616 N Milwaukee Avenue / Website

Enjoy locally-sourced, seasonally inspired brunch and dinner menus at Cafe Robey. Instead of opting for a tired mimosa or espresso martini, try something new this year with Cafe Robey’s housemade sodas.

• Purplesaurus: housemade purple soda.
• Litchi Noir iced tea
• Housemade orange drink

Esmé

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2200 N Clark Street / Website

One Michelin Starred Esmé is going all out when it comes to non-alcoholic beverages. Director of beverages at the popular spot, Tia Barrett, crafts all of the syrups, shrubs and juices used in their innovative booze-free creations in-house. She pays special attention to the flavors of the dining menu’s dishes, so she can create flavors that will pair seamlessly.

• Curried Corn: Corn stock, Seedlip Spice 94 non-alcoholic spirit, French curry and almond orgeat
• Earth Tones: Parsnip, guajillo, pineapple and smoke
• Fall Harvest: Honey, ginger, lime and butternut squash
• Johnny Apple Tea: Popcorn verjus, Freak of Nature black tea
• Truffled Yuzu: Maple, yuzu, black truffle, burlesque bitters

Formento’s

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925 W Randolph Street / Website

Head to this Fulton Market District Italian haven for non-alcoholic beverages featuring bright, light and fresh flavors inspired by Italy.

• Everything Nice: Seedlip ‘spice’ nonalcoholic spirit, apple syrup, chamomile, fresh lemon and orange peel
• Starry Night: Seedlip ‘garden’ nonalcoholic spirit, lavender syrup, Earl Grey tea, fresh lemon and rosemary

Hinoki Sushiko

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1465 W Willow Street / Website

This Michelin Guide izakaya and omakase hotspot may be known for having a stellar list of Japanese Whisky, sake and cocktails, their nonalcoholic cocktails seriously deserve some love and attention too. Every season, beverage manager Zak Sherman crafts unique spirit-free cocktails that play to the season as well as the cuisine.

• Forbidden Sour: Forbidden Forest Tea reduction, orange, cardamom, fresh lemon juice, aquafaba and burnt orange
• Matcha Mule: matcha tea reduction, fresh lime juice and ginger beer
• Relaxi Taxi: oolong tea reduction, clove, lemon, Mad Tasty Yuzu citrus, CBD soda, spicy ginger CBD gummy garnish

LeTour

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625 Davis Street, Evanston / Website

Head out to Evanston for a unique and unconventional French-Moroccan menu with a slew of pair-worthy booze-free cocktails. With an uber-Instagrammable, 360-degree room and award-winning chef Debbie Gold at the helm of LeTour, it’ll make the trek worth your while.

• Ma Petite: Ginger beer, French mint, lime and soda
• Provence In Glass: Fresh lemon, housemade lavender simple syrup and served on the rocks
• The Elixir’s Tart: Peach and verjus blanc, served with an orb of ice

LYRA

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905 W Fulton Market / Website

Known for its transportive atmosphere, stellar Greek cuisine and lighthearted Mykonian vibes, LYRA offers guests simply delicious nonalcoholic beverages. With a mouthwatering brunch, dinner and dessert menu, this is a fabulous spot to give Dry January a try.

• Halara: Amass zero proof, pomegranate, lemon, mint and tonic
• Cypress: Amass zero proof, pineapple, lime and ginger

Prime & Provisions

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222 N Lasalle Blvd. / Website

Pair your premium dry-aged cut of steak with a light, booze-free cocktail crafted using bright flavors and refreshing fruit juices.

• Pomegranate Mint: 100% pomegranate juice, lemon San Pellegrino, blood orange and mint leaves
• Spiced Grapefruit: Spice 94 Seedlip non-alcoholic spirit, grapefruit juice, soda and lime

Yardbird

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530 N Wabash Avenue / Website

Head to Yardbird to dine on locally-sourced farm-fresh menu items and imbibe on spirit-free cocktail creations.

• Cucumber and Lime Fizz: Cucumber, lime, egg whites and Fever Tree club soda

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