4 Spots in Tucson Serving (Good) Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Whether you're sober (good for you!) or you're taking a break from drinking or trying to minimize the amount of alcohol you consume, non alcoholic options are important. I'm so tired of people responding to my request for non-alcoholic with "the water bottles are behind you in the fridge" or "we have water and iced tea." There should be more delicious drink options, at every restaurant, that are more exciting than water and iced tea. It shouldn't be this outlandish request so after asking a few different spots in town for their options, I wanted to share the most positive experiences when it comes to N/A.
Commoner and Co
You already know how much I love this spot (it's our dinner go-to if we feel like dining out and not doing takeout) so of course, I had to test them and see what options there are. Depending on the bartender, they're able to whip up a delicious concoction of some sort. We went a few weeks ago, and I got a refreshing spritzer mix with some peach, soda water and a splash of lime. Let the bartender do his or her thing, and just make it fun for them. I'm pretty easy and request a refreshing mockail whatever the bartender would like to make." This lets them be creative and alleviates pressure off it must have lime or it has to have syrup or X ingredient. Just let them surprise you!
Tap and Bottle
One of my besties and I went downtown recently for an afternoon date, and we started at Tap and Bottle. Typically I'd be ordering all the hoppy IPAs with 6% ABV or higher but since I'm pregnant, I had to grab the non-alcoholic options. And guess what? They have them!
With the whole selection of Athletic Brewing Co, and Busty Lush you've got multiple beers to choose from (not just one sub-par option.) This is how I discovered Busty Lush which is 100% women-owned and delicious. The blonde ale, with Citra hops, is now my favorite beer of choice.
La Chingada Cocina Mexicana
A few months ago, I met my friend Fabiola downtown for some Mexican food at La Chingada (it was delicious) but I found my new love for frescas given I had never reached for them before. I'm sure it would taste even better with a shot of tequila, but we'll have that soon enough! When it comes to a agua fresca, it's usually a combination of fresh fruit blended with water, lime juice and a bit of sweetener. Since I'm not a fan of super sweet drinks, this is the perfect combo with the lime addition.
North Italia
Just last weekend I went to dinner with two of my girlfriends and we had a great time. When I asked for mocktail options, I was presented with a non-alcoholic margarita or mojito (we love options!) I went with mojito and it was refreshing and delicious, especially since it was 80 degrees even at night, given it's already summer time in the desert.
If you're local, tell me a few spots with good mocktail options. If you're not local, tell me what to order as a mocktail or non-alcoholic option so I can test the local bartenders a bit. Always need more options for different meals and moods!