Guide to Must-Try Mocktails in Atlanta

By Carol Carter

Published August 10, 2023
Last Updated February 7, 2024

Whatever you call them — mocktails, zero proof, clean cocktails — Atlanta restaurants are embracing the trend and creating fancy non-alcoholic beverages for customers who want more than club soda and less than a boozy cocktail. In some cases, restaurants have had fun (way too much?) naming these spirit-free drinks.

Aerial Kitchen & Bar

Find Aerial Kitchen & Bar at the Epicurean Atlanta Hotel in Midtown. The al fresco restaurant is located on the ninth floor terrace. Try a salsa sampler or mushroom potato flautas while you quench your thirst with one of these zero-proof drinks: Lemongrass Jasmine Iced Tea (lemongrass, jasmine, lychee and lemon) or Blueberry Lemon Smash (blueberries, lemon, agave, lemon and soda).

Where: 1117 West Peachtree St. in the Epicurean Atlanta Hotel

Bar Vegan

Bar Vegan serves vegan reimagined. Just a few examples are: bistro steak tacos — beyond meat steak tips topped with cilantro lime aioli, Southwestern corn salsa, guacamole and fried French onions on grilled corn tortillas; eggplant parmezan — golden crispy eggplant atop pasta noodles with house-made marinara, sprinkled with grated parmezan and fresh basil; and street corn — caramelized on the cob, dredged in cilantro lime aioli, parmezan, ancho chili flakes, fresh cilantro and a lime wedge. Mocktail choices to accompany your meal include Natalie’s strawberry lemonade; cucumber lime spritz (cucumber, lime and simple soda); Believe it or Not (raspberry, lychee, orgeat, soda and ginger beer); Crooklyn (blackberry lemon, simple, lemon berry acai); Lychee Breeze (lychee, lemon, simple and lemon berry acai); and Cocobay (coconut, lemon, simple and ginger beer).

Where: 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE

Brassica

Located inside the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Hotel, Brassica prides itself on French cuisine made with local ingredients. Executive chef Christopher Métayer’s classical French training is evident in every bite. As Brassica, they say the food combines French tradition, local ingredients and Southern heart. As you sample items such as Georgia sourdough or Atlanta sausage, pair with one of these mocktails: Pineapple Raspberry Sunset (pineapple, raspberry, orange and bubbles) or Hummingbird (coconut, matcha tea and lime).

Where: 3376 Peachtree Road NE

Buena Vida Tapas & Sol

If you love tapas, this is the place for you. How do these sound — goat cheese and fig salad, panko fried cauliflower, brisket tacos? Well, you get the idea. There’s no way you won’t find something to love. The vegan citrus olive oil cake is a nice exclamation mark for ending your meal. And, oh, about those mocktails. Here’s the selection — First Kiss (passion fruit, honey, vanilla and ginger beer); Tiki Tango (mango, cilantro, lime juice and tonic); and Aqua Frescas (mango, passion fruit or lulo).

Where: 385 Angier Ave. NE

Epicurean Atlanta

This food-focused hotel is a foodie’s paradise. Take a seat at The Office bar and try a zero-proof cocktail from the rotating menu. The Lychee Lemon Drop is delicious and made with Lyre’s London Dry Spirit, lemon and Lychee Rose Cordial. Head to Reverence and enjoy a different selection of zero-proof beverages to go with a meal.

Where: 1117 W Peachtree St. NW

Fogo de Chão

Fago de Chao, with its roots in Brazil, is your place in Atlanta for churrascaria — meat roasted over an open flame with high heat. The extensive menu ranges from filet mignon to linguica (spicy pork sausage) and cordeiro (lamb picanha). The restaurant offers what it calls clean cocktails — drinks with less than 0.55% alcohol by volume. Choices are the Clean Cosmo (clean vodka, apple, cranberry and fresh lemon); Clean Sour (clean rum, passion fruit, pineapple, aquafaba and bitters); and Clean Cucumber Martini (clean vodka, apple, cucumber, basil and lemon twist).

Where: 3101 Piedmont Road

Hard Rock Cafe

Order one of Hard Rock Cafe’s Legendary Steak Burgers while surrounded by memorabilia from your favorite musicians. Not in the mood for alcohol? Try one of these zero-proof drinks: Strawberry Basil Lemonade (strawberries and basil muddled with house-made lemonade); Mango Tango (Red Bull, Finest Call Mango Purée and orange juice) or Mango-Berry Cooler (tropical blend of mangos, strawberries, pineapple juice, orange juice and house-made sour mix topped with Sprite)

Where: 215 Peachtree St. NE

Kevin Rathbun Steak

Feast on fresh seafood, Allen Brothers Steaks and sides such as garlic spinach, scalloped sweet potatoes and charred jalapeno creamed corn. Finish with Bailey’s Irish Cream creme brulee, honey Basque cheesecake or buttermilk bread pudding. For your mocktail, choose from ZP [zero-proof] French 75 (Seedlip 42, lemon juice, simple syrup and Zera NA [non-alcoholic] sparkling wine) or ZP Old-fashioned (spiritless Kentucky 47 NA bourbon, simple syrup and bitters)

Where: 154 Krog St. NE

La Tavola Trattoria

There are plenty of antipasti starters to choose from at La Tavola Trattoria. The salumi board features artisanal meats, pickled vegetables and cheese. Burrata brings pistachio butter, saba, local red and green strawberries, sumac and chicory. No surprise, there are several pasta choices including spaghetti, rigatoni and tagliolini. When it comes to a mocktail, La Tavola offers the No Groni (GinISH, Gnista Floral and Wildfred’s Bittersweet)

Where: 992 Virginia Ave. NE

Louisiana Bistreaux Seafood Kitchen

Cajun shrimp, Cajun popcorn, gator bites. Those are starters that might have you thinking you’ve wound up in New Orleans. You can move onto a shrimp po boy or a crawfish burger. Are you starting to talk with a Louisiana accent? Of course, bourbon bread pudding is on the dessert menu as is Bourbon Street Chocolate Cake. Non-alcoholic beers available are Abita Root Beer, Beck’s NA and Fever Tree Ginger Beer. Non-alcoholic beverages are the Arnold Palmer, Aqua Panna and a Shirley Temple.

Where: 3312 Piedmont Road NE

Lure

Hungering for contemporary seafood? Choose Lure, where just a few of the choices are cold water oysters, lobster mac, Gulf sea bass and pan-seared swordfish. For sides, consider Old Bay fries and baby street corn. The non-alcoholic drink on the menu is Caiparinha (rumish, lime juice and simple syrup)

Where: 1106 Crescent Ave. NE

McCormick & Schmick

Craft beer battered fish & chips — mmmm. Parmesan crusted flounder — mmmm. McCormick & Schmick makes seafood to write home about. But that’s not all there is to eat at this Downtown restaurant. There are burgers and sirloins and filet mignons, plus all the trimmings. When it comes to mocktails, here’s what’s on the menu: M&S Signature Arnold Palmer (available in classic, blueberry, strawberry and pomegranate); fresh squeezed lemonade (classic, strawberry or cucumber mint: white cranberry and Strawberry Sparkler (Ocean Spray white cranberry juice, Reàl Strawberry Purée, fresh ruby red grapefruit, lemon and club soda); Spiced Raspberry Cooler (fresh raspberries, honey, lemon, Fever Tree Ginger Beer and club soda).

Where: 190 Marietta St. NW

Marcel

The Marcel menu is seasonal and changes, well, with the seasons, but here is a glimpse of what you might get there. In addition to an impressive menu of steaks, there’s even, ta-da, Beef Wellington. There is veal Parmesan, lobster risotto and a simple fish of the day. Here’s what Marcel offers if it’s a mocktail (or something non-alcoholic but not necessarily fancy) you want. Mexican Coke, Mexican Sprite, Fever Tree Soda, Fever Tree Tonic, San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, Cucumber Lime Ginger, The Pink Panther and Kentucky Foal.

Where: 1170 Howell Mill Road

Marlow’s Tavern

If you find yourself in a comfortable tavern with a neighborhood feel and an inviting pub-style menu, you’re probably at Marlow’s Tavern. The menu changes with the seasons, and each season brings new surprises. The asparagus fries are always perfect only to be outdone by J.T.’s Kettle Chips (potato chips, Gorgonzola cheese, scallion, Roma tomato, bacon). The Black and Blue Burger never fails to satisfy. Marlow’s offers three zero-proof drinks: Black & Blue Mojito (blueberry, blackberry, mint, Demerara syrup and soda); Mocking Rita (orange juice, house-made sour, agave and soda): and Apricot Mule (apricot, lime and Fever Tree ginger beer).

Where: 950 West Peachtree St. NW

The Office Bar

Find The Office Bar just across the street from the motor entrance the the Epicurean Atlanta Hotel. Starters include bacon-wrapped dates, a loaded deviled egg and butternut squash hummus. There are four variations of flatbreads plus burgers, sandwiches, salad bowls and wings. On the menu for a drink minus the spirits is Curious Elixirs No. 7 (elderflower, green tea and lavender).

Where: 1105 West Peachtree

Polaris

When you dine at Polaris, you are taking part in an Atlanta tradition. The revolving restaurant atop the Hyatt Regency Atlanta caused quite a stir when it opened in 1967. There were those elevators that made you feel you were headed for outer space. There was the blue dome, which made you feel you might be in outer space. Everybody wanted to dine there. And everybody could because it was the first fully integrated restaurant in the city.

The tradition continues. Share a plate of fritto misto (summer squash rings, green beans, squash blossom, shishito peppers, preserved lemon and chili aioli). Go it alone with Polaris Steak Oscar. Indulge in the Polaris Blue Dome (chocolate mousse, pecan praline sauce, blue dome honey caramel and chocolate sorbet).

Wet your whistle with a zero-proof drink. Choose from Sober Mo’ (Simplicity hibiscus lemonade, lime juice, agave and ginger beer); The Daunt-less (pineapple juice, mint leaves, club soda and Sprite); or the PaNOma (agave syrup, lemon juice, club soda and grapefruit juice).

Where: 265 Peachtree St. NE

St. Cecilia

The St. Cecilia menu offers raw dishes such as Tonno (yellowfin tuna, caper vinaigrette, citrus); cured meats and cheese such as prosciutto di parma or shepherd’s blend; small plates including insalata de pomodoro; pasta; and meat. Fish, too. NA (non-alcoholic) cocktails available are: La Boheme (almond, lavender, lemon and pineapple); Madame Butterfly (grapefruit juice, honey and lemon); and Carmensita (blueberry, pomegranate, thyme and lemon)

Where: 3455 Peachtree Road NE

Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar

Make your way to the bar lounge and choose from the charcuterie board, a cheese board or Wagyu beef sliders, to name three choices. You also can get soup, a salad or a sandwich. Of course, you’ll want peach cobbler for dessert. Order the strawberry ginger spritzer for your zero-proof drink.

Where: 1065 Peachtree St. NE

The Sober Social

This elevated non-alcoholic cocktail experience is perfect for those looking to have a completely sober night without losing the fun and excitement of Atlanta’s bar scene. Enjoy an aesthetically pleasing environment with upbeat tunes to set the mood. Try The Social Experience flight for a taste of some of their best mocktails.

Where: 141 Mangum St. SW

South City Kitchen

Pimento cheese? Fried green tomatoes? South City Kitchen has you covered. You can’t go wrong with Springer Mountain Farms fried chicken or shrimp and Marsh Hen Mill grits. Noticing the Southern vibe? Then you won’t be surprised that you can order banana pudding trifle for dessert. Here’s what’s on the mocktail menu: Blue-eyed Boy (zero proof gin and elderflower syrup); Gingerade (honey ginger syrup, lemon and club soda).

Where: Midtown, 1144 Crescent Ave. NE; Buckhead, 3350 Peachtree Road NE

Tiny Lou’s

Among the hors d’ oeuvres at Tiny Lou’s, inside Hotel Clermont) are truffle grilled cheese and deviled egg royale. Try either pommes frites or truffes frites. Main courses include steak, chicken, duck and a burger. Salon Cake 1965 is but one of the delicious-sounding dessert choices. It is described like this: valrhona caraïbe dark chocolate cake ,orange crémeux, curaçao and coco ice cream. Don’t think twice. Zero-proof drinks are Kokomo (coconut water, pineapple, lime and sugar); Post Melon (Red Bull watermelon, coconut and lemon); and St. Agrestis (phony negroni).

Where: 789 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE

Trader Vic’s

The happy problem at Trader Vic’s is that there are so many choices. We’ll name but a few. To start, crab rangoon sounds right. That is, of course, crispy wontons filled with spiced crab and cream cheese. One more, just to give you an idea, is salt & pepper calamari, which is crispy calamari with wasabi aioli. Now that you’re in the island spirit, two ideas for your main course are Imperial Beef (wok-fried strips of tender beef, fresh ginger, onions, baby bok choy, bell peppers and jasmine rice ) and Trader Vic’s kimchi burger (sesame bun, house pickles, Schweid & Sons six ounce burger patty, Vic’s Yum Yum secret sauce and fries). Finally, there’s is an extensive choice of zero-proof drinks. Here they are.

No Tai Mai Tai (The classic original adapted to perfection.); Puerto Principe (a creamy pineapple coconut classic); Peachtree No Punch (peaches, orange juice and coconut cream); Mango Mule (lime and mango topped with ginger
beer); Dreamless Banana (pineapple, grapefruit and fruity fassionola puree); Cucumber Mint Sipper (lemon, cucumber and mint, lightly
sweetened) and Trader’s Fruit Punch (citrus, pineapple, guava,
peach and mango).

Where: 255 Courtland St. NE

Twenty-Two Storys

This lobby bar at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta describes itself like this: “A beer-forward gastropub in the heart of our hometown. We pour cold draughts from Georgia’s most beloved breweries. We serve dinners and snacks scratch-made by our ingenious, hard-working chefs. And we use
the finest, freshest ingredients from farms, dairies and purveyors across the South.” The menu offers everything from Bavarian soft pretzels to braised beef and a wood-fired cheese pizza to burgers, quesadillas and a turtle cheesecake (no turtles were harmed). Among zero-proof offerings are Peach Ginger (ginger beer, peach syrup and sprite); Strawberry Soda (strawberry, lime juice, simple syrup and Sprite); Classic (lemonade and a splash of cranberry); and Red Bull Pineapple Mojito (pineapple, regular or sugar free, Red Bull, mint, lime juice and simple syrup).

Where: 265 Peachtree St.

TWO Urban Licks

The salmon chips are the perfect choice to begin your meal before you move onto diver scallops, wood-oven roasted halibut or grilled hanger steak. Don’t leave before trying the tiramisu or the chocolate tres leches. For your zero-proof drink, TWO Urban Licks offers the Topo Chico Sparkling.

Where: 820 Ralph McGill Blvd. NE

The Woodall

Among seasonal classics are pan-seared trout, grilled salmon and a roast half chicken. There are steaks such as the West-Holme Waygu Tri-TIp and “really nice things,” which include oysters on the half shell and butter-braised lobster. Just a few sides choices are polenta, sumac carrots, beef-tallow fries, and cauliflower and potato puree. Non-alcoholic drinks are: Peach Me I’m Dreamin’ (peach nectar, lime, simple, Fever Tree and tarragon); Bet Your Berries (fresh berry berries, lemon, agave nectar and soda) and Mocking Rita (house-made sour, fresh OJ, agave nectar and soda)

Where: 2260 Marietta Blvd. NW

For more dining options in Atlanta, peruse our dining guide. So you don’t forget your experience, explore our Instagram Worthy Restaurants.

Journalist Carol Carter writes and edits for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.