Omaha sober bar showcases increase in nonalcoholic beer, spirits locally (2024)

Omaha bars are offering a lot more than just Shirley Temples these days to those looking to indulge without the alcohol.

From ice-cold margaritas made with nonalcoholic tequila to six packs of brews without the booze, drinking establishments and retail stores across the Omaha area are making the drinking experience more sober-friendly than ever, and Omahans are noticing.

Leia Baez, an Omaha native and author, said that when she started her sobriety journey five years ago, nonalcoholic options were still minimal. Now, she’s noticed even her local grocery store carries nonalcoholic beer.

“It’s nice to see companies and more people tapping into the sober lifestyle,” she said.

Holly Porter, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works in Fremont, said she thinks the increased nonalcoholic options are a sign of a changing culture around alcohol consumption.

“I think we’re teaching our next generation that it’s OK to not want to get drunk,” she said.

Creating an alcohol-free

bar environment

Dry Spokes, a sober bar that opened its brick-and-mortar location at 1901 Leavenworth St. in February 2023, is fully alcohol-free. The bar has a menu of co*cktails crafted with nonalcoholic spirits and nonalcoholic beers and wines.

Mi-Ya Mata, who owns Dry Spokes with her wife, Leah, said she started experimenting with making mocktails at home during the pandemic after noticing the negative effect alcohol had on her.

Mata started by replicating popular co*cktails like a margarita or paloma, but learned that some people who don’t drink don’t like beverages that replicate the taste of alcohol because it can be a trigger. So she decided to also offer drinks that don’t taste of alcohol.

“With all that in mind, we try to give a variety of options,” she said.

Mata said she thinks Dry Spokes offers a space that was missing in Omaha: a bar-like, social environment without the alcohol.

“You’re not going to ever be called out for being a non-drinker, because nobody’s drinking,” she said. “So everybody’s on the same playing field.”

There are other benefits to the experience as well, Mata said: There’s never anyone who’s overly drunk around, and you’re always able to drive home after.

“If someone drinks and they just don’t want to be around drunk people for the night, they know that they’ll never have to deal with really loud obnoxious people here,” she said.

The market has continued to grow since Dry Spokes opened and isn’t likely to slow down any time soon, Mata said.

“When we started back in 2019 or 2020, I’d say the number of craft nonalcoholic beers and nonalcoholic spirits … you could count on your fingers and toes,” she said. “But now there are just so many options out there.”

Baez said she appreciates how Dry Spokes hosts events like open mic nights and live music.

“It’s not just a place to go get an NA drink,” she said. “But they have some really great community events for people who are sober, and in general, anyone really.”

Offering nonalcoholic options

At the Casual Pint in Countryside Village, owner Becca Vannier said that in addition to an expansive selection of alcoholic options, the spot offers 10 to 15 nonalcoholic beer options at any given time.

Vannier said she’s watched the popularity of nonalcoholic options grow.

“Just in the past couple of years, the availability of different brands and even just regular breweries producing nonalcoholic beer has definitely grown,” she said.

The growing availability of nonalcoholic options has also helped increase interest, Vannier said.

“I think with better offerings, people are more apt to try it and like it,” she said.

Laurie Hellbusch, owner of Spirit World in Aksarben, said the store stocks 50 to 100 nonalcoholic options including beer, wine, spirits and ready-to-drink co*cktails.

Hellbusch, who has owned the business for 16 years, said she has always sold a few nonalcoholic wine options, but in the last three or four years has brought in more as the market for nonalcoholic beverages has continued to expand. She has especially seen the availability of nonalcoholic spirits grow.

“There’s some really good options out there,” she said. “And you can really enjoy an NA drink just as much as you would have if it had alcohol.”