It’s fun to have sober fun but you have to know how.
It would be easy to look at Dry January as penance , a sort of self - flagellation for end - of - year overindulgence , but sobriety does n’t postulate to be a spugna . Choosing alcohol - free thing to do instead of endure to a barroom is fun , liberating , and in LA these days it is also exceedingly easy .
LA has long hold up a report for health and active , goodish thing to do , so it makes perfect sense that sober activities are all around us . If you need to maintain your imbibing habit but replace the intoxicant with something zero - proof , the non - alcohol-dependent cocktail and n / a drink option have exploded in recent years , from full program at some of the metropolis ’s best restaurants and bar to quick - to - toast cans and bottle of non - alcoholic wine from specialty feeding bottle shops all over town . And if you ’re looking for exclusively new inebriant - spare activity to reorient your whole modus operandi towards sober living , LA is full of them , from tramp to spa , museums to sport , and so much more . Whether you ’re in it for a 24-hour interval , a calendar month , or you ’ve select to embrace a to the full clean and sober life , here are some of our favored alcohol - free thing to do in LA for Dry January and every day thereafter .
Non-Alcoholic Drinks in LA
Where to Get Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
Giving up alcohol does n’t have to think impart up cocktails , and it does n’t even have to mean giving up the bar experience . fashionable West Hollywood hotspotEmployees Only , for example , has a special Dry January menu go for the intact calendar month , with cocktails like the Sin Sbagliato , an on - trend compounding of zero proof tequila , acrid aperitif , and froth wine . you could also track the functional cocktail papa - upBar Nudaas they conflate drinks alongside yoga flows , verse workshops , legal bath , and at dance parties all over town .
Keep your heart peeled forStay . , a to the full non - alcohol-dependent cocktail bar and lounge that ’s set to open in Chinatown within the next yoke weeks . The drink menu comes from Derek Brown , writer of the bookMindful Drinking , and makes use of all sort of cold - press juices , fresh herb , and zero - proof spirits . There will also be vegan food from Erica Daking of Highland Park mainstay Kitchen Mouse .
Non-Alcoholic Drinks at Restaurants
Some of the very best restaurants in LA have also embraced Dry January and non - alcohol-dependent imbibing of previous . The two Michelin - starred restaurantProvidencehas late introduced an alcohol complimentary pairing for their tasting carte du jour , which features typically refined and originative drink like a Hibiscus , Cherry , and Coffee Tisane and a Rhubarb Consommé with Tarragon and Black Pepper . Katohas long had an emphasis on non - alcoholic drinks to go with their tasting menu and at the bar , with an alcohol - destitute flight of steps or pick that can be enjoin a la carte like the Garden Tonic with bitter melon and cucumber . In the waiting room at Chef Jordan Kahn ’s experimental restaurantMeteora , the cocktails are all establish on wild blends of juices and herbs , so the non - alcohol-dependent cocktails hardly pretermit a beat . And the legendarySpagois in on this too — Bar theater director Adam Fournier has develop a tone - gratuitous menu of cocktail that let in a theatre - made Spirit Free Rose Champagne , a effect - carbonate blend of rosaceous petals , white tea , verjus paint , and more .
Non-Alcoholic Wine Shops and Stores
If you require to contribute your sombre drunkenness practice session base , there are several expectant alternative to pluck up feeding bottle of non - alcoholic wine and other booze . Most of LA ’s stylish superettes and bite shops have embraced non - alcoholic wine and other 0.0 % spirits , regularly stocking brands like LA - based Optimist , Ghia , and more . If you ’d rather not be tempted by other bottles , though , there are two big plaza to beak up zero cogent evidence drunkenness — The New Barin Venice andSoft Spiritsin Silver Lake . Both shops are stylish and well - curated , with great selection that will make any sober eventide at habitation feel especial . The New Bar has regular tastings and happy hour have the brand they carry , and Soft Spirits recently preface a monthly bottle society so you’re able to get their favorite woof delivered mighty to your door .
Sober Date Ideas in LA
Not long after she opened her non - alcoholic bottle shop class The New Bar , Brianda Gonzalezspoke to Thrillistand bid a few trace for things to do with a limited someone that do n’t involve alcoholic beverage .
Exercise as a date is one of the most LA suggestion potential , and if you require an extended time to get to know each other without the blur of a bar , a hike is a great choice . The Santa Monica Mountains are full of nifty hiking , and Gonzalez hint a perambulation up Tuna Canyon , which offers a beautiful series of lead right on the Malibu - Topanga edge , conduct up to a lovely view point . A squeamish rise pairs well with non - alcoholic beer , or possibly a glass of Non # 2 , a sparkling wine alternative made with pear and kombu .
For Gonzalez , taking a break of serve from alcohol can provide a perfect chance to explore novel hobbies , pick up newfangled skills or revisit older interests , and choose an artistic creation socio-economic class is a way to do any and all of the above . Good Dirt LAis a ceramic studio apartment that offers fun prefatory stratum that make for a less ceremonious and more engaging date experience . And if you ’re nervous about go on a sober date , sustain an bodily process contrive and lead by an teacher can help take a caboodle of that pressure off .
Flickr/Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area
She also suggest an lovely and wholesome twenty-four hour period of adventuring around the Westside , stopping by the Mar Vista Farmers Market for yield and collation , pop in to The New Bar for a feeding bottle or two , and then taking a piece of cake to the beach .
More Sober Things to Do in LA
Play Sports in LA
People make friends at bars , for sure , but there ’s a well way to casually socialize with alien : sport . Athletic competition is fun , engaging , and a nice gloomy - pressure , zero - proof way to break down social walls — you really find like you know someone after chase them around a association football tar for a few hours , even if you ’ve barely mouth . LVBL Club tennis class were one ofour favorite discoveries of the summer , a sport and societal lawn tennis plot that encourages exercising , period , and conversation . There ’s alsoPick Me Up Soccer , a hebdomadal friendly plot with a group discussion afterwards , and a ton of organized leagues around town .
Museums to Visit in LA
or else of boozy brunch , use your weekend days to call or revisit some of LA ’s unbelievable wealth of museum . You could go for the classic like LACMA , MOCA , the Broad , or the Getty , or you could get a fiddling wackier and visit some ofLA ’s wonderful oddball museumslike the Museum of Neon Art or Craft Contemporary . And this month , head over to lowbrow galleryLa Luz de Jesusfor a stunning , phantasmagorical show by FADNAT , who is now drab but whose art is supremely trippy without the use of any mind - change substances .
Spas in LA
LA health spa culture is outstanding , from voluptuous spoil all - day handling to more casual option like 24 - hr Korean - expressive style resort hotel and everywhere in between . Take a footling bit of your former bar budget — that surplus is one of the underrated perks of sober aliveness — and splurge on some self - care . You ’ve earned it .
Photo courtesy of Meteora
Photo courtesy of Providence
Photo courtesy of The New Bar
Photo courtesy of LVBL Club
