A temperance bar, also known as an alcohol-free bar, sober bar, or dry bar, is a type of

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

that does not serve

alcoholic beverage Drinks containing alcohol (drug), alcohol are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and Distilled beverage, spirits—with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%. Drinks with less than 0.5% are sometimes considered Non-al ...

s. An alcohol-free bar can be a business establishment or located in a non-business environment or event, such as at a wedding. Alcohol-free bars typically serve

non-alcoholic beverage An alcohol-free or non-alcoholic drink, also known as a temperance drink, is a version of an alcoholic drink made without Alcohol (drug), alcohol, or with the alcohol removed or reduced to almost zero. These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mi ...

s, such as non-alcoholic cocktails known as

mocktails A non-alcoholic mixed drink (also known as virgin cocktail, temperance drink, "zero proof" drink or mocktail) is a cocktail-style beverage made without alcohol. Non-alcoholic mixed drinks date back to when cocktails emerged, appearing as "temp ...

, alcohol-free beer or

low-alcohol beer Low-alcohol beer is beer with little or no alcohol by volume that aims to reproduce the taste of beer while eliminating or reducing the inebriating effect, carbohydrates, and calories of regular alcoholic brews. Low-alcohol beers can come in diff ...

, alcohol-free wine, juice, soft drinks and water. Popular temperance drinks include

cream soda Cream soda (also known as creme soda) is a sweet soft drink. Generally flavored with vanilla and based on the taste of an ice cream float, a wide range of variations can be found worldwide. History and development A recipe for cream soda written ...

dandelion and burdock Dandelion and burdock is a beverage originating and commonly consumed in the British Isles since the Middle Ages. It was originally a type of light mead but over the years has evolved into the carbonated soft drink commercially available today. ...

, sarsaparilla, and

Vimto Vimto is a British mixed fruit soft drink containing the juice of grapes, raspberries, blackcurrants, and black carrots flavoured with herbs and spices. Originating in Manchester, northern England, the recipe was invented in 1908 by John Noel N ...

, among others. Various foods may also be served.

History

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a number of temperance bars were established in conjunction with various temperance organisations. Originally, these advocated a moderate approach to life, especially concerning the consumption of

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

. Later they moved toward abstinence from alcohol. Temperance bars with full temperance licenses (allowing them to serve on Sundays despite English trading laws) were once common in many

high street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

s and shopping areas in the North of England. The

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...

had a massive following, fueled mainly by nonconformist Christian denominations, such as

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

s. Temperance bars were the first outlet for the drinks

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

and

in the early 20th century. They were also sometimes called "temperance taverns". In the past, the bars quite often asked their patrons to sign a pledge of temperance, meaning that they would abstain from intoxicating liquors; today's wave of alcohol-free bars are frequented by both

teetotalers Teetotalism is the practice of voluntarily abstaining from the consumption of alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler (US) or teetotaller (UK), or said to be ...

and drinkers who wish to have fun in a drink-free environment. The recent popularity of alcohol-free bars is fueled by the declining usage of alcohol amongst the

millennial generation Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ...

, as well as the increased availability of information regarding the negative effects of alcohol on health.

By country

Australia

In the 19th century

coffee palace A coffee palace was an often large and elaborate hotel, residential hotel that did not serve alcohol (drug), alcohol, most of which were built in Australia in the late 19th century. A modest temperance hotel was opened in 1826 by activist Ger ...

s were established as alcohol-free hotels in Australia.

New Zealand

In 2015 the first alcohol-free bar in New Zealand, located in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

and named Tap Bar, went out of business five weeks after opening due to a lack of consumer interest, in which few patrons showed up.

United Kingdom

Some cities in the United Kingdom have alcohol-free bars and

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

s. The popularity of alcohol-free bars has increased in the United Kingdom, and they are "often funded by anti-alcoholism charities." Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health in Rawtenstall is one of the first and original temperance bars surviving from the late 1800s, when it was established. The Fitzpatricks came to Lancashire from Ireland in the 1880s. A family of many herbalists, they built a family-run chain of shops throughout Lancashire. These shops dealt in their non-alcoholic drinks, sold herbal remedies, and cordial bottles. At their peak, the Fitzpatrick family owned 24 shops, all brewing drinks to the original recipes from Ireland. As new drinks came from America, the temperance bars slowly waned. Fitzpatrick's, supported by loyal customers, survived. The

Rawtenstall Rawtenstall () is a town in the borough of Borough of Rossendale, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The town lies 15 miles (24 km) north of Manchester, 22 miles (35 km) east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston and 45 miles (70 km) south east of Lanca ...

branch of Fitzpatrick's was run from 1891 until 1980 by family members. It is now run by new owners, with the objective of returning Fitzpatrick's Cordials to the market. Following a brief closure in early 2016, Fitzpatrick's reopened for business on 25 March 2016. Fitzpatrick's is notable for its old copper hot water dispenser which was originally a fixture at the Astoria Ballroom in Rawtenstall. It has also won an award as the country's "Best Sarsaparilla Brewer", and an award for its

, a year later. In 2013, a new temperance bar opened in

Rotherham Rotherham ( ) is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies at the confluence of the River Rother, South Yorkshire, River Rother, from which the town gets its name, and the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don. It is the largest settlement ...

, the Whistle Stop Sweet Shop & Temperance Bar. An alcohol-free bar named "The Brink" opened in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in 2011. The Brink is also a drug-free bar, and is run by the charity

Action on Addiction Action on Addiction is a UK-based charity that works with people affected by drug addiction, drug and alcohol addiction. It works in the areas of research, prevention, treatment, aftercare, as well as professional education and family support.

with support from the

Big Lottery Fund The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for " good causes". It is the largest community funder in the UK and ...

. An alcohol-free bar named Redemption is located at the base of the

Trellick Tower Trellick Tower is a Grade II* listed building, listed tower block on the Cheltenham Estate in Kensal Town, London. Opened in 1972, it was commissioned by the Greater London Council and designed in the Brutalist architecture, Brutalist style by ...

North Kensington North Kensington is an area of west and northwest London. It is north of Notting Hill and south of Kensal Green predominately in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and partly in the London Borough of Brent and City of Westminster. The ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England. It originated as a

pop-up restaurant A pop-up restaurant is a temporary restaurant. These restaurants often operate from a private home, former factory, existing restaurants or similar space, and during festivals. Various other names have been used to describe the concept of settin ...

, and opened as a permanent establishment in July 2015. Redemption also serves vegan food that is locally sourced, and its menu is based upon providing nutritional foods and beverages. Its owners have stated that it is a "sober and cruelty-free bar." Redemption also utilizes a

zero waste Zero waste, or ''waste minimization'', is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are repurposed (i.e. "up-cycled") and/or reused. The goal of the movement is to avoid ...

policy. The Netil House is another alcohol-free bar located in London. Sobar in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

is an alcohol-free bar operated by a charity, Double Impact, which works with both alcohol and drug addiction. It received funding from the

and employs people who have been addicts. An alcohol-free bar named Universe exists in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, England near Coventry University.

Scotland

A temporary bar named DRY was active in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in early 2017. More recently, the Black Axe Throwing Company operated an alcohol-free bar in 2023 until November of that year.

United States

The Other Side is an alcohol-free bar located in

Crystal Lake, Illinois Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. Named after a lake southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is northwest of Chicago. The population was 40,269 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Crystal L ...

, a

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

suburb, that strives to provide a place that is "exactly like a bar" for recovering alcoholics. Getaway is an alcohol-free bar in Greenpoint, a neighborhood of

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

that opened in April 2019 and serves alcohol-free mixed drinks,

shrubs A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

, sodas, and teas. Listen Bar is an alcohol-free bar in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

open one night every month. All their bartenders are musicians, including special guests Savoir Adore and Sir Babygirl. They have risen to popularity following favorable reviews in

Refinery29 Refinery29 (R29) is an American multinational digital media and entertainment website focused on young women. It is owned by Sundial Media Group. History Justin Stefano, Philippe von Borries, Piera Gelardi, and Christene Barberich co-founded Ref ...

VICE A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

and features on the

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...

and more. Awake is an alcohol-free bar in Denver, Colorado. It has been featured in Good Morning America, Forbes, AP, Sunset, and the Denver Post.

Popular drinks served

Temperance bars serve a variety of non-alcoholic mixed drinks, including: *Black beer and raisin *Blood tonic *

Cola Cola is a Carbonation, carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus essential oil, oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked br ...

Cream soda Cream soda (also known as creme soda) is a sweet soft drink. Generally flavored with vanilla and based on the taste of an ice cream float, a wide range of variations can be found worldwide. History and development A recipe for cream soda written ...

Dandelion and burdock Dandelion and burdock is a beverage originating and commonly consumed in the British Isles since the Middle Ages. It was originally a type of light mead but over the years has evolved into the carbonated soft drink commercially available today. ...

Ginger beer Traditional ginger beer is a sweetened and carbonated, usually non-alcoholic beverage. Historically it was produced by the natural fermentation of prepared ginger spice, yeast and sugar. Modern ginger beers are often mass production, manufactur ...

Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

* Sarsaparilla *

Shrubs A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Temperance Bar Types of drinking establishment History of the Borough of Rossendale Temperance movement Bartending Restaurants by type Non-alcoholic drinks