A guide to perfecting your Dry Jan plan in Dubai: Spots, hacks and dodging setbacks

For you and your Dry Jan clan…

Whether you stay off the sip-sip all year around, or just for January post the festive season madness, doing dry January in Dubai is easier than you think. Not only are there some great spots to visit for the best mocktails, there are also plenty of brands that will look great on your beverage shelf. Here, you will find all that, and a bonus: some top tips to make it stick. Cheers to that!

Here is a full guide to perfecting your Dry Jan plans in Dubai.

Make mocktails great

Mocktails are, more often than not, an afterthought at most venues –  a bit boring, uninventive and sometimes plain unpleasant. Luckily for us, there are some great spots to visit in Dubai where non-alcoholic beverages are just as fun and will make for super alternatives to your usual drinks.

4 spots to visit to sample some fine dry drinks.

TVM @ The Fridge

Alserkal Avenue is now home to a – wait for it – alcohol-free bar. The Virgin Mary (TVM) Collective, the world’s leading alcohol-free bar group, has joined forces with live events hotspot, The Fridge, to bring TVM @ The Fridge. The avant-garde cocktail bar combines the original entertainment at The Fridge with the space of the TVM Collective for an exciting location where one can socialise and sample creative drinks – not mocktails because the options at TVM @ The Fridge aren’t just sugary replacements. The creative cocktails are crafted using a range of high-quality, 0 per cent volume ingredients along with botanicals and fresh fruit. Live music from The Fridge, including their renowned concert series, makes this location the perfect spot for post-work drinks, lunchtime fun or even private events.

TVM @ The Fridge, The Fridge, Warehouse 5, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, Tues to Sun, 12pm to 9pm, @tvmatthefridge

KATA

The contemporary Japanese spot sits along the Dubai Mall Fountain promenade and is sure to offer stunning views of the spectacle as you dine and sip on some fantastic mocktails. KATA prides itself on investing in the creation of their drinks, rather than having them be just boring mixes of fruit juice and soda. Sample signature mocktails, beers, wines, and even champagnes! Some of the options include the Sendai Storm and the Red Lips & KATA Sips.

KATA, The Dubai Mall, Dubai, Mon to Thurs, 10am to 12pm, Fri to Sun, 10am to 1am, Tel: (0)54 582 9933, @kata.ae

SO/Uptown

For this January exclusively, SO/Uptown Hotel is offering a promotion – an exclusive menu of non-alcoholic beverages that don’t skip out on flavour. The creative new menu is available throughout the hotel, offering the perfect for catching up with friends at one of the restaurants across the venue. Spanning cocktails, beers and hot beverages, the Dry January promotion is available in all dining outlets. Guests can grab the likes of an Almost G&T, Almost Aperol Spritz, a glass of French Bloom Blanc or Rosé or one of the three 0% beers – Bière des Amis, Heineken, and Corona Cero. For extra health, the hot beverage menu includes turmeric and matcha lattes and classics like hot chocolate and Spanish lattes. 

SO/Uptown, Uptown Tower, Dubai, Tel: (0) 4 820 8888, so-hotels.com

3Fils

This harbour-front restaurant is the perfect casual dining spot where you can kick back, relax with your tribe and tuck into Michelin-recommended sushi, ramen, burgers and more. It’s an independently owned, unflashy, unlicensed, super-casual, no-reservations joint that also happens to serve delicious food. The spot is unlicensed, hence their drinks are all non-alcoholic (the shikuwasa being my personal favourite) and paired with their delicious, inventive fare, the experience is made so much better. 3Fils is one of those no frills places you might want to go to on a casual night out.

3 Fils, Jumeirah Fishing Harbour, daily 12pm to 11.3pm, walk-in only. Tel: (04) 333 4003. 3fils.com

Master mixology at home

If DIY-ing gets you excited about something, try making your own non-boozy cocktails at home. There’s several great brands that make zero per cent beverages including mains and mixers so that by the end of January you can become a bartender in your own right.

4 non-alcoholic beverage brands you can stock at home.

Lyre’s

This leading zero per cent beverage brand has a variety of options to choose from, made with natural essences, extracts and distillates. You can shop the full range of beverages on the website, which also offers some cocktail recipes using the drinks to get you started. Sample options like amaretti, prosecco, dark rum and gin – all alcohol-free.

lyers.me

Drink Dry

This retailer is your one-stop shop to find all the best non-alcoholic beverages, with a bunch of brands you can choose from, including Peroni, Stella Artois, Caleño, Natureo and more. From beers to wines and tonics to mixers, it’s all there. Check out their website here to place your order. You even get same-day delivery in Dubai.

drinkdrystore.com

Bôtan Distillery

Bôtan Distillery prides itself as the world’s only non-alcoholic distillery bringing from field to bottle. They craft their beverages with self-cultivated herbs without chemical manipulation, so it’s also giving wellness vibes. They have recipes on their website to get you started with their products and the variety is impressive.

botan-distillery.com

Wild Idol

This brand has one thing in particular – sparkling wines. You can choose from the Rosé or the white, all of which are vegan, low-calorie and gluten-free. So, if you love your wine, this is the perfect alternative for a Dry January. You can order on their website.

wildidol.com

Tell the world

Let the people around you know that you are indeed, going dry this January and they’ll be able to keep you in check. Accountability will help you stick to your goals and maybe you can have a friend or two join you in that endeavour because doing anything in a group is just easier.

Images: Socials/Supplied/Unsplash