Alcohol sales continued to dip in 2025, showing a slight decline in volume and value. Locally and globally, sales for beer, wine and spirits are all trending downward. A variety of factors, from a growing consumer trend leaning toward moderation to broader economic woes, have contributed to this boozy slump. “The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend,” according to a study by Gallup.
Hungry? Sign up for The Eat Index, our weekly food newsletter, and find out where to eat and get the latest restaurant happenings in Orange County. Subscribe here.But the same can’t be said for mocktails, which have proven, at least for now, to be much more than a passing trend.
ALSO READ: Mocktails, the hero of Dry January, find their place on cocktail menus — and beyond
Alcohol-free or low-ABV (alcohol by volume) beverages are fantastic alternatives for those practicing moderation or in recovery. Gone are the days when teetotalers were limited to a syrupy Shirley Temple or a soda loaded with high-fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Today, most bar and restaurant cocktail menus feature a “mocktail” or “zero proof” section, offering a bounty of flavor and creativity. With the arrival of Dry January, the annual ode of kicking off the year alcohol-free, here are a handful of standout spots in Orange County to grab a snazzy sip.
Belly of the Beast at Stowaway
14401 Newport Ave., Tustin, 657-208-2088, stowawaytiki.com/botb
At this hush-hush, Pinocchio-themed speakeasy hidden behind Stowaway tiki bar, you’ll find a few mocktails like the Bahama No Mama (with coconut, orange, pineapple and grenadine), POGtail (passionfruit, orange, guava). Reservations required.
Bosscat Libations
18169 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, 949-333-0917; 118 W Chapman Ave., Orange, 714-716-1599; bosscatkitchen.com
Three mocktails are available at this O.C.-born spot from Leslie Nguyen and John Reed. Check out the Coconut Wireless (featuring pineapple, coconut, ginger, allspice and almond), the Zero Proof (apple spice, soda water, citrus, cranberry and ginger) or the Pivot (ARU coffee and coconut horchata syrup).
ALSO SEE: Here are 5 LA County restaurants where you can order mocktails for Dry January
The Cauldron
8028 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, 714-484-2733, thecauldronbar.com
In a world of increasingly costly mocktails, it’s nice to see a place giving those who eschew booze a break at only $6 a pop. The lineup at this witchy venue includes Cat’s Claw (featuring cranberry juice, soda and lemon), Bitter Ginger (ginger beer, bitters, lime and mint), Upside Down (pineapple juice, vanilla, ginger beer and cherry), Dead and Berried (fresh blackberries, mint, lime, simple syrup and soda water) and Orange Is the New Black (cold-pressed coffee, orange juice, vanilla and Aztec chocolate bitters).
Ilya in San Clemente features mocktails, including the False Promise. (Photo by Brock Keeling, Orange County Register/SCNG)Ilya (San Clemente)
1502 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, 949-703-1111, ilyarestaurant.com
“Top Chef” winner Charbel Hayek’s new coastal Mediterranean restaurant in San Clemente offers a couple of mocktail bangers that are as tasty as they are gorgeous. Clean Sheet features a chamomile-thyme tincture mixed with blue fig Syrup, elderflower and lemon juice finished with elderflower tonic, while the False Promise boasts jasmine and sencha tea extract with coconut water and lime juice finished with ginger beer and Thai basil.
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229 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton; 714-853-1081, khansaaboc.com
Noted as the pioneers of the mocktail movement in Orange County — “When we opened Khan Saab in February of 2020, our nonalcoholic bar program was the first of its kind in Southern California and only the fourth in the nation,” said chef Imran Ali Mookhi in 2022 — this Fullerton spot offers a creative and vibrant litany of mocktails. Highlights here include a Mango Mojito (with manho nectar, mint, jaggery and lime), a Smoked Negroni (Seedlip Spice 94, rose syrup and Palo Santo bitters), a Peshawari Mule (Seedlip Spice 94, ginger, mint and ginger beer) and even a Dirty Sprite (lime, simple syrup, salt, mint and its titular lemon-lime soda).
ALSO SEE: 5 places to get mocktails for Dry January in the Inland Empire
Puesto
8577 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, 949-[608-9990; 3311 Michelson Drive, Irvine, 949-608-7272; 1040 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 714-294-0362; eatpuesto.com
Conceived by Beau du Bois, Puesto’s vice president of bar and spirits, nonalcoholic tipples include a Passionfruit Margarita that uses a zero-proof tequila alternative; a Cantarito featuring a tequila alternative, orange cordial, fresh lime and Jarritos grapefruit soda; and a Michelada with nonalcoholic Corona beer, housemade clamato, shamoy, mango and fresh lime. Zero-proof beers include two Beros: a Kingston Golden Pilsner and a Double Tasty West Coast Style IPA. House-made agua frescas (like passionfruit and pineapple).
Strong Water Anaheim offers no alcohol drinks including Anana Rising, with pineapple, lemon, cinnamon and walnut bitters, left, and Tarobi Colada, with pineapple, lime, coconut, taro cream and cane on Monday, December 30, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)Strong Water Anaheim
270 S. Clementine St., Anaheim; 714-844-1875 or strongwateranaheim.com
Since opening in 2019, Ying Chang and Robert Adamson’s Anaheim spot has become the gold standard for cocktails in Orange County. So much so that they’ve earned two consecutive James Beard Award nominations. They also make two mighty fine mocktails: the Anana Rising (a punchy concoction with pineapple, lemon, cinnamon and walnut bitters) and the Tarobi Colada (a tropical tipple with pineapple, lime, coconut, taro cream and sugar cane). Strong Water also pours two low-alcohol brews, the Bitter Mai Tai and the Fernet Swizzle.
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