The Hello Hi tiki bar in downtown Sioux Falls is a popular destination for cocktails year-round, but as January progresses, the bar sells twice as many non-alcoholic beverages as it normally would, said Sara Benson, managing partner at Hello Hi. .
The rise in demand for non-alcoholic beverages is driven by the growing cultural movement: Dry January, where consumers take a step back from drinking alcohol for a variety of personal health, well-being, financial or social reasons.
More bars, breweries, supermarkets and restaurants are adding non-alcoholic cocktails and soft drinks to their menus and shelves to cater for the growing number of people who choose to stay sober during the first month of the year.
“Whether it’s some bartenders or friends and family who don’t indulge in alcohol, I think it’s important to satisfy any curiosity they may have when trying unique flavors,” Benson said. “Cocktails are fun. You can try different things, and that service shouldn’t just be for people who drink alcohol.”
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Take a look at Argus Leader’s guide to dry January in Sioux Falls, which includes options for what and where to drink this month:
Where to find non-alcoholic cocktails in Sioux Falls
Hello: The tiki bar is a popular destination for mocktails in downtown Sioux Falls and offers four regular drinks on its “Virgin Islands” menu. Some popular options include:
- High Thai’d: spicy Thai broth, lime, sugar
- Mile Marker: pineapple bush, cinnamon, orange, tonic
- New releases in time for dry January include Hot Toddy and Hot Butter Notrum
Glacial Lakes Distillery: While one of the more recent additions to the downtown bar scene doesn’t include non-alcoholic cocktails on its official drink menu, they can turn most cocktails into a non-alcoholic drink. For the month of January, Glacial Lakes will present a featured nonalcoholic cocktail every Monday this month.
- Brrrberry Mockshake: Introduced on January 3, the non-alcoholic cocktail is described as a delicious, refreshing, and satisfying creation made from grapefruit juice, mixed berries, pineapple, and coconut cream.
Look Market: While the south side restaurant and grocery store have homemade lemonade and sodas year-round, they are also releasing three mocktails in time for dry January:
- Cold Brew: Cold brewed coffee beaten with crushed cherries, brown sugar, and simple syrup, poured over ice and garnished with an orange peel.
- Crimson Chin: a hibiscus tea-based drink with crushed basil leaves, simple syrup and lemon served in a martini glass.
- Pear Pressure: A no “peer pressure” game, the drink mixes simple pear syrup with a little vinegar, star anise and soda. There’s a little “fruit, spice, and all the good stuff,” said bar manager Matt Pitts.
DaDa Gastropub and Parker’s Bistro: Both restaurants are known for their signature cocktails, but they also have a selection of mocktails to drink. DaDa’s has four mocktails to choose from, while Parker’s drink menu has eight.
- DaDa’s Peachy-O’s Mule: ginger ale, peach syrup and lime
- Yucatán Cooler by DaDa: fever tree linden and yuzu, salt, agave and grapefruit soda, is an alternative with a citrus flavor.
- Parker’s Mauve Julius: blueberry rooibos tea, beet powder, sour cream, vanilla bean and orange
- Parker’s The Overdraft: Fusion Verjus Blanc, Rosemary, Blood Orange, and Lemon
- Parker sorrel: hibiscus, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, pepper and sugar.
Wine, spirits and cigars from JJ: While the liquor store serves beer, wine, and non-alcoholic spirits on its shelves, it also has a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails made by bartenders. Popular options include:
- Last harvest: alcohol-free herbal brandy, ginger beer, lime and syrup. Similar to a Moscow Mule.
- Training Wheels: Non-alcoholic whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice and simple syrup.
Bryan’s Harvester Kitchen: While the restaurant will be closed until January 13, Harvester Kitchen serves three zero-proof cocktails on its menu:
- Pomegranate fizz: lime, seed spice, verjus, thyme
- Bitter persimmon: ginger, lemon, vanilla
- Celery Refresher: Jasmine Honey, Ginger, Lime
Prairie cocoa and sweets: The dessert bar is closed until mid-January, but serves non-alcoholic cocktails. A nonalcoholic cocktail menu is not available online and the owner did not respond to the Argus Leader’s questions in time for publication.
* The Carpenter Bar, Treasury and Highball Bar are popular with cocktail drinkers and mocktails alike, however they do not have any non-alcoholic cocktails advertised on their menus. They can turn most of their cocktails into non-alcoholic drinks.
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Non-alcoholic options at the grocery store
Sioux Falls Food Cooperative: The Sioux Falls central grocery store generally sees a surge of interest from customers ahead of dry January, but they have also seen more interest in non-alcoholic alternatives throughout the year, said beverage buyer Erika Iverson. The store serves NA beer and wine samples every Friday during the first weeks of January.
- Win Non-Alcoholic Organic Wine: made in Spain, the alcohol is extracted from the classic varieties of Spanish grapes to produce white, sparkling and red wines.
- Athletic Brewing – One of the cooperative’s most popular NA beers, Athletic Brewing is the right selection for craft beer lovers.
- Seed Lip – A distilled alcohol-free liqueur made from herbal distillations that customers can use to make their own non-alcoholic cocktails at home.
Wine, spirits and cigars from JJ: The liquor store sells a variety of non-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits. They also have an in-store bar where you can sample individual NA drinks, uncork NA wines, or order a non-alcoholic cocktail prepared by a bartender.
- J. Lohr ARIEL NA Wine – A local variety of nonalcoholic wine made near Brookings, cabernet and chardonnay are popular choices.
- NA Spirits: Seed Lip is a popular liquor store choice with citrus, aromatic, and herbal varieties.
- NA Beers: Options include Wellbeing Brewing and Heineken Zero as some of JJ’s more popular choices.
Where to find kombucha
Sioux Falls only has one locally made kombucha that is available on tap and by the glass at various locations around the city: Songbird Kombucha. While you can order the drinks for delivery or at your commercial kitchen on Minnesota Avenue, it’s also available at:
- Sioux Falls Food Cooperative
- Coffea on Phillips Avenue
- Granada market
- The fountain
- Clean food and drinks daily
- Parker’s Bistro
- Hello hello
- DaDa Gastropub
- Cooperative full circle book
NA options in breweries, taverns
While the focus of several Sioux Falls area breweries is on alcohol, they also have plenty of alternatives for those who choose not to drink at any time of the year. This is what the breweries have available for this month:
A Homestead beer: Raspberry hop tea made with cascading hops, honey and a dash of lemon.
Fernson Brewing: Various soft drinks, a Lagunitas hop soda and a homemade lemonade.
Miller Brewing: Root beer from 1919 on tap.
Remedy: Newly launched Seltzer Gin and Tonic is available.
Brewing by dismissal: Homemade dry hop frothy lemonade, root beer and cold coffee.
WoodGrain Brewing: Millstream and Lift Bridge sodas are available in flavors such as orange cream, mini donut cream soda, root beer, and cream soda.