Whether trying your hand at Sober October, Dry January, already happily teetotal or just wanting to reduce your alcohol intake, cocktails need never be a compromise.

The world of low ABV, alcohol-light and alcohol-free cocktails continues to flourish around Ireland and the era of accepting supercharged sweetened, overly fruity or plainly dull, uninspired sips is being resigned to the past.

Take it from one of Ireland's most successful cocktail bar owners, Andy Ferreira of Cork’s multi-award winning Cask on MacCurtain Street.

We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

"Something I think we do quite well is we have a rotating non-alcoholic cocktail on our current menu," Andy explains, adding, "each week we take one of our booze cocktails and do a N/A version of it. It’s a good way to get the staff who might not work on the menus that much involved and customers are getting the same lovely, seasonal ingredients and the same care and attention in their N/A cocktails as the boozy counterparts."

Regularly voted as one of the best bars in the country, Ferreira also owns Latin American-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant Paladar on nearby Bridge Street and he shares that "the two N/A cocktails we sell the most of in Paladar are our alcohol-free versions of a Mojito and Paloma".

He explains they both bear a base of Caleño Light and Zesty (a N/A spirit which sits somewhere between rum and gin) but he cites sourcing as a major obstacle in no/low alcohol bartending, explaining "there are so many new interesting N/A products out there at the moment but it's often hard to source in Ireland".

We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

Rose O’Toole, a mixologist formerly of two Michelin-starred AIMSIR Lounge in Kildare and now part of the Grangecon Kitchen team in Wicklow, is a whizz with wine cocktails.

"We’re only using wine-based cocktails on Friday nights which brings down the ABV," she explains, adding "the crowd favourite is a twist on a mojito which is super refreshing using Portuguese vinho verde as a base with elderflower syrup, fresh mint and topped up with cucumber soda".

The café-bakery is mostly a 9-5, six days a week operation but has a sole dinner service on Fridays and Rose says "as a rural location, I think it’s so important to have an interesting non-alcoholic option that isn’t just a soft drink. I love making the likes of homemade N/A ginger beer and tepache (similarly fermented like kombucha but made from pineapple skins) while my own favourite mocktail is a combination of pomegranate, mint, rose and hibiscus –– for which if I make an alcohol version I usually add white port".

We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

Linda O’Rourke cut her teeth as a bartender and mixologist at popular bar House on Dublin’s Leeson Street (branches in Limerick and Belfast, too) and she points out the 'Enchanting Tail' (€12) on House Dublin’s menu as a stand-out sip.

"It’s like a rosé rhubarb spritz using vermouth," she explains, "and it’s a brilliant reflection of a venue intentionally including a low drink –– and their menu very transparently displays ABV per drink and allergens in a really user-friendly way".

"N/A or low options are often an afterthought to be inclusive," Linda adds, "so I look for drinks that impart the same theme and character of the drinks menu with the same care and attention to their alcoholic counterpart".

We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

Now a Premium Spirits Activation Specialist with Coca-Cola Hellenic, Linda offers that her go-to lower alcohol beverage order at any bar is a Campari soda "with an offensively large wedge of orange", adding "I love the familiarity of it and I have been known to actively request a lower 25ml measure for those days of extra conscious consumption"

She suggests consulting drinkaware.ie for their unit calculator, explaining "it’s handy because ABV is not always the best indicator, particularly if the drink is high in volume".

"I think it’s awesome that a whiskey distillery caters for no and low-alcohol fans," says award-winning mixologist Cal Byrne - now a Diageo World Class and luxury spirits brand ambassador - who recommends Roe & Co Distillery in Dublin’s Liberties.

"Their Bah Bah Basil combines basil water, aloe vera, clarified lime juice, rosemary and orange bitters," he explains, "which is a seriously bright and refreshing drink and I love finding no-alcohol cocktails in bars as my Dad isn’t a drinker so it’s nice we can still share my passion and have 'a drink’ together!"

We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences


10 hot spots for low or no-Alcohol Cocktails around Ireland

Bar 1661, Dublin 1

Choose between a Charlie (Noki & Co alcohol free gin, pineapple, macadamia, coconut, citrus) or Birdie (Green tea, peppermint, rhubarb, plum, bitter), both €9.

Hyde Bar, Galway

Three top options at Hyde include HU-NO (Seedlip, Elderflower, lime, mint), the Garden Club (Seedlip Garden, raspberry, lemon) and a non-alcoholic Cosmo using Lyre’s White Cane Spirit, Lyre’s Orange Sec, cranberry and lime –– each one €8.50.

No. 27 Bar, The Shelbourne, Dublin 2

Choose between a Berry Crisp (Ceder's Crisp, Red Berry Syrup, Non Alcoholic Sparkling Wine) or Green Grove (Ceder's Crisp, Pear Shrub, Monin Green Apple, Soda Water), both €9.

Rattlebag, Belfast

Three signature low/no serves at arguably Belfast’s coolest cocktail spot include a Garibaldi (martini vibrante, fluffy fresh orange juice), Gimlet (Seedlip garden 108, honey, verjus) or Highball (pentire adrift, palo santo, bitter lemon), all £8.50

Peruke & Periwig, Dublin 2

Try the Berry Sour, Peach & Coconut Cooler or the Pistachio Iced Coffee, all €7.

1314 @ Jerry Flannery’s, Limerick

Low Tea (peach liqueur, goji berry tea syrup, lemon juice, peach bitters and black tea, €12) for a low ABV sip or one of the two non-alcoholic options: Violet Clouds (€9) with N/A gin, lavender and blueberry or Spiced Cherry Highball (€9) with cherry, apple, lime and ginger beer.

Hawskmoor, Dublin 2

Steady Pete’s Ginger Brew (with Ceder’s crisp and alcohol-free beer Lucky Saint), the Maiden Mule (with cucumber, agave and lime) or Earl Grey Iced Tea (Rare Tea Company earl grey, passionfruit, lemon), each one €7.50.

Neighourhood, Naas, Kildare

Sip on a (low ABV) Catch Me If You Can, made using Valentia Island Vermouth, Stillgarden Berrisimo and homemade Elderberry Cordial), €10.

The River Club @ The River Lee Hotel, Cork

Stop for a sip at one of Cork’s most luxurious hotels and enjoy a Spicy Pal-No-Ma (CleanCo Non-Alcoholic Tequila, Pineapple, Chili, lime), €10.

Americana @ The Delvin, Dublin 6

Try any one of these three different 0% cocktails - Figa (fig, refreshing), Rosa (strawberry, fizzy) or Zero (tropical, light) all using different flavours of Ceder’s Crisp.