6 Zero-Proof Bars and Bottle Shops for All Your N/A Needs
These alcohol-free spots in the Philly area promise good drinks without the hangover.
Our guide to zero-proof bars and bottle shops in the Philly area. / Photograph courtesy of Gem Life + Bar
Since the pandemic, an increasing number of individuals — Philadelphians included — have become sober curious, or more mindful about how much, how often, and what they’re imbibing. In response, zero-proof bars and bottle shops have been popping up across the region, making N/A options more accessible and mainstream.
If you’re already sober, are rethinking your relationship with alcohol, or simply want to have a good time sans spirits, check out these completely alcohol-free bars and bottle shops in and around Philadelphia. Each promises tasty beverages to sip on or take home — just without the hangover (score!).
Free Spirit
4920 York Road, store 13, Buckingham
Photograph courtesy of Free Spirit
“If you’re not ensuring that someone who doesn’t partake in alcohol has an option better than club soda with a splash of cranberry juice, you’re not doing the job,” says Christa Vigilante. “After some frustration with a few instances of this, I half jokingly said to my husband, ‘I’m so sick of drinking club soda. I should just open a place for everyone who doesn’t drink.’” And that’s exactly what she did, opening Free Spirit, an alcohol-free bar and bottle shop in Bucks County, in May of 2023. At her space (which also sells hemp goods), find major labels including Seedlip, Ritual, and Monday, plus products like Bennu’s canned cocktails and Allay’s dealcoholized wine with ashwagandha. Free Spirit also boasts a rotating menu that highlights seasonal ingredients and, bonus, all the soda syrups, shrubs, and juices are made in house.
Gem Life + Bar
5 South Broadway, Pitman
Photograph courtesy of Gem Life + Bar
What started as an e-tailer of nonalcoholic beverages and goods in August of 2020 quickly transformed into a thriving brick-and-mortar in Pitman. The shop’s ethos is “conscious cocktails for mindful moments,” with opportunities to taste and buy over 250 zero-proof brands, plus participate in community events both in store and around the area via Gem’s pop-ups. Can’t swing by? Gem offers local delivery and nationwide shipping.
Herman’s Coffee
1313 South 3rd Street, Pennsport
Photograph courtesy of Herman’s Coffee via Instagram
This beloved neighborhood spot is more than just a coffee joint — it doubles as a boutique market that houses just about everything. Find chocolate bars galore, a massive inventory of tinned fish, and imported pastas, sauces, and spices. But you’re reading this because you’re looking for booze-free stuff, and Herman’s Coffee houses an incredible selection of N/A offerings, from over 150 varieties of spirits, wine, and beer to all the mixers, bitters, and syrups your heart — and your zero-proof drink — desires.
Mercantile 1888
765 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood
Photograph courtesy of Mercantile 1888 via Instagram
Downtown Collingswood’s modern-day general store features a full-service zero-proof bar with bartenders slinging N/A margaritas, Cosmos, espresso martinis, and the like, with fresh, seasonal ingredients from the Collingswood Farmers’ Market. There’s also boozeless beer, canned cocktails from brands like Mingle Mocktails (a local label!) and Recess that you can try as a flight, and kombucha, cold brew, and HopTea on tap. Bonus: Mercantile 1888 hosts frequent tasting events and mix-and-sip workshops.
The Volstead by Unity
4371 Main Street, Manayunk
Robert Ashford, co-owner of The Volstead. / Photograph courtesy of The Volstead.
The Volstead by Unity is recognized as Philly’s first zero-proof bar, having opened in March of 2022 by husband-and-wife team Robert and Arielle Ashford. (In recovery themselves, the Ashfords — who own Unity Yoga, Unity Recovery, and Unity Taqueria — have made it their mission to create spaces that support the livelihood of those who are sober.) At their Manayunk restaurant-and-bar combo, find classics like an old fashioned, sangria, martini, and even a city wide, dealcoholized wine, booze-free beer and rotating tapped kombucha from local biz Baba’s Brew. While you’re there, stay for vegan fare — the Volstead serves dinner, plus brunch on Saturdays and Sundays — and don’t forget to peruse their extensive bottle shop.
Wallace Dry Goods
1 West Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore
Photograph by Gab Bonghi for Wallace Dry Goods
Opened January 6th, this new bottle shop in Ardmore is stocked with a range of zero-proof brands — we’re talking Ghia, Prima Pave, Ritual, Cut Above, Trejo’s Spirits, Spiritless, and more — plus glassware, bar tools, fun cocktail napkins, and other hosting goods. Owner Robin Cummiskey, an Ardmore native, says the goal of Wallace Dry Goods is to make zero-proof options more accessible to consumers and within social settings: “I wanted to create a place where people could come try a variety of zero-proof spirits and then purchase their own bottles to take home, and where bar or restaurant owners could learn more about how to integrate sophisticated N/A offerings into their menus.” That’s why Wallace is more than just a retail boutique — you can expect regularly scheduled ticketed tasting events and mixology workshops, and potentially monthly industry nights.
