Taking a break from drinking has become a January ritual for some party people. Especially after the happy, boozy holidays, a sober 30 days or so can be a relief.
Livers need a break. But what’s one to do when alcohol is everywhere, at the center of the night life environment?
There’s no reason to stay in — fun can be had without alcohol, remember? But it just feels different to drink plain club soda in a dark nightclub. So here are a few places to sip Shirley Temples without feeling like a weirdo and enjoy a fine evening on the town.
City, O’ City (206 E. 13th Ave.) does smashing bar business, but it also serves as a neighborhood coffeehouse and pizza joint. No one will bat an eye if you set up camp in the comfy chairs in the corner and order fancy coffee drinks all night.
The crowd does get beery, but not rowdy, meaning City-O is lively late into the night. Pals who are still on the sauce can choose from a well-edited selection of wine, beer and liquor, and everyone can get down with the yummy menu of vegetarian pizzas.
In the Berkeley neighborhood, The Hole (3877 Tennyson St.) specializes in the unusual marriage of doughnuts and alcohol. It’s a regular old doughnut shop up front, swinging bar in the back. The eating of a doughnut with your beer is explicitly encouraged.
This does not mean, however, that it’s mandatory. Coffee and other soft drinks are available, too — and probably taste better with a chocolate frosted than a pull of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Grab a seat in the front of the store if you want to enjoy your doughnuts and milk in relative peace, or sit in back with the pastry-loving drinkers and munch the night away.
Steuben’s (523 E. 17th Ave.) is proud of its huge bar menu and has the big bar space to match. Despite the lengthy cocktail list, Steuben’s is a family sort of place, and nondrinkers have plenty of options.
The bartenders are pros — don’t be afraid to ask for a Roy Rogers. They’ll know what it is, and they might even give you some extra cherries. Besides kiddie cocktails, the Steuben’s drinkmasters also whip up old- school favorites like milkshakes, malts, root beer floats and egg creams, which contain neither egg nor cream. Steuben’s is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, meaning teetotalers can hoot with the night owls.
A sister restaurant to Steuben’s, Vesta Dipping Grill (1822 Blake St.) offers a whole menu of nonalcoholic cocktails.
Check out the “Cucumber Cooler”: cucumber, mint, simple syrup, lime, club soda and Sprite. Delightful. The berry-and-sage ale is another one to try, a blend of sage, blackberries, lemon and ginger beer, served on the rocks.
At $6 each, Vesta’s gourmet mocktails have gourmet price tags. But they’re cheaper than the alcoholic cocktails, and a nice departure from the usual iced-tea-water-and-pop selections.
Because Vesta is a restaurant, first and foremost, it’s not a place to hang all night. But it’s a good starting point, especially if friends are bent on partying in LoDo. Launch the evening there and indulge — there’s a whole night of club sodas ahead.
To do list:
On Saturday, HipChicksOut presents “Boot Scoot,” a country-dance night at City Hall (1144 Broadway).
The lady-friendly hoedown, starring DJ Shannon, starts with happy hour from 8 to 9 p.m. Show up early for free dance lessons, $1 drafts of Budweiser and Bud Light, $2 well drinks and $3 wines. After that, buckets of five Coronas are $15 all night long. The Scoot returns on the third Saturday of every month. Doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday; there’s a $5 cover charge.
Next week, Grammy-nominated trance DJ and producer Andy Moor spins at Beta (1909 Blake St.). Tickets are $10 at tickets; the show starts at 9 p.m. Thursday.
