From Distinguished Mocktails To Dry Wine, These Are The Best Booze-Free Beverages In Auckland

If you think forgoing alcohol means sacrificing the convivial environment of a bar, pub or restaurant — or facing ribbing, at best, about being a teetotaler — then rest assured, for it seems the dial has finally shifted; not only are we as a society finally coming around to the idea of sobriety or simply recalibrating our booze intake, but the hospitality sector is getting on board. From zero-proof “spirits” to alcohol-free RTDs and truly dry “wines”, there’s a plethora of drinks to try at some of Tāmaki Makaurau’s top restaurants and bars.

Ahi

Commercial Bay’s Ahi, home of scampi corndogs and hot-smoked Japanese quail, has the feeling of serendipity, a place you discover in a multi-story mall that is, by all conceivable metrics, the antithesis of mall food. You can currently try a sharp mocktail — Tommy’s NA-Garita, a non-alcoholic margarita — from the Ben Bayly outpost, a mixture of Lyre’s Agave Blanco Spirit (flavour profile: salty, peppery, pine-like) with agave, lime and orange bitters. Or an Earl Grey-infused Patumāhoe Iced Tea; the refreshing, self-explanatory Cucumber Cooler; or the Hiko (raspberry, ginger, pineapple, aquafaba).

Amano

In Britomart, Amano — restaurant, bakery, beacon of taste — has a kiwifruit mocktail, a mixture of the aforementioned fruit, Seedlip Grove 42 (the brand’s dry-finish non-alcoholic spirit that blends bitter and blood orange, mandarin, lemon peel, lemongrass and ginger), lemon, apple and mint. Glide past the long shared table and safely tuck into one of the back booths for a tangy, tart libation, where the vibe is basically a clarion call for when you want good food with good company. 66-68, Tyler St, Britomart Place, Auckland

Bar Magda

This atmospheric, subterranean restaurant on Cross St — and good spot for a date night — has a special on the menu for July; its ube sour (pictured), which includes coconut, almond, lemon and egg white. “Our patrons have been asking for it,” explains co-founder Carlo Buenaventura. Bar Magda also offers its Something Sour range of drinks in mocktail form, including a blackberry and ginger shrub, one that melds tamarind cordial with cinnamon and citrus, and more tasty booze-free options. 25b Cross St, Auckland Central, Auckland

Bivacco

Cotto

Karangahape Rd stalwart and all-around Italian cool girl Cotto does an excellent almond sour, the glass filled with opalescent orgeat, lemon, egg white and soda, and topped with a healthy amount of froth. It’s almondy without being too almondy — fresh and biting without conjuring the taste of marzipan. Sip it in that space, somehow cavernous but cosy, alongside a smattering of antipasti, pumpkin ravioli swimming in sauce, and a fall-apart beef cheek ragu. 375 Karangahape Rd, Auckland Central, Auckland.

Daphnes

The Ponsonby restaurant, which recently shed its Greek theme for something looser, more liquid (the rumours of its new brilliance are true), is currently sporting a plum martini, a culmination of Seedlip Spice 94 (warm, allspice-rich, cardamom-y, with notes of grapefruit), plum, ginger and blackberry. It feels mulled-wine adjacent in the best way; savour it with meat (chopped beef tartare, perhaps, or lamb on the bone) or seafood (cured market fish, mussels, et al). 71 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland

Hello Beasty

Conjuring nostalgic premonitions of raspberry lemonade is Hello Beasty’s raspberry yuzu sour, a mocktail with a fluffy head thanks to emulsifying egg whites, and a body of Seedlip Grove 42 and its namesake ingredients. Shaken, straightened and served without ice, it owes its inspiration to a Clover Club, a candy-pink cocktail made with gin, lemon and raspberry syrup, while leaning into the restaurant’s East Asian thread that extends to the menu. 95-97 Customs St West, Auckland Central, Auckland

Hotel Ponsonby

Cool, consistent and now providing a rather nice incentive to hike up College Hill, this Ponsonby bistro is giving away Pals’ new zero-percenter ‘Red One’ to its patrons; ask for one at the bar and your first one is free, no strings attached. Good with a scotch egg, their excellent burgers, or some fancier fare. For those who prefer a mocktail, Hotel Ponsonby also has Lyre’s on the shelf. 1 Saint Marys Rd, St Marys Bay, Auckland

KOL

Sid Sahrawat’s KOL, a corner bar that married a tandoor kitchen in Ponsonby, completes what feels like the chef’s modest Auckland empire. While the food is reliably good — try the chicken, served on a bed of raita with saffron and charred onions, or the tuna, coated in thin discs of radish — the restaurant is also confident with its drinks. The sans-alcohol Cherry Donut is made with Seedlip Grove 42 that’s then blended with “glazed doughnut and coffee grinds” and filtered through toasted milk whey. The concoction is thusly drizzled with orange oil and cherry bitters comprising Seedlip Spice, slid along the table in front of you with one final extravagance: an enormous bubble of smoke. Was it fragrant? Yes. Was it fantastic? Yes, and so was the Lychee Spritzer (sweet-sour, with basil and lime soda) and the Alucha Fizz (plum, strawberry, citrus). 23 Ponsonby Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland

Masu

You can try the serene-sounding concoction called the Southern Beach Sling, which includes Lyre’s spirits, yuzu and tropical fruit flavours — or keep it simple and crack open an ice-cold Asahi Super Dry Zero (still one of the world’s finest non-alcoholic beers), which pairs exceptionally well with Masu’s elegant range of Japanese delicacies. 90 Federal St, Auckland Central, Auckland

MoVida

The Auckland temple of Melbourne’s famed restaurant is serving a superb Sangria Vergine, a medley of Lyre’s Italian Orange, blackberry shrub, apple, and ginger ale that’s a sort of portal way to Spain. Request it with the anchovy tapas (slivers of anchovy with smoked tomato sorbet), or enjoy it under the bar’s amber glow before the relaxed, family-style feast Paella & Pinchos, currently on every Saturday afternoon. 52 Tyler Street, Auckland

Omni

Not only is the food at this cosy and cool Dominion Rd yakitori restaurant excellent, it’s also one of a handful of establishments in Tāmaki Makaurau to serve Non, an elegant non-alcoholic “wine” that’s akin to a natural vino in taste and branding. 359 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland

Onslow

For a zero-proof cocktail experience without compromising on polish or quality, park up at the bar at Onslow and order its very good sans-alcohol special. New to the menu, it combines zero-proof Seedlip Spice 94 with its house-made tamarillo shrub — a delightfully tangy, fruity blend — soda and makrut lime leaf. “It’s refreshing and piquant, a nice match to the diving crayfish eclair,” says Viva commercial editor Emma Gleason. “I recommend following this up with a glass or two of Non, which would be a disservice to describe as simply a wine substitute, though it certainly does the job.” Onslow rotates its varieties, currently serving one made with raspberries, chamomile, verjus and salt from the Murray River; a delicious alternative to swirl around your wine glass as you watch the restaurant’s guests from your vantage point. 9 Princes St, Auckland

Origine

You get the feeling Commercial Bay’s French restaurant has been chartered, escargot and all, from Paris, and its sans-alcohol cocktails are a similarly metropolitan affair: there’s Pretty in Pink, a combination of Lyre’s pink gin, bitter orange, lemon and aquafaba; Faux Sour, a mix of Lyre’s gin, rosemary, lemon and aquafaba; the dapper Mr Pampermousse (grapefruit, lemongrass, ginger beer); and the Verjus Fizz, which owes its piquant bubbles to a sort of vinegar made from unripe grapes. Commercial Bay Level 2/172 Quay Street, Auckland

The Sugar Club

Snag seats at SkyCity’s 53-floor-high aerie to enjoy the Café Martini, a coupe of Lyre’s Coffee Originale (rich, caramelly, akin to coffee liqueur), Lyre’s White Cane (an homage to white rum) and a shot of espresso. There’s also a Veneto Spritz, boasting elderflower cordial, and a Delicate Swirl, zesty and cranberry-like. Level 53, Sky Tower, Victoria Street West, Auckland

Sunset

Literal top spot Sunset, the buzzy bar slinging elaborate, special cocktails on the roof of the Sudima hotel, has a dedicated mocktail menu this month, featuring a Watermelon High (Seedlip Spice 94, Lyre’s Apéritif Rosso, and Watermelon Redbull, among other things), a Sundown Sour (pictured, with pineapple, lime juice, and the vibrant feeling of a tropical holiday), and a UB 0 (elderflower, lime, foam). There’s also a sans-alcohol G&T, and a Cuba Libre, for those interested in booze-free rum and coke. Guests can also enjoy a complimentary AF cocktail while stocks last. 63-67 Nelson St, Auckland CBD, Auckland