sober vacation - drinking mocktails

Exploring the World With Clarity: A Guide to Sober Travel

The sober travel trend has reached every corner of the globe, from airlines serving mocktails to alcohol-free bars and dry retreats around the world. 

Booze-free travel is growing every year, especially among millennials and Generation Z, who are prioritizing travel without the hangover. Tour companies, hotels and brands are capitalizing on this by offering experiences that align with dry lifestyles.

Here are some of the latest travel trends and experiences in the alcohol-free travel realm.

Mocktail Mania

Hotel chains worldwide have embraced non-drinking activities with mocktail experiences and classes for sober travelers.

AAA Three Diamond designated hotel Tempo by Hilton Times Square and other Tempo properties have a unique mocktail beverage program in partnership with Lyre’s, a zero-proof line of spirits. Halfway around the world, Jumeirah Olhahali Island Maldives offers an expert-guided, mixology master class with non-alcoholic spirits from Lyre’s (think zero-proof bourbon, whiskey, gin and rum).

Meanwhile, tour companies have expanded from pub crawls and wine tastings to mocktail classes and spirit-free tastings.

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Custom Spirit-Free Hotel Offerings

Whether sober or sober curious, hotels will tailor your trip to accommodate your preferences. The newly opened Eriro in Ehrwald, Austria, is an off-the-grid haven with only nine suites. Before arriving, their team calls guests to confirm dietary requirements and beverage preferences and recommends regional and homemade non-alcoholic beverages. The culinary team even forages for fresh ingredients like pine needles and mountain herb syrups to create magical mocktails.

With the growing interest in alcohol alternatives, Hyatt has implemented the Zero Proof, Zero Judgement initiative. The program expanded its non-alcoholic menu items at hotel bars and restaurants around the U.S. The AAA Four Diamond designated Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall Boston takes it one step further by offering a Booze-free Boston package for sober travelers. The package comes with a gift basket of non-alcoholic canned cocktails and souvenirs, a map of nearby establishments with the best booze-free drink options and a special room service delivery of a non-alcoholic turndown cocktail and dessert.

Alcohol-Free Bars

In the last few years, alcohol-free bars and destinations have started to pop up throughout the United States and beyond, offering patrons a place to gather with friends without the buzz.

New York City is home to Hekate Cafe & Elixir Lounge, a sober bar and bottle shop that hosts events like tarot card readings. Across the nation in Hood River, Ore., the Wilderton Tasting Room is the country’s first alcohol-free tasting room and distillery.

Meanwhile, Kansas City, Mo., is emerging as a destination for a sober vacation. Just a short drive from downtown, Wild Child in Shawnee is making waves with a focus on low and no-proof drinks, like its no-alcohol espresso martini and negroni. The bar even earned a spot on Bon Appetit’s list of the 11 best new bars of 2023. Mean Mule Distilling Co. is another hotspot in the area with a creative mocktail menu to provide an inclusive experience for those avoiding alcohol.

Water Tastings

Some restaurants and hotels have taken the trend further by offering water tastings. Non-alcoholic restaurant Shor in Los Angeles crafts innovative mocktails and has a unique water bar, featuring extravagant water bottles from France, Finland, Canada, Slovenia and Germany. They even have a $1,000 Swarovski crystal-encrusted bottle of Fillico Jewelry Bottle from Kobe, Japan, sourced from a natural spring.  

AAA Four Diamond Epicurean Atlanta Autograph Collection offers a zero-proof, pour-of-the-month option for sober travelers. The hotel is also known for its vibrant culinary classes at Epicurean Theatre. A staple event each year is the World of Water in January, a tasting of some of the finest water from around the world with a certified water sommelier.

Sober Retreats

Skipping the booze at a wellness retreat is nothing new. However, the number of retreats catering to sober travelers is multiplying in the U.S. and abroad. The Art of Living Retreat Center is an alcohol-free oasis in Boone, N.C., offering various wellness programs. Its Ayurveda wellness cleanse and detox retreats gives visitors deep rest and rejuvenation with no aftereffects.

Aleenta Phuket, located on the Andaman Sea in Thailand, is a secluded getaway where individuals can enjoy travel without the influence of alcohol. Home to Ayurah Spa and Wellness Center, guests enjoy tailor-made holistic wellness programs with master therapists.

Zero-Proof Airplane and Minibar Options

The non-alcoholic beverage movement is taking off with airlines, too. Many airlines now offer an exciting array of virgin beverages (goodbye stale coffee and orange juice). JetBlue has added a craftmix strawberry mule mocktail and Athletic Brewing Co. non-alcoholic beer to its drink menu, Emirates Airlines advertises onboard mocktails, like a virgin mojito, and Qatar Airways’ variety includes a cranberry apple cooler.

Curious about your hotel’s mini fridge? Santo Pure, a property in Oia, Santorini, has a wellness ethos, and its suite minibars have beverages focusing on functional wellness with items like no-sugar kombucha, immunity shots and matcha tea beverages, among others. Yes, please!

Have you tried sober travel? Tell us what you think about traveling alcohol-free in the comments.

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