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Dry and Damp January Recommendations in OC for the Rest of the Month

Writer's picture: Ivy DaiIvy Dai

Updated: Jan 19

If you are working on curbing your drinking habits this month or beyond, we have options for you.


The She-Pretty cocktail from Joey Newport Beach. Photo courtesy of Joey
The She-Pretty cocktail from Joey Newport Beach. Photo courtesy of Joey
 

For those of you who have been debating whether to hit the gym in 2025 or stop drinking, there might be more incentive to cut the alcohol.


Earlier this month, the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed labeling alcoholic drinks with cancer warnings. Beer, wine and liquor are a factor in nearly 100,000 newly diagnosed cases each year, and about 20,000 people die annually from alcohol-related cancer.


Not only is drinking linked to cancer and other health problems, but using alcohol to relax can affect your sleep negatively. Poor sleep cycles then increase anxiety, which turns into a vicious cycle.


You don’t need to be a complete teetotaler, however, to experience the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption.


Enter Damp January – where you significantly cut down on drinking or save it for special occasions. You can opt to drink only once a week for example, or begin the night with a mocktail and hydrate well between drinks.


Choosing a low-alcohol cocktail (less than 10% alcohol by volume) or avoiding hard liquor is another compromise. Sugar is hard on the liver, so be kind to yourself and go for low-sugar or sugar-free drinks.


Whether you decide to go the Dry or Damp January route, here are some of the best places to socialize while imbibing in a healthy mocktail near you.

 

Read Anne Marie Panoringan's 2024 recommendations:

 

Pie Society Bar offers a dozen custom creations. Happy hour begins at 5 p.m. Photo from Pie Society's Instagram
Pie Society Bar offers a dozen custom creations. Happy hour begins at 5 p.m. Photo from Pie Society's Instagram

Speakeasy Sips at Pie Society Bar

First on the list is an underground, not-so-secret speakeasy attached to Pitfire Pizza called Pie Society. Most of their drinks can be made into a mocktail, and you can even request a custom creation. Paired with a pizza from next door, it’s the perfect happy hour for a date or girls’ night out. The ambience is muted and cozy, with wood paneling and vintage easy chairs.


The mocktail version of Everybody Wants Some (elderflower, jalapeno, honey and lime) is a winner paired with the Honey Bear pizza (ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, sausage, honey, Calabrian chile and bee pollen).


Other alcohol-free libations include a twist on the Green Tea Whisky Sour, and other fruity custom combos, so just ask – the Pie Society bartenders are eager to please. Kids are also welcome.


Where: 353 East 17th St., Costa Mesa

When: Open 5-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and until 10 p.m. on Sunday.


Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens has added three mocktails to their menu this year. From left, Relapse, a strawberry-infused, zero-proof aperol; the Virgin Bloody Mary; and the Vitality with zero-proof vodka, celery, mint, green apple, cucumber. Photo from Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens' Instagram
Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens has added three mocktails to their menu this year. From left, Relapse, a strawberry-infused, zero-proof aperol; the Virgin Bloody Mary; and the Vitality with zero-proof vodka, celery, mint, green apple, cucumber. Photo from Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens' Instagram
The Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens 

This rustic yet elegant restaurant is the perfect spot for a booze-free brunch or weeknight drinks. Surrounded by jasmine flowers and orange blossoms, the outdoor dining patio overlooks the lushly landscaped nursery at Roger’s Gardens.


The botanical-inspired mocktail menu is the perfect foil to the farm-to-table cuisine. The locals love pairing their drinks with the pizza of the day.


The five zero-proof offerings are mostly lighter fruit and vegetable infused, like the Vitality, with non-alcoholic vodka, celery, mint, green apple and cucumber. There is a housemade virgin bloody mary, a non-alcoholic strawberry infused Aperol, and a daily market offering. If you are feeling something different, the bartenders are extremely accommodating to offer a custom mocktail to your liking.  


Where: 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar

When: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily



Like Farmhouse, Bar Verde also offers a nonalcoholic Aperol Apritz which they call the Overnight Celebrity. It is a blend of strawberry-infused Campari and lemon. Photo from Bar Verde's Instagram
Like Farmhouse, Bar Verde also offers a nonalcoholic Aperol Apritz which they call the Overnight Celebrity. It is a blend of strawberry-infused Campari and lemon. Photo from Bar Verde's Instagram
Verde & Bar Verde

The former bar manager of Farmhouse, Anthony Laborin, branched out and opened his own restaurant last fall with partner Koire Rogers. Located at the Irvine Ranch Market in Costa Mesa, Verde offers seasonally-driven California cuisine with a focus on craft cocktails and high-end wines. Executive chef Paula Balderrama, who worked at Nancy Silverton’s Mozza, offers a curated bar menu with steak tartare, salmon and hamachi crudo, and an extensive global cheese and charcuterie board.


Laborin’s cocktail menu offers a reprisal on the Farmhouse menu called Cigarettes and Coffee – rye, amari, Havana bitters and coffee bean. Other options include a smattering of fruit and vegetable infused creations, and while there isn’t an official zero proof menu yet, the bar is more than happy to concoct a custom mocktail du jour from their plethora of fresh juices.


Where: 2675 Irvine Ave. D2, Costa Mesa When: Bar Verde Hours are 5-11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m-midnight Friday-Saturday. Restaurant hours are 4-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday 

 

Joey Newport Beach

For those who need to entertain clients or enjoy a more sophisticated spacious vibe (as well as daytime non-drinking), Joey Newport Beach has some excellent heart-healthy drinks.


The She-Pretty is tart and refreshingly floral with fresh raspberries, lemon, rose water and egg white. The Matcha Mojito is an herbaceous twist on the classic with matcha, lime, soda and mint. For those looking for a low-calorie and zero proof option, the Zip Margarita features lime juice, agave and sugar-free triple sec. The Strawberry Cool rounds out your options for an elegant mocktail with a fruity combo of strawberry grapefruit and peach. For beer drinkers there is Heineken 0.0 and an Athletic “Run Wild” IPA.


You can enjoy your guilt-free creation at the sleek wraparound bar indoors or opt for a bar table on the heated patio replete with charcoal fire pits.


Where: 453 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

When: Open 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday


The Kava Drop from Strong Water is a new addition to their mocktail menu for dry January. Photo from Strong Water's Facebook page.
The Kava Drop from Strong Water is a new addition to their mocktail menu for dry January. Photo from Strong Water's Facebook page.

Strong Water Anaheim

For a more exotic twist amid a shipwreck theme try the James Beard Award finalist Strong Water restaurant and bar in Anaheim. You won’t even miss the liquor in two bright mocktail favorites. Taro cream is the star in the tropical Tarobi Colada, with a luscious blend of pineapple, lime and coconut. Anana Rising combines pineapple, lemon, cinnamon and walnut bitters in a rich, fruity zero-proof beverage.


Also consider two other low-alcohol options — the nutty Bitter Mai Tai with Italian liquor, herbal bitters, dry curacao and Jamaican pot still gold rum. Or try the Fernet Swizzle, an herbal combination with aged rum, velvet falernum and lime.


Where: 270 S. Clementine St., Anaheim

When: 5-11:00 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 5 p.m.-midnight Thursday to Saturday, 4-10 p.m. Sunday

 

Dive Bar at Swallows Inn

If you are in South O.C. and you’re looking for a daytime location for Dry or Damp January, the bartenders will prepare custom mocktails for you on the fly.


It’s a classic cowboy dive bar that is a well-known music venue with artists from the O.C. and nationwide.


Where: 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano

When: 8 a.m.-midnight Mondays to Wednesdays, 8 a.m.-1 a.m. Thursdays, 8 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays



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