The Dish

5 mocktails to try this Dry January

Plus: New restaurants this year, igloo dining guide, and an oyster shucking class.

Warming mocktails at Capo in South Boston. Handout

January 13, 2025

3 minutes to read

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You’re now entering a no-judgement zone. Don’t have any resolutions? Me neither. Aren’t following through on your resolutions? That’s OK, too.

Sometimes you just need ideas. For those who have decided to cut drinking out — either for a month or long-term — this newsletter is for you.

You’re not alone in your quest to stop drinking alcohol or drink less of it. Dry January seems to get bigger and better every year, especially as more health officials sound the alarm on the health risks associated with moderate drinking.

The Strawberry Cheesecake cocktail from Merai can be made into a mocktail.

And as someone who moved here from New Orleans, a place where you can drive with a daiquiri in your car that you grabbed from a drive-thru, Boston feels exceptionally accommodating when it comes to mocktails and non-alcoholic options.

We have non-alcoholic bottle shops, events that cater to drinking less or not at all, and most restaurants you go to nowadays have a dedicated spirit-free section of the menu (not just during Dry January either).

So how do you even choose where to go? I asked bartenders and bar managers — those who have their own mocktail programs — where they go for Greater Boston’s best mocktails.

Benjamin Spinney, bar manager at Post 1917, recommends: Hecate for “great, over-the-top mocktails” and a bar team that puts lots of effort into the presentation and flavor profile. Get the Bolskine Manor with lapsang, Souchang, sea moss, bonito flake, pear syrup, orgeat, lemon, and aquafaba.

Drew Carleton, head bartender at Puritan & Co., recommends: Ledger in Salem for a well-rounded mocktail that pairs hibiscus, pink peppercorn, and lemon. “The spices round out what would otherwise be a juice-bomb.”

Andrew Alberts, the manager at Nook at Bow Market, recommends: Barra for a drink that’s “super refreshing” like their agua fresca. You can choose between a hibiscus and cinnamon drink, or a guava and rosemary beverage. Barra can also make other drinks spirit-free, like their mojito and passion fruit margarita.

Rachel Trudel, owner and bartender at Barlette, recommends: Merai for the “quite literally mind-blowing” strawberry cheesecake mocktail. She also suggests pairing it with their Krapaw sausage hot dog. The author of this newsletter agrees with Rachel’s recommendation — the strawberry cheesecake mocktail is tasty.

Blackberry Burlesque from Legal Sea Foods

Lastly, I wanted to share two recommendations from our Boston.com resident-mocktail-sipper, Kelly Chan: Boqueria in the Seaport for its Forget-Me-Not, which combines butterfly pea flower, thyme, honey, lime, and ginger beer; and Legal Sea Foods for its Blackberry Burlesque with steeped tea, blackberry puree, ginger beer, and lime.

For your reading list

🥯 A guide to exciting new eateries in 2025
🥶 It’s freezing. Warm up at a restaurant
🦞 Hook + Line is now closed
❤️ Restaurants that support your resolutions (Boston Globe)
🥩 Dine out like a Boston chef (Eater Boston)

For your calendar

🦪 Learn to shuck your oysters
🌮 Make authentic chicken tacos at Break Rock
🧙‍♀️ Watch — and sing along to — “Wicked” at Parlor Sports
🍔 Try the new bar menu at Season to Taste

What I’m eating this week: Oysters + wine at Neptune Oyster

Can you believe I — a huge fan of oysters — have never been to Neptune? That’s because I’m not a huge fan of waiting in line, which typically wraps around the front of this North End restaurant. But this week, as bone-chilling temps cleared the streets of people, I braved the cold for a slice of pizza after work (Ernesto’s, cheap and quick as a slice shop should be). Its Salem Street neighbor noticeably didn’t have a swarm of people waiting to get in, so it was finally my chance to slurp oysters at one of Boston’s most celebrated and beloved restaurants. And I know it’s Dry January, but I also loved their selection of wines by the glass (I ordered a Rebula).

— Katelyn Umholtz