Thercon_Jair t1_je0ih1n wrote on March 28, 2023 at 3:16 PM

Reply to comment by Rosebunse in Only Alcohol Free Bar in Dublin Closes its Doors by patdshaker

"Pretend alcohol" generally still has a low amount of alcohol in it. So no, you wouldn't want an (ex-)alcoholic to try it.

KittyBizkit t1_je0qdl6 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 4:06 PM

As a recovering alcoholic I can tell you that NA beers have been critical to me getting sober. I still felt compelled to drink something at night and NA beers really scratched the itch in a way other options simply couldn’t. I am 5.5 months sober and don’t think I would have made it this far without them.

Also, it’s worth pointing out that orange juice contains more alcohol than many NA beers. So does a ripe banana. And even bread can contain much more alcohol than an NA beer.

Wisco1856 t1_je0shr6 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 4:20 PM

Keep up the good work. I drink NA beers and NA spirits to maintain my sobriety as well.

Mutive t1_je19fli wrote on March 28, 2023 at 6:06 PM

Yeah. It's always weird to me when people freak out about the negligible amount of alcohol in NA beverages. Like, there are small amounts of alcohol in practically everything. But it's not really an issue to slam 0.5% NA beer (or kombacha or orange juice) because the amount it would take to have a noticable amount on almost any human is enormous.

I can see how NA beer might be triggering to some. But I love the idea of an alcohol free bar. (I remember seeing such things in the Middle East and loving them. I also like that there are more and more non-alcoholic mocktails on menus at normal bars. It's great being able to go out and not drink if I don't feel like it.)

itskdog t1_je3yak6 wrote on March 29, 2023 at 6:21 AM

I don't drink by choice - don't see what's so special about alcoholic drinks - and I too appreciate when there's a good selection of Mocktails. Saves having to stick with the same old cola or lemonade.

Mutive t1_je577qk wrote on March 29, 2023 at 2:31 PM

Me too. I really loathe going out to a bar with friends and having like, tap water (or a sprite - I can't drink caffeine at night if I want to sleep which rules out a ton of beverages) while everyone else is having something fancy. While I love going to a nearby bar and sipping on a mocktail while listening to live music. It's nice having alcohol free options. (And I say this as someone who also enjoys options with alcohol. I think it's great having both!)