So, you’re more than half way through Dry January and you’ve forgotten what the inside of a bar looks like… Well, we’re here to tell you that you can frequent the boozer without the booze.
Matt Whiley from Bethnal Green’s Peg + Patriot says the world of non-alcoholic drinks has changed and as bartenders seek out those all-important new ingredients for cocktails, the boundaries are pushed in the world of mocktails, too. ‘Mocktails have moved on because people are more health conscious and you can’t alienate non-drinkers.” Whiley turned convention on its head by creating a soft drink using Campari sugar, extracted by distilling Campari. “Many people who are not drinking don’t want to miss out on the taste of booze, much the same as many drinkers like long, fruity cocktails.”
So whether your taste is for long and fruity or short and dry, here’s our round-up of Dry January-friendly bars and tipples…
In the plush surrounds of Artesian, (below left) you don’t need a special menu or a quiet word with the bartender to get a booze-free tipple; they are given the same space and attention on the menu as the boozy drinks. Try I Feel Pretty (frankincense, bergamot, mandarin, raspberry and rice), it’s like a punchy rice pudding in a glass. 
If your wallet is a little light for Artesian’s five-star stuff, hop over to Caravan, where virgin cocktails weigh in at under a fiver. Try Caravan Cranberry Iced Tea (cranberry juice, earl grey tea, lemon and sugar syrup). Delightful.
Although the Pisco Sour here at Ceviche (below right) is worth a punt in February, stay on the wagon with a go on one of the Peruvian hang-out’s nifty list of booze-free libations. A Pimentolada, perhaps? It’s a blend of red bell pepper, banana, coconut cream and pineapple juice. 
You will have to grapple with the words ‘with or without rum’, but stay strong because Dishoom’s Bhang Lassi (ginger, grenadine, candied fennel sprinkles and coconut milk) is a refreshing quaff, with a bit of a kick. A bit like Dishoom itself.
Mark s Bar at Hix keeps a fine selection of booze-free tipples for those who are firmly on the wagon. Order yourself a Lost Valentino (lemon sherbet with chilled green tea, smacked mint, a touch of orange and spiced with nutmeg); it takes the Hix out of hiccup.
If you still want to look the part, head up to the Oxo Tower bar (left) for an After Hours Cosmo (berry tea, fresh cranberry juice and house lime cordial, with orange flower water and ginseng). It comes in the same glass and it has the same pinky-hue as its boozy cousin. No one will ever know…
At Bethnal Green’s Peg + Patriot, you can have your booze (taste) and drink it. Bartenders strip the sugar from the likes of Campari and Aperol by distilling the drinks, separating the alcohol and a bitter, flavoured sugar. Try an alcohol-free Campari and soda – no need to be bitter about Dry January at this joint.
If everyone you know is dry and none of you have seen the inside of a bar, or seen each other, since December then then let us 
provide divine intervention in the form of Holborn’s Redemption (right). It’s drier than a camel’s hide and it’s also full of all those things you’ve read about it the paper: coconut water, beetroots and pomegranate. Super. Try a Coco-tini (coconut water and berry infused ‘Martinis’ shaken over ice with a squeeze of lime).
Since you haven’t spent much money on booze this month, venture forth to The Rivoli Bar at The Ritz (below left) for a Blossom Fizz (fresh cream, vanilla syrup, orange blossom oil, soda water and orange juice). At £10, it’s not cheap, but nor is it ordinary.
Artesian bartender Simone Caporale recommends using Dry January as an excuse to try new flavours.
He says, ‘At Artesian we are currently serving a non-alcoholic drink composed of Galia melon, celery, kale and kombucha (fermented white tea). Dry January is a time to explore new flavours.’
He seems to be an advocate of drinking less, but drinking better in general. ‘I would recommend drinking a bit less but being curious about new flavours, fruits and food...’
You don’t have to stay inside and cross off the days until February, there’s plenty of interesting wet stuff to help you stay dry.