18 sober-friendly or alcohol-free places for a drink in Asheville, NC

From mocktails to nonalcoholic beers to kava + tea, there are plenty of spots around to take a spirit-free sip.

The Pot Stirred is one of the first “mushroom cafes” in the country.

Photo by @thepotstirred

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Whether you’re doing the Whole30 challenge, making permanent lifestyle changes, or just have never enjoyed alcohol in the first place — we’ve heard from many of you that finding a tasteful nonalcoholic beverage in Beer City can be a challenge. Here are 20 options in the Asheville area, including alcohol-free spaces, sober-friendly establishments, and even a few bottle shops.

Alcohol-free spaces

Sovereign Kava Bar, 268 Biltmore Ave. | One of NC’s first kava bars, this award-winning lounge offers mixed beverages like The Mule and Iced Kava Mocha and straight pours of kava, an herbal supplement extracted from the root of a pepper plant.

The Pot Stirred, 191 Lyman St. Ste. 316 | Located upstairs in the Art Garden, this LGBTQ+ and women-owned space celebrates plant medicine with drinks like mushroom coffee, herbal + CBD tea, and housemade plant based-milks. Bonus: There are also gourmet donuts.

Dobra Tea, various locations | These Eastern-style tea rooms offer a thoughtfully sourced (and remarkably expansive) selection of teas from all over the world. Pro tip: You can build your own bubble tea.

High Climate Tea, 12 S. Lexington Ave. | Indulge in white, green, oolong, black, puerh, and tisanes teas cultivated from traditional, chemical-free methods.

Vintage Kava, 141 Reems Creek Rd., Weaverville | This cozy community lounge is tucked away from downtown and has plenty of parking, plus fun weekly events like open mic + board game nights.

Café Canna, 487 Haywood Rd. | This CBD-focused, nonalcoholic bar + hole-in-the-wall gem shares a location with the Haywood Quick Stop.

Fun fact: The Whale also has locations in Charleston and Greenville, SC.

Photo by @thewhaleavl

Sober-friendly breweries, restaurants + lounges

Rosetta’s Kitchen, 68 N. Lexington Ave. | This vegan kitchen has a special Buchi Bar where you can order drafts (or flights) of kombucha, plus there are fun mocktails like the coconut-forward Happy L’il Cloud or Liquid Apple Pie.

The Whale, 507 Haywood Rd. + 2 Beverly Rd. | Explore a diverse array of canned NA beer, such as the Heaven & Heat Stout from BrewDog and the Tokyo Drift CBD Cold Brew Coffee.

W.A.L.K, 401 Haywood Rd. | This lively kitchen + lounge offers a NA seltzer and Hazy IPA from Untitled Art, plus alcohol-free gin + tonics, margaritas, and mixed Kentucky 74 “Bourbon” drinks. Pro tip: Go on a Tuesday and enjoy great taco specials.

New Belgium Brewing, 21 Craven St. | While this iconic brewery has yet to brew its own suds, it offers a selection of non-alcoholic beverages in the taproom.

Copper Crown, 1011 Tunnel Rd. | This beloved Americana restaurant has a whole menu of alcohol-free beverages, including Devil’s Foot soda, CBD sparkling water + Shanti Elixir Jun.

One World Brewing - West, 520 Haywood Rd. | With plenty of nonalcoholic options and regular live music events, this is a great place to hang out without partaking.

Asheville Dispensary, 919 Haywood Rd. | This herbal elixir lounge and CBD dispensary serves up a variety of CBD and hemp-infused sodas, iced teas, and coffees, as well as refreshing mocktails for a different kind of buzz.

Haywood Common, 507 Haywood Rd. | This lively eatery offers alcohol-free mixed drinks, tonics like the MerTail MerGarita, and Devil’s Foot sparkling lemonade + Arnold Palmers.

The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd. Ste. 10 | Find mocktail versions of this craft soda company’s signature Moscow mule, margarita, and mojito, plus a rotating special mocktail and plenty of craft soda on tap.

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Bottles on bottles on bottles.

Photo via @local604avl

Bottle shops

Local 604 Bottle Shop, 604 Haywood Rd. Ste. 2 | Shop from a primarily local selection of 50+ craft sodas, NA beers, kombucha, sparkling water, zero-proof wine, and beyond.

NoLo Bottle Shop at The Marquee, 36 Foundy St. | Come explore this vast, design-centric marketplace then stop at NoLo to sample + shop from a selection of NA beer, wine, and spirits.

Appalachian Vintner, 745 Biltmore Ave. Ste. 121 | This worldly bottle shop offers a fun selection of alcohol-free spirits.

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