It’s not a bad idea to do a self-imposed cocktail fast every now and then. This time of year lends itself to temperance, mostly because the phrase “Sober October” has a nice ring to it. Just because you’re embracing Sober October, however, doesn’t mean you have to stop going out entirely. These five tasty non-alcoholic beverages make it easy to stay on the wagon.
Cream Soda at Market
The barkeeps at Market make their own soft-drink syrups and the cream soda is a bona fide winner. The pleasant vanilla flavour is a nice change from the sickly-sweet pink stuff that normally passes for cream soda these days. They make a damned fine root beer at Market, too.
717 17 Ave. S.W., 403-474-4414, marketcalgary.ca, @MARKET_Calgary
Desert Springs at Fairmont Palliser Oak Room
The cocktail menu at the old-school hotel lounge includes this tall glass of refreshing – a blend of Clementine, cucumber, lime, honey and fresh mint, topped up with soda. It’s something you could see yourself sipping on the pool deck at a five-star spa.
133 9 Ave. S.E., 403-262-1234, fairmont.com/palliser-calgary/dining/the-oakroom, @Fairmont_PAL
Lemon-Limeade at Meet
The dcor at the adjacent lounge to popular veggie-vegan restaurant The Coup is best described as retro-rumpus-room, right down to the macram hanging plant holders and spaghetti lamps. Settle in and revive yourself with a fresh-squeezed lemon-limeade with basil or elderflower, a perfect pairing with share fare like the “Rabbit Pate,” a veg dish made with carrot, fennel, beet and mixed nuts.
924 17 Ave. S.W., 403-541-1041, thecoup.ca, @TheCoupCalgary
House-Made Iced Tea at Ox and Angela
No judgement if you cheat on Sober October and order the cocktail perfection that is Ox and Angela’s vanilla-bourbon Los Agrios. But if you’re on the path of resistance, try an iced tea made from a fragrant blend like Ginger Peach or Cinnamon Plum, sourced from The Naked Leaf in Kensington.
528 17 Ave. S.W., 403-457-1432, oxandangela.com, @OxAndAngela
Sparkling Maple Rosemary Lemonade at River Caf
This maple-sweetened sipper takes you back to all those lazy summer Sundays under the umbrellas on River Caf’s patio, dawdling over brunch and people-watching the families strolling through Prince’s Island Park. Sigh…
Prince’s Island, 403-261-7670, river-cafe.com, @RiverCafeYCC