No Booze, No Problem: A Sober Guide to Having Fun in Nashville
Make the most of Music City—no booze required.
There’s no doubt that Nashville is a party city. In fact, you can buy T-shirts emblazoned with “Nashville: a drinking town with a music problem,” but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time in Music City without alcohol. In fact, outside of the neon canyon of Lower Broad where the debauchery is pretty hard to avoid, there are plenty of places to visit and activities to enjoy that are in line with a sober lifestyle.
Whether you call it a New Year’s resolution or an “intention,” if you’re trying Dry January or just “sober-curious,” there’s nothing wrong with trying to take a little better care of yourself with a healthier regimen. Plus, you’ll definitely be on-trend, because non-alcoholic drink options are one of the fastest-growing segments of the beverage industry, and crafty new products are hitting the market with great regularity.
Here are some of our favorite ways to have a good time in Music City without a drop of booze:
Non Alcoholic Wine and Non Alcoholic Drinks in Nashville
Zero-proof cocktails
The bar at Husk has has an on-site garden that actually grows the freshest ingredients possible for both the culinary kitchen and the bar. Check out their special “Amendment XVIII” menu, cleverly named after the amendment to the Constitution that kicked off Prohibition. The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, keeps their NA offering is a bit hidden near the back of their drinks menu, but the bartenders at The Fox are constantly coming up with new treats for non-tipplers, including some created with house-made ingredients. Pushing Daisies is a subterranean club across from Bridgestone Arena with a menu that revolves around variations on the ubiquitous margarita. That includes several N/A versions that benefit from the same careful treatment by the talented bar staff when it comes to upscale ingredients and dramatic garnishes.
Thistle & Rye is the cocktail bar at the Conrad Nashville, and rather than come up with new cocktails for teetotalers, the bar staff have spent their time sourcing non-alcoholic versions of traditional spirits so that they can offer three classic cocktails in NA form. Their booze-free versions of iconic drinks like the Aperol spritz, boulevardier, and negroni offer the same flavors as the originals without the punch. At Tailor, diners can opt for a full multi-course pairing of non-alcoholic beverages to accompany chef Vivek Surti’s exploration of the intersection of his heritage of a first generation American of Indian descent to complement a parade of dishes that feature the ingredients of his mother’s kitchen combined with his own interests in modernist cuisine.
Other notable spots that are paying attention to patrons looking for alcohol-free alternatives include Heirloom atop Holston House which offers a spicy Hibiscus Mule and a tangy Sparkling Cider cocktail, The Supper Club on Belcourt which has a menu of $7 mocktails, 1799 Kitchen & Cocktails on the square in Franklin with a couple of elevated N/A offerings, and The Rutledge at The Four Seasons with a couple of fruity concoctions and a Basil-Cucumber Lemonade.
Nicky’s Coal Fired in the Nations features a non-alcoholic drink menu all year, but for January they’re offering two special cocktails built around the herbal beverages from Seedlip, the Grapefruit Grove, featuring non-alcoholic Seedlip grove 42, citrus botanicals, fresh grapefruit, agave, lemon and a salt rim, and A Milder Mule with Seedlip Spice 94, aromatic botanical NA, spirit with ginger beer and fresh lime.
Non-alcoholic wine
Harriet’s Rooftop above the 1 Hotel with a non-alcoholic gin drink called the Botonical along with a Mockarita, NAjito and several zero proof wines, and while nobody would confuse the party atmosphere of The Hampton Social as an expected site for a 12-step meeting, the SoBro restaurant goes out of its way to accommodate guests who want the full brunch experience without the booze. From a non-alcoholic rosé to a seasonal menu of mocktails, The Hampton Social ensures that all feel welcome at the bar.
CBD cocktails
If you’re looking for a bit of a buzz without the alcohol, several bars and restaurants around town are making CBD and THC drinks using ingredients from High Rise, and Crescent 9. Check out the drink menus at Beyond the Edge, Pinky Ring Pizza, Buds & Brews, and High Notes for next-generation drinks.
Coffee
While Living Waters is primarily a brewery, the East Nashville facility is also home to a fantastic coffee shop where they’re just as obsessive over both kinds of brews. It’s an ideal gathering spot for a group that includes both drinkers and non-drinkers to enjoy fine beverages together. Other favorite local coffee shops that are doing special things with their beans include Crema, 8th & Roast, Frothy Monkey,Barista Parlor, and Bongo Java.
Alcohol-free bottle shop
While drinking at a bar is great and all, sometimes you want to stay home and catch up on a little binge-watching with a mocktail or two. While local liquor stores have begun to stock more non-alcoholic ingredients for your home bar, the selections can still be a bit limited. Killjoy has become a leader in the category for folks seeking NA alternatives from beers to drink ingredients and mixers. Their tiny shop also hosts tastings so you can try out the ingredients before you invest in a $45 bottle.
Afternoon tea
An afternoon tea service is a delightful treat if you’re looking for some refined fun but not hunting a happy hour. At the opulent Hermitage Hotel downtown, they host a traditional afternoon tea at 2 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday complete with precious tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries along with loose-leaf tea from In Pursuit of Tea.
More casual, but no less enjoyable, is the tea service in the Nations at the Cafe at Thistle Farms, a small business that supports women seeking assistance from abusive situations by providing sanctuary, housing, healing, and employment. The cafe’s tea service revolves around the Japanese principles of “chado,” which emphasizes not just how the tea is prepared, but also how it is served and enjoyed with an attitude of love and intention. The experience is also available as a to-go option thanks to a Tea Box carryout service.
Troll House Cottage is a charming little tea house in Donelson which hosts an indulgent Cottage Tea Service with High Garden Teas served in dainty china and served with a triple-tiered platter of sweet and savory baked treats.
Sports and Wellness Activities to Do in Nashville instead of Drinking
YMCAs
Nashville is blessed with a YMCA system that is admired by cities across the country. The YMCA of Middle Tennessee operates more than a dozen facilities in the region, offering opportunities to work out, swim, run, or take group and private fitness classes for monthly rates that are quite reasonable. Financial assistance is also available to make it even more affordable to take care of yourself.
Pickleball
If you thought a round-up of fitness opportunities wasn’t going to include a mention of pickleball, you apparently haven’t been paying attention to the latest sporting craze that is sweeping the nation. Nashville is all-in on pickleball, and if you listen closely you can probably hear the “thwack” of plastic on plastic in a neighborhood near you. To learn about the game, find available courts and other players, join the Nashville Pickleball Facebook group or check in at Nashville Pickleball.
Curling
Since 2024 is a Summer Olympics year, we’re about as far away on the calendar from the nation’s quadrennial fascination with the arcane sport of curling. In case you’ve forgotten about the cold-weather activity of sliding and sweeping a large stone down a sheet of ice like some sort of Arctic shuffleboard, The Tee Line is the place to go to learn all about it. In fact, you can be curling after just an hour lesson, and The Tee Line provides the instruction and the equipment.
Self-care
If pickleball and curling are still a little exertion than you’re looking for, consider some self-care at Salt and Soles which offers daily group and private sessions where you’ll recline in a zero-gravity chair inside a salt cave while blissing out to meditative music and inhaling the pure, sterilized salt crystals. Add on a massage or reflexology treatment for a session so relaxing that they’ll have to pour you into your Uber afterward.
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the benefits of walking labyrinths, curvy outdoor paths that create an ideal environment for slow introspection on the path to spiritual centering. The Scarritt Bennett Labyrinth is a smaller path than some, so you don’t have to dedicate too much time to finding your holy heart, and it’s free and open to the public daily from sunup to sundown.
Small World Yoga is a community-based studio that offers classes for all levels of yoga practice designed to work within students’ abilities and body shapes without pushing anyone out of their individual comfort zone. In addition to their own studio, Small World hosts gentle classes including chair yoga for the community at public libraries around town.
Another low-impact exercise option is Tai Chi River where instructors teach slow, fluid, movements that soothe and strengthen the body while protecting the joints. The affordable classes are offered in-person, via Zoom, or through on-demand videos.
Outdoor Activities to Do in Nashville instead of Drinking
Paddleboarding
Thanks to nearby lakes like Percy Priest and Old Hickory, as well as the Cumberland River flowing through Downtown, paddleboarding has become a favorite peaceful form of exercise for Nashvilians seeking scenery and balance. Now that the river is no longer derisively referred to as the “Scumberland,” it’s safe to rent a board from outfitters like Nashville Paddle Co. or Big Willie’s and see downtown from the water. Just remember that the Cumberland runs downstream from Riverfront Park towards Opryland, so you’ll either have to fight the current home or arrange a pickup.
Greenways and hikes
Thanks to a growing system of greenways, Nashvillians have plenty of opportunities for walking, running, biking, or rollerblading (if you’re still stuck in the 80s,) all along paved and protected paths that connect around town. Or take advantage of the hiking trails at Warner Parks or Radnor Lake to get in touch with nature and clear your head.