The Mindful Drinking Guide To Cleveland
This Midwestern gem on the shores of Lake Erie has been an underrated foodie haven for years. Its non-alcoholic scene is quickly catching up.
With a wonderfully diverse set of neighborhoods that are a nod to the city’s industrial past, the Cleveland of today was quite literally built by those who immigrated to the region in search of manufacturing jobs powering the economy during much of the last century. One of the remnants of those roots is an eclectic mix of food and culinary experiences that the city has only recently begun to get its share of credit for. As the moderation and non-alcoholic movement has spread to all corners of the country, Cleveland’s burgeoning NA scene is quickly ratcheting up to meet the moment.
Cleveland saw its first non-alcoholic bottle shop, Verbena Free Spirited Shoppe, open in the summer of 2023, and as in other cities, it has quickly become a hub for the moderation movement in the city. When founder Molly Cheraso first stopped drinking she ordered many NA products off Instagram, while wishing that something existed locally where she could try them first. In the early stages before settling on a permanent brick-and-mortar location for Verbena, she began doing pop-ups around the city. “The one thing that kept coming up is people wanting to tell their story, and wanting to share their feelings on their relationship with alcohol,” said Cheraso. That ultimately led to the physical store that exists today, in the heart of the Hingetown neighborhood of Ohio City.
Planning a trip to Cleveland and want to know where to find good non-alcoholic options? Here are some options to consider from our local experts:
Verbena Free Spirited Shoppe - The hub of the moderation movement for the city, Verbena is a coffee and tea house by day, non-alcoholic lounge and NA bottle shop by afternoon and night, creating a third-space built entirely without alcohol.
Drink Fleurish - While not located in any brick-and-mortar location, Fleurish organizes pop-ups and zero-proof bartending at events in and around the city.
Santé Supper Club - Elevated dining events taking place around the city, pairing chef-inspired cuisine with non-alcoholic beverages that make you forget the alcohol is missing.
Patron Saint Cleveland - Located just around the corner from Verbena is this Italian-inspired cafe and bar with a plethora of non-alcoholic cocktail options.
Cordelia - This downtown establishment was named among Tasting Table’s 22 Best New Restaurants in the U.S. in 2022. It also features non-alcoholic versions of many of its signature cocktails.
Amba - Another Hingetown favorite with non-alcoholic options to complement their shareable plates.
Zhug - Located just east of the city in Cleveland Heights, Zhug features Mediterranean cuisine alongside many NA cocktails and beers (fun fact: Cleveland Heights is also the hometown of the NFL’s Kelce brothers, and the inspo for their hit podcast, The Heights).
LBM - On the near west side adjacent to Cleveland lies this Lakewood cocktail bar featuring NA options from Seedlip and others.
Southern Tier Brewery Cleveland - While as of this writing Cleveland has no locally-made non-alcoholic beer (paging Great Lakes Brewery), upstate-NY based STBC fills that void with a non-alcoholic option, available in their downtown taproom on draft. A great spot to enjoy a cold one before heading to a Guardians or Cavs game across the street.
UPCOMING 2025 EVENTS
Feed The Resistance - A weekly summer event series by Santé Supper Club that is a celebration of community, connection, and the belief that there is space for every voice to be heard. With a pay-what-you-can model, the series aims to make their non-alcoholic culinary experiences even more approachable.
Interested to hear the story of Verbena, Drink Fleurish and Santé Supper Club? Check out the U.S. of N/A episode above, also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you consume your podcasts.