If you find yourself thinking, “I’d like to go out, but I don’t want to drink,” you’re not alone. Alcohol consumption is lower now than it’s ever been, and, in turn, non-alcoholic beverages are on the rise. We’ve all seen the advertisement for nonalcoholic beer . . . Athletic Brewing and Heineken 0.0 come to mind . . . but have we seen much else? While society is catching up, some people have been diving into NA alternatives for years—and AltBar owners Bob and Meg Hartman have been on the front lines.
Bob’s decision to cut out alcohol left the couple feeling like something was missing on date nights—it wasn’t the buzz that mattered but the conversations that stemmed from trying new drinks.
“We always loved the restaurant scene in Rochester,” Meg says. “But we’d go out to dinner and then a bar and Bob would have a Diet Coke, or, if we were really lucky, the bartender would make us an upscale Shirley Temple or something. It just wasn’t the same. We missed having a good drink and being able to share it, talk about the flavors, and feel like adults.”
NA bottle shops and bars slowly began to pop up around the country, and the Hartmans jumped onboard immediately. They started buying different kinds of NA spirits to play with, built up a collection of their own recipes, and decided to give the small business dream a shot, hosting their first pop-up event at Fuego Coffee Roasters.
“The worst that could happen was no one would care, and then we’d have found out that no one cared, and we wouldn’t do it anymore,” Meg says. “But it was super well–received—we were full. We had a lot of press after the event. Then we held another, and the space was packed—there were lines to the back of the room to order cocktails. And after the second pop-up, we started to think this could actually be a viable business.”
Two and a half years later, AltBar opened a brick and mortar. Walls coated in shades of dark green, crates fastened on display behind the bar, two golden chairs accented against a beautiful mural, a jivey playlist humming in the background, and endless drink options fill the space.
The overall decrease in alcohol con-sumption is related to a number of things, but whether you’re sober, cut-ting down, or just curious, AltBar is your place.
“We have a group of customers who don’t drink for whatever reason, but we also have a big group of customers who are trying to cut back,” Meg says. “Maybe they’re drinking alcohol on the weekends but still want something after work because it’s the ritual of the thing. People are seeing there are so many other amaz-ing options that they don’t have to drink alcohol to enjoy a good beverage, and I think that’s the biggest shift in the last five to ten years.”
Bob continues, “Sometimes customers will share their stories—and like Meg said, a lot of people are reducing their intake. We’ve had people share that they’re pregnant, starting different medications, training for a race, all kinds of things.”
The beverage variety at AltBar is seemingly endless, and the coolest part is that the Hartmans have tasted every single product. If it’s available to purchase or goes into a mixed drink, it’s passed their taste test. Needless to say, their recommendations are spot on, backed with knowledge and a desire to serve beverages that meet their standards.
“This has been years of trying stuff and building. We don’t want to sell anything that we don’t believe in. And now we’re at a point where brands will send us new product samples, so we’ll try them and then make the decision if we’re going to carry it or not,” Bob says.
Starting with their retail options, AltBar has a section of “functional beverages.” These are plant-based drinks that create some sort of experience—perfect for people who want to feel something from their drink but don’t want alcohol.
“They have kava, CBD, or lion’s mane mushrooms, for example—natural sources of energy. Kava sells really well because you immediately get a tingling in your mouth and feel it working. The Lucky Frog is another one—it’s a refreshing social tonic made with ashwagandha and magnesium,” Meg says.
There are too many NA beer choices to name, but a crowd favorite is a local option from Twisted Rail that is offered on tap. The Hartmans also carry beers from Two Frays Brewery in Pittsburgh and are the only place outside of Pennsylvania that sells them—they drive down, buy them, and bring them back to Rochester. They sell spirit alternatives—and offer free samples at any time—canned cocktails, and lots of NA wine options. Last but definitely not least are nonalcoholic cocktails and mocktails.
“Nonalcoholic cocktails use spirit alter-natives that are trying to emulate the feel of a cocktail, and mocktails are a mixture of teas, syrups, and juices—if anyone is looking for something that doesn’t taste like a cocktail, we’ll point them to these,” Meg says. “We try to be seasonal as much as possible, so our menu rotates, but we’ll always have a bourbon drink, a gin drink . . . in the summer we’ll have some bright and refreshing drinks, and in the winter, they’ll be heavier.”
Some crowd favorites include Pink Pony Club and In My Flannel Era, but the most popular sale always ends up being the featured drink of the month—fifty percent of the proceeds from this beverage go directly to a nonprofit organization in the community.
I get to try the Hope Riser, which is a mix of Monday Rum, Tenneyson, coconut milk, pineapple juice, lime juice, and blue curacao. I could have ordered three. This happened to be the featured drink of July, and the proceeds supported the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester (CAC). Meg even makes origami butterflies to pin to the rim of this drink because it’s the CAC’s symbol.
The second drink I had, which is another one of their staples, was Stay Beautiful. I was shocked there wasn’t alcohol in it. It was such a flavorful mix, and I would 100 percent gravitate toward it instead of an alcoholic beverage. The garnishes were above and beyond—with a flower frozen in an ice cube stamped with their brand, the drink looked and felt upscale.
A bonus—the Hartman’s don’t gatekeep. They share their recipes and have cards for customers to look over so they can see exactly what they’re drinking. Meg and Bob thought their espresso martini recipe would be a perfect beverage to make at home in the fall. Now, if you want the gold-covered espresso beans, you’ll have to stop by AltBar, but the recipe below is a good start.
Working Late:
1. Chilled coupe glass
2. Add to shaker tin
a. 1.5 oz cold brew
b. 1.5 oz Namari (a nonalcoholic digestif)
c. 1/4 oz pumpkin spice syrup
d. Five to six dashes Fee Foam
3. Dry shake
4. Shake with ice
5. Double strain over coupe
6. Top with three espresso beans
“It’s been such a rewarding experience because our customers are so delightful—they’re so grateful. It’s amazing to see the joy on their faces when they realize they can have anything on the menu,” Meg says. Bob continues, “There’s something about being able to experience and be part of something that feels bigger than us and feel like it’s making a difference in people’s lives. We want to create a welcoming and safe space for whoever comes in.”
More information on AltBar can be found on the website altbarroc.com, or on socials @altbarroc.
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of (585).
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