I tried a non-alcoholic Aperol Spritz during Dry January and I can't wait to sip on them this spring

The East Village neighborhood of Manhattan is home to a completely alcohol-free cocktail bar called Hekate.

Abby Ehmann, a bar owner and East Village resident, first opened Hekate in January 2022 in partnership with a coffee company. But, Ehmann told me over the phone, it wasn't until summer that the sober bar, tea shop, and gift shop took on the identity that it has today. 

Serving up booze-free cocktails and teas, the space on Avenue B is meant to exude empowered feminine energy, as it's named for the Greek goddess of magic.

Ehmann said business at Hekate has really taken off since its summertime re-launch, and now the alcohol-free "elixir lounge" is more profitable than Lucky, her bar across the street that serves alcohol.

"There's never been a better time to be sober," she said, mentioning the market for alcohol-free beverages and how abstaining from substances isn't such a taboo topic anymore.

As someone who stopped consuming alcohol in May 2022, I wanted to go see what it was like.

While I gave up booze last spring, I still love the feeling and energy of being in a bar. It's how I connect with friends and build community, which can sometimes be tough in a big city like New York.

I also really enjoyed the taste and experience of drinks like beer, wine, liquor, and certain cocktails (as long as they weren't too sweet). So even though I can still go to a bar and order a seltzer water, I've missed the warmth, comfort, and sophistication that comes with sipping on a proper drink. 

When I went to Hekate, I was hoping to find somewhere that felt like a bar serving drinks that gave me that same feeling of a night out. 

The vibes inside Hekate are witchcraft meets roadside antique shop in a way that felt cohesive.

When I arrived at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday, the place had just one open seat left. It was packed in the middle of the week and, to my delight, it only got busier as the night went on. 

Customers were seated at the bar underneath ornamental light fixtures that hung from the ceiling, at high-top tables by the walls which were decorated with faux animal heads and antique mirrors, and on lower tables flanked with both wooden and sofa-like chairs. 

Much of the decor, like art and jewelry, was for sale.

I loved seeing the art and other items on display. It gave me the sense that Hekate is more than just a bar, but it was still subtle enough to keep it feeling like one (rather than a gift shop that also sells alcohol-free drinks). 

With business cards and local event flyers on a table near the door, I felt like I was participating in that East Village community just by being there. 

"I've lived here since 1989," Ehmann told me. "I'm a board member of the East Village Independent Merchants Association. I have friends who own other places, and we conspire on fun events."

She said she wants Hekate to be a member of the community, and also strives to foster community within its walls. She said the intention behind opening Hekate was "to create the kind of place that people would want to come back to again and again."

After settling in, I looked at the extensive mocktail menu and tasted a variety of drinks, from classics to house specials.

There's both a small list of drinks propped on the bar and tables, and a much more extensive collection on the bar's website. 

Most mocktails will run customers $12, zero-ABV beers range from $5 to $7, and coffees, teas, and sodas range from $3 to $7. 

Hekate offers everything from sober takes on classics like sangria and margaritas to their own named creations like "The Healer" and "The Empress."

While I was there, I tasted "The Healer," "The Oaxacan," a jalapeño margarita, and an old fashioned. My favorite, though, was the booze-less take on an Aperol Spritz.

Out of the five drinks I tried, the Amalfi Spritz blew me away.

This $12 Aperol Spritz dupe was made with Lyre's Italian Spritz and Lyre's Classico Prosecco, according to Hekate's menu. 

It looked and tasted exactly like the brand-name drink I had been used to sipping on during spring and summer months. Lyre's 0.5%-ABV spirit was orangey-red, and I thought it had the same bitter yet fruity taste of Aperol. 

I remember ordering the Italian drink at a bar once and the bartender asked how I preferred my ratio — he explained that some people like to ask for more Aperol than prosecco or vice versa. That interaction came to mind when I tasted this non-alcoholic Amalfi Spritz and I thought it tasted as if I had ordered the classic cocktail heavy on the liqueur. 

While I was taking my time sipping on this drink, I daydreamed about ordering it at an outdoor table in NYC this summer, on a beach, or literally anywhere while my friends around me drink the boozy version. 

The Amalfi Spritz made me want to come back to Hekate, but it also renewed my hope in continuing to be booze-free myself.

This mocktail transported me to a place and time when I had an Aperol Spritz in my hand. It conjured up a memory, which I think is a huge part of the eating and drinking experience. So the fact that I got that same warm and fuzzy feeling of looking back on a happy memory from a drink that tasted amazing without giving me a buzz was eye-opening.  

It made me excited for the warmer NYC months when I'll be able to participate in spritz season without consuming alcohol.