Punchy Nonalcoholic Cocktails Help Soothe Dry January

ARLINGTON, VA -- Punch Bowl Social has the solution for people celebrating (enduring?) Dry January — a popular New Year's resolution not to imbibe alcoholic beverages for 31 straight days. The Denver-based chain of hang-out restaurants has crafted a slate of drinks minus the alcohol.

"We have 17 nonalcoholic options," said William Whitley, sales manager at Punch Bowl Social's Ballston Quarter location. "It's just as extensive as our cocktail list, which really helps cater to everyone, especially during Dry January. A lot of people aren't going to be drinking as much this month."

Whitley recently gave a tour of the three-story restaurant that offers customers not just food and drinks, but a selection of entertainment options. Patrons can enjoy everything from table-top games to a classic video game arcade, karaoke rooms to bowling — both traditional and duckpin. And yes, the do rent bowling shoes.

But, as we enter the homestretch of Dry January, Whitley shares four nonalcoholic drinks from Punch Bowl Social's menu.

The Florist's Tonic is made from Seedlip Garden 108 Distilled Nonalcoholic Spirit, lavender and fresh lemon juice. All of that is then mixed with an elderberry tonic and mint syrup.

"The Florist's Tonic is a very herbal refreshing nonalcoholic beverage," Whitley said.

The Cilantro Fizz is made with fresh cilantro, house-made jalapeño and cucumber syrup, fresh lime juice and Aquafaba, which is similar to an egg-white substitute. Milky in color, the cocktail is garnished with a sprig of rosemary.

"Patrick Williams, who heads our beverage program for the company, really takes his time in making sure all the flavors really mesh well," Whitley said. "The same amount of time is put into these nonalcoholic craft cocktails as are our regular alcoholic craft cocktails. So you can really tell the effort that's put into it."

The Jalapeño Cucumber Limeade is prepared with a house-made jalapeño and cucumber syrup, fresh lime juice and sparking water. The rim of the glass is garnished with a mixture of sea salt and cayenne pepper and a cucumber.

"That one's got a little bit of a kick to it," Whitley said. "So those might go really good with tacos, something a little bit more spicy.

Looking for something a little sweeter? Try the Strawberry Rhubarb Fizz, which is a mixture of the house-made strawberry syrup, Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters, and sparkling water.

"All the syrups that we have in our drinks are all made in house," Whitley said. "All the juices are fresh squeezed, so you really notice that when you're tasting the drinks."

For those not partaking in Dry January, Punch Bowl Social offers extensive craft beverage program that includes seasonal beverages and shareable punches. In addition, alcohol can easily be added to the special nonalcoholic cocktails on the menu.

"We have a huge craft cocktail list that we pride ourselves in quality and making sure that each drink is the same every time when made," Whitley said. "We always try to get local beers on our draft list as well other popular beers. And then we just switched over actually to wine by the cans. So we used to do the bottle of wine. Now we're doing wine by the can, going with the trends of the industry."

Adjacent to Ballston Quarter, Punch Bowl Social is located at 4238 Wilson Blvd in Arlington. It's .