Dry January Bar Crawl: The Reset That Still Feels Like a Night Out
Dry January doesn’t have to mean sitting at home while the city keeps moving. This year, the Dry January Bar Crawl gives Philly a genuinely social way to reset, as the Northern Liberties Business Improvement District and the Fishtown District team up for the first-ever Northern Liberties & Fishtown Dry January Bar Crawl, running Saturday, January 17, and Sunday, January 18, 2026.
The concept is as approachable as it gets: more than two dozen bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries, distilleries, and hospitality spots across both neighborhoods will pour creative, specially priced mocktails, zero-proof cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks all weekend long, with most happy-hour-style windows landing somewhere between late morning and early evening.
Enjoy this Dry January Bar Crawl with neighborhood-to-neighborhood freedom. There are no tickets, wristbands, check-ins, or forced routes—just a choose-your-own-adventure crawl through two of the city’s most walkable, food- and drink-forward corridors. You can start in Northern Liberties for a midday sip, drift into Fishtown for an afternoon hang, and still be home in time to feel like Sunday morning belongs to you. The event also has a bigger ambition than a one-month trend: it’s designed to encourage people to explore zero-proof options not just during January, but year-round.
Dry January Bar Crawl: What You’ll Sip, Spend, and Discover
The Dry January Bar Crawl is a showcase of how far non-alcoholic drinking has come—because “NA” doesn’t have to mean boring. Participating establishments are expected to offer at least one specially priced mocktail or NA beverage at happy-hour-style price points, including $6, $8, and $10 options, while still leaving room for premium zero-proof cocktails and specialty drinks at higher tiers, as long as those value-friendly picks are also on the menu.
And because this is Philly, there’s also the potential for a little extra fun along the way: some venues may add optional food pairings, discounted apps, games, activities, pop-ups, or wellness-inspired bites, though those extras vary by location.
Northern Liberties BID Executive Director Sydney Rexroad framed the weekend as a post-holiday palate cleanser that doesn’t sacrifice creativity: “We are excited to kick off 2026 with our close friends in Fishtown for a post-holiday reset,” Rexroad said. “The Dry January Crawl features non-alcoholic drinks from some of the best bars and restaurants in Philadelphia. It’s a great opportunity to see a different side of creativity from your favorite spots. We can’t wait for you to try these delicious drinks and see that Dry January can be fun!”
Over in Fishtown, District Executive Director Marc D. Collazzo underscored the collaborative energy and the neighborhood connection: “Fishtown District is excited to partner with our friends at the Northern Liberties Business Improvement District to host Philadelphia’s first and only Dry January Bar Crawl,” Collazzo said. “This is the perfect way to start 2026 and reset after holiday indulgence with the dynamic drink creations from the best restaurants and taverns in the region. Our close connection provides a full, fun wellness experience in the hottest neighborhoods in the City. Come join us to sip, savor, and smile.”
A big part of the point here is education, too—specifically, helping people understand what they’re ordering. Bar Palmina Founder/Owner Nikki Graziano explains it in a way that finally makes the language feel useful: “Mocktails are what you’ll see mostly on menus – they’re made up of syrups, shrubs, soda, juices, and the ABV falls at 0.0. Zero-proof cocktails are made with complex nonalcoholic spirits and bitters. They provide the same balance and craft as a regular alcoholic drink, and their ABV ranges from 0.0-0.5% ABV. There’s no better or worse, but the distinction is important to note for sensitivities as well as price points,” Graziano said.
Graziano, whose Bar Palmina is positioned as Philadelphia’s only existing zero-proof craft cocktail bar, also makes the hospitality argument crystal clear: “For Dry January and all year round, it’s important to consider your non-drinking guests because it falls under great hospitality. I created Bar Palmina two years ago because it wasn’t being widely embraced in Philly yet. I’m glad that that’s slowly changing, but we still have a very long way to go. Part of my ethos is that it’s dangerous to equate non-drinkers with being antisocial. There’s tons of reasons why people don’t drink—none of which are anybody’s business, but their own— and not providing space for them with quality options is just bad hospitality.”
Dry January Bar Crawl: Where to Go in NoLibs and Fishtown
The beauty of the Dry January Bar Crawl is that it spreads the love across both neighborhoods, with participating venues offering staggered times throughout the day, generally landing around 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, depending on the spot.
In Northern Liberties, the crawl pulls in a strong mix of restaurants, bars, and breweries, including Amina on Germantown Avenue, Bar1010 and Bourbon and Branch on North 2nd Street, El Camino Real on North 2nd, Jerry’s Bar on West Laurel, Standard Tap on North 2nd, The 700 on North 2nd, Urban Village Brewing on North 2nd, and Yards Brewing Co. on Spring Garden. Each of these places brings its own personality—meaning you can make your crawl feel more like lunch-and-sips, or more like a bar-hop, depending on your mood and your pace.
Over in the Fishtown District, the lineup goes deep, starting with Bar Palmina on North Front and expanding into neighborhood staples and destination spots like Brewery ARS on Frankford Avenue, Evil Genius Beer Company on North Front, Fette Sau on Frankford, Fishtown Social on Frankford, and Frankford Hall on Frankford.
The list continues with Front Street Cafe on Front Street, Garage Fishtown on East Girard, Johnny Brenda’s on Frankford, Mamajuana Cafe Philly on Frankford, Meyers Brewing on East Girard, Mural City Cellars on Frankford, Nut Hut Saloon at Frankford and East Norris, Pearl’s Fishtown on Frankford, Percy Diner & Bar on North Front, Stateside Vodka Bar on North Hancock, and The INTL on North Front. That spread alone is enough to make the case for doing this crawl on foot, with a couple of strategic rideshares in your back pocket if you’re hopping between clusters.
Bar1010 leans playful with a strawberry matcha mocktail built from matcha and vanilla, topped with strawberry cold foam, alongside a passionfruit mule mixing passion fruit purée, lime juice, and ginger beer. Jerry’s Bar goes more aromatic and winter-friendly with a smoked mixed berry spritz featuring muddled blueberries, mixed berry and rosemary simple, orange juice, lemon juice, and club, plus an orange basil faux-ito that pulls together basil and brown sugar simple, orange juice, muddled mint, orange slice, and club.
The 700 brings vacation energy without the booze through its Passion Spritz, described as a sweet-tart, sunshine-bright mocktail that pairs passion fruit intensity with fresh citrus, sparkling over ice for a “booze-free” island escape. And Bar Palmina keeps it straightforward and social with specials like $6 12oz beers and a short list of featured mocktails, plus the BYO food angle that turns your stop into an easy, flexible hang.
However you do it—Northern Liberties first, Fishtown first, or a little of both—the Dry January Bar Crawl is the rare weekend where mindful drinking doesn’t feel like a rule. It feels like access to better options, better hospitality, and a different kind of “going out” that still lets you show up fully the next day.
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