Ireland's first alcohol free bar to open

Ireland's first permanent alcohol-free bar The Virgin Mary, will open in Dublin this February.

The Virgin Mary will be based on Capel Street and is the product of bartenders Vaughan Yates and Oisín Davis.

Yates said: “Dublin is an incredibly diverse city with an increasingly discerning population, so people are looking for a place where they can sit down with friends and really connect in a lively yet mindful drinking environment.”

According to the World Health Organisation, alcohol consumption in Ireland has fallen by 25% since 2005.

Davis added: "If a fellow Dubliner wants to catch up with mates after 4pm in the city but doesn’t want to hang out in a pub, the only options available to them are multi-national cafes that largely lack any atmosphere.”

 

Called after one of the world’s most well-known alcohol free cocktails, The Virgin Mary, the bar’s signature version will be mixed with pressed vegetable juices, a Dublin hot sauce and a spice mix created in-house.

Anna Walsh will be head bartender who’s menu will feature her own original alcohol free drinks.

Walsh added: “Not having alcohol as a tool for extracting and carrying flavour/aroma has been a fun challenge to work with. 

“Also, health has become a keen focus within the hospitality industry and we are excited to offer a different place for bartenders to visit on their nights off."