No alcohol, no problem for this trendy LA bar

At Free Spirited, the trendy Alhambra alcohol-free bar, the appeal is clear.

“It’s just like a bar, but without all the drunken fighting,” regular Vanessa Marquez said.

Like other mocktail hot spots across Los Angeles, from Venice’s Bar Nuda to Highland Park’s Bar Non, Free Spirited attracts customers across the sobriety spectrum: people who have never consumed alcohol, longtime nondrinkers, those participating in challenges such as Dry January or Sober October, and customers simply taking a night off from drinking.

Patrons embrace the opportunity to enjoy nightlife without feeling out of place.

“It’s really nice to be in a space where people still want to socialize,” another Free Spirited regular told us. “They want to hang out, they want to drink cocktails, but nobody’s getting drunk.”

The drinks remain a major part of the draw. Free Spirited locals praised the menu for offering more than the juice-and-soda combinations often associated with mocktails, instead serving complex and unusual flavors across a wide selection of drinks. One customer said her goal was to eventually try the entire menu.

Some offerings also appeal to health-conscious customers, including an athlete who praised a ginger-based drink for being both healthy and flavorful.

Free Spirited’s owners are also not relying on drinks alone to keep customers coming through the door.

The lounge pairs its extensive zero-proof menu with themed nights, live entertainment and recurring community events. 

One regular said she now visits nearly every week for mahjong, an activity that initially brought her into the bar and helped turn it into one of her favorite places.

That broader experience is central to the business model, according to co-owner Arleo De Guzman.

“Anybody else thinking about opening a nonalcoholic nightlife bar—you need to be doing something else,” he said. “It’s either do events with your nightlife space or do something else in the daytime to supplement that aspect.”

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