A new bar in Dubai is hoping to cater to the health-conscious and "mindful drinkers". NoLo, a portmanteau of the phrases "no alcohol" and "low worries", has opened on the 24th floor of the Dusit Thani Dubai, replacing the trendy watering hole Another Bar.
On the menu are classics, as well as some signature mixes, but are all "zero-proof" or without a trace of alcohol. This includes drinks such as Lavender Bees Knees Royale, Immune Highball, Smoked Honeycomb Old Fashion, Sicilian Spritz and Spice Date Espresso Martini. All drinks are concocted with products from Lyre's, the UK brand known for its alcohol-free classic spirits and wines.
Scroll through the gallery above for pictures of NoLo.
The people behind the bar, next to street food-style restaurant 24th St, say they want to bring "fun, flavours and flair with music, city views and conversation with one big exception — no alcohol".
Dusit Thani Dubai rebranded as a dry hotel in January.
To articulate its healthy credentials, NoLo also offers an extensive vegan menu alongside meat options.
"We’ve done our research and found that there’s no similar bar in Dubai. There are places that serve non-alcoholic drinks, but no dedicated bars that serve alcohol-free drinks,” a spokesperson tells The National.
But NoLo is the not the first of its kind in the UAE. The Virgin Mary Bar, the first international outpost of the alcohol-free Irish bar, opened in Abu Dhabi in November. Locally branded as TVM Abu Dhabi, the menu includes signature drinks such as Upbeet, Pink Preacher and Tiki St.
"People in the UAE will now get to experience a fully fledged refined bar in a mall, and we will teach them how to drink differently," Niveen Ibrahim, the chief operating officer at MBT Development told The National last year ahead of the bar's opening at The Galleria Al Maryah Island in 2021.
The Virgin Mary Bar Dublin was launched in 2019 by co-founder Vaughan Yates, who noticed a growing appetite for non-alcoholic beverages and a gap in the market for high-end dry venues.
“When we first opened The Virgin Mary in Ireland, it was always our goal to see it spread to cosmopolitan cities worldwide,” Vaughan said. “And with the launch of TVM Abu Dhabi, we are thrilled to realise this ambition so soon. TVM Drinks Creator Anna Walsh has built an alcohol-free cocktail menu that will excite and surprise, and this time we are including some really interesting food and drink pairings."
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