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Ireland\u2019s first alcohol-free bar is to open in Dublin.<\/p>\nIreland\u2019s first alcohol-free bar is to open in Dublin.<\/p>\n
The Virgin Mary, in Dublin\u2019s Capel Street, will open today with an extensive list of cocktails, wine, beers and spirits, all with zero alcohol content.<\/p>\n
Owner Vaughan Yates says there is an untapped market in the Irish capital for those who are mindful of their alcohol intake, or completely tee-total.<\/p>\n
The Virgin Mary, which will operate bar licensing hours from 4pm to 11pm, is located near to Ireland\u2019s International Financial Services Center.<\/p>\n
Some of Ireland\u2019s capital has seen a marked re-birth since bouncing back from the recession, and Mr Yates is banking on a new type of night-reveler who may want to have a night out \u201cbut still be able to go to yoga in the morning\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea behind it was to create an environment where people can come to that is a bar, but simply has no alcohol,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be seen as a coffee shop, we are a bar, which is why we chose the licensing hours, and we don\u2019t serve food.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the timing is right because I believe there has been a cultural shift from people towards alcohol, their moderation of alcohol and what they\u2019re consuming.<\/p>\n
\u201cLower or no-ABV drinks mean people can have a longer night out, have good conversation and drive home when it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re offering the ultimate responsible night out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think we\u2019ll compliment the other bars around here, we don\u2019t necessarily see ourselves as competition, we know that people will continue to drink, that\u2019s a fact of Irish life, but people are a lot more mindful about what they\u2019re consuming and we\u2019re offering a place for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The drink prices range from \u20ac2.50 for tonic water to \u20ac8 for a cocktail, and Mr Yates says that as more large distilleries and breweries continue their investment in alcohol-free products, he believes more and more bars will offer low or no alcohol drinks.<\/p>\n
The announcement of an alcohol-free bar in a city famed for its drinking culture has raised eyebrows among the general public, and Mr Yates says he has encountered his fair share of doubters.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the doubters, and there are plenty, they laugh when I tell them I\u2019m opening an alcohol-free bar in Dublin, but some have come back to me and said: \u2018You know I think you might be on to something, I don\u2019t drink as much as I used to\u2019, so I would like to prove all the doubters wrong and have a venue here that people return to and we\u2019re here for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also hope it\u2019s the start of something bigger, I think in 10 years time there will be a lot of venues like this.\u201d<\/p>\n