Dry Spokes: Non-Alcoholic Bar & Lounge Settles in Downtown Omaha
By: Xitlally Velasco
To drink or not to drink? That’s the question on a Saturday night; debating whether you want to deal with an atrocious headache or excessive dehydration the next morning.
Well, not to fret because a new bar has made its way to Downtown Omaha, where they may be the answer to your dilemma.
Dry Spokes is a dry cocktail lounge, non-alcoholic bottle shop, and event space founded by Mi-Ya Mata and Leah Wright. They’re a small but mighty operation with a vision to create social equity for those not consuming alcohol, and it comes from the belief that you deserve a drink, whether it’s for a moment, for life, or anything in between.
Mata found mixology to be her creative outlet during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she didn’t want to deal with the adverse side effects of alcohol.
“I learned how to make cocktails from watching YouTube and following mixologists,” said Mata. “The NA spirits that emulate traditional alcoholic spirits take very different approaches in their homage to those spirits.”
They officially launched in April 2022, and after nearly a year of navigating the business market, they had their bar’s grand opening in February.
They ensure their products are of the highest quality and source them from all over the world, with some as local as Glenwood, Iowa and as far as Australia. Their wide variety of beverage options ranges from $4-$12. One of their bestsellers is their Old Fashioned which includes two different NA whiskeys, NA bitters and maple syrup. An owner-favorite is the Salty Coke which can be made sugar-free and allergen friendly.
“We really strive to be a social space anyone can come in to, have a good drink and good time and not give a second thought to what’s in the glass,” said Mata.
Their space holds several events throughout the year for the community. Check out what’s next here.
Dry Spokes is located at 1901 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE 68102. They would love to open another location with a different feel. Their current location is a cocktail lounge/event space. The other location would have a sports bar/beer hall vibe.
They’re closed on Monday and Tuesday. Business hours are Wednesday through Friday from 5-10 p.m., Saturday from 3-10 p.m., and Sunday from 12-5 p.m.
Xitlally Velasco is a University of Nebraska at Omaha journalism student with a concentration in public relations and advertising and a minor in Psychology. Velasco is the Digital Content Curator at Lozafina Marketing and Public Relations. Send your tips and story ideas to office@lozafina.com
