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My Sober Night Out Experience As a Pregnant Woman in Hong Kong
- Shannon Dawson
- Oct 13
- 7 min read
Eight months pregnant, Shannon Dawson swaps cocktails for clever mocktails as she explores Hong Kong’s buzzing bar scene — proof that you don’t need booze to have a good time.
All images are courtesy of Shannon Dawson.
Had you approached 20-something me with the prospect of a sober night out, she would likely give you a bewildered look beneath two overly plucked eyebrows and raise a dismissive hand, haphazardly tinting her desired shade of tangerine.
Fast-forward a few years to 30-something-year-old me, who happens to be 30-something weeks pregnant, and the notion of a sober night out is a little more commonplace. Thankfully, I’ve since taken it easy on the fake tan and managed to escape the mid-00s with most of my hair intact.
Regardless of how long you’ve been in Hong Kong, you’ve hopefully borne witness to the unwavering hospitality that greets its new residents. When the aforementioned version of me first departed the sunny shores of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, I was pleasantly inundated with invites to everything from birthday brunches, leaving drinks, welcome back drinks, engagement junks, essentially anything that involved a free flow. (noun; a ritualistic Hong Kong initiation that humbles us all) I made amazing connections with people that I’m still close with to this day – I even met my now husband in a dingy bar in LKF after one too many jelly shots, and wouldn’t change a moment (Although I could’ve done without the subsequent jelly shot hangovers).
Shortly after finding out I was pregnant, I noticed I had a free-flow event penciled in the diary for the following weekend – with drinks only, mind you, not even canapés to help quell the first-trimester nausea. The charge, even for soft drinks, was at a premium, and I braced myself for a night of swatting away questions about why I wasn’t drinking. Despite my concerns, it was a great night and I managed to make it to midnight thanks to a few cleverly disguised lime sodas, but with so much of my Hong Kong social life, and the concept of having a ‘third space’ seemingly synonymous with alcohol, I was unsure how I would be able to replicate my former lifestyle without it, for nine whole months!
If you’re feeling a little sober-curious, or like me, a little more bound to this lifestyle temporarily, it might feel daunting at first, but thanks in part to Gen Z and their more prudent approach to drinking compared to their millennial counterparts, many bars and restaurants in Hong Kong are now catering to this crowd with well thought-out mocktail menus that stretch far beyond overpriced fresh lime sodas.
So, I invite you to join me on a weeknight mini bar crawl of sorts to explore some gems in Hong Kong’s bar and restaurant space and hopefully prove that a sober night out is anything but dry.
6:00pm – Montana
Montana is my first stop of the evening. Opened in July this year by the founders of the now world-famous Bar Leone (which landed the No. 1 spot on World's 50 Best Bars), I certainly felt as though I was in good hands from the jump. The exterior pays homage to the famous El Floridita Bar in Havana, once frequented by Ernest Hemingway throughout America’s prohibition era and well into the mid-20th century. The interior is elegant but playful; famous pop stars from a bygone era adorn the walls, yet the bar staff or ‘cantineros’ are sharply dressed, another nod to Cuba and its deep respect for the craft of bartending, whilst remaining unpretentious. It’s the kind of place I would confidently order a margarita and/or an espresso martini in a heartbeat.
Thankfully, there are virgin alternatives to my two favourites: the Verdita Margarita and Café Havana. I start with the latter. The smooth, cold brew coffee, topped with banana cream and shavings of tonka bean, filled the espresso martini-shaped hole in my heart, and the gentle coffee buzz gave me a little faux alcohol sensation. I find most mocktails tend to lack complexity, but this one had the perfect balance of bitterness from the coffee and sweetness from the banana cream, without tasting like a milkshake.
Next up was the Verdita Margarita, which had the familiar sharpness of the real deal, courtesy of the sour pineapple and jalapeno. Hemingway may have taken his drink seriously, but I think these mocktails are something even he himself would’ve written home about. Keep an eye out for live Latin music starting in November, as well as a new menu featuring authentic Cuban sandwiches and dips like chorizo, hot honey, and smoked chipotle that will pair well with any drink choice!
7:30pm – Pontiac
My next stop is Pontiac, the beloved Hong Kong veteran that provides a beacon of inclusivity (in every sense of the word) for drinkers and the sober-curious alike. Built as a collaboration between guest and bar, this place has a way of making you feel at home while also being a house party where you could lose hours chatting with an interesting stranger. Maybe it’s the plethora of bras hanging from the ceiling, or cheeky slogans like “one day my sex tape will matter” displayed in bold lettering, or the wall scrawled with warm wishes from patrons and bartenders who’ve graced the venue over the years; it’s a place that seems to be unapologetically itself while still allowing others to be a part of, and contribute to the culture.
I park up at the bar while I wait for my non-sober-curious friend to finish work. An eclectic mix of familiar tunes buzzes throughout the venue, loud enough to sing along to, but mid-week it’s quiet enough to have a proper yarn with the resident alchemist, Jen. As of late, they’ve seen an uptick in bar-goers opting for the non-alcoholic options or even participating in ‘Zebra Striping’; ordering a mocktail for every second drink to help prolong the night. Pontiac renews their menu every year, and the theme for its 10-year anniversary is ‘Talking Walls’, an affectionate nod to the physical storytelling evident in every nook and cranny of the bar.
The ‘High and Dry’ section of the menu has my name all over it, and I’m told the ‘Bramble On’ is a must-try. Shaken with ginger and blueberry soda, the gin flavour is courtesy of the Lyer's Dry London Spirit, a non-alcoholic liquor that has an uncanny likeness to the real deal. My accompanying friend soon joins and opts for the Lavender Menace, a (full-strength) gin cocktail whose namesake pays homage to the lesbian vigilante group from the 1970s (which we immediately scour Reddit to delve deeper into the lore as we collectively make noises of approval for our drink choices)
I simply can’t resist a second margarita in one evening, and soon opt for the Lowrider. Give the bartender a heads up if you’re pregnant, as there is a kombucha-adjacent ingredient that might not be suitable for everyone. Jen kindly made me aware of this and replaced the fruit shrub with passionfruit nectar. It’s sharp, tangy, and earthy courtesy of the agave syrup, and so delicious that even my friend claiming her espresso martini was the best she’d ever had doesn’t make me jealous at all (okay, maybe just a little). Be sure to pop by to test drive the new menu, and leave your mark in the form of a heartfelt message on some free wall space, or add another bra to the collection.
9:00pm – Avoca
It’s getting late and I realise I haven’t eaten. Luckily, drinking mocktails on an empty stomach comes with little consequence. Though it’s a weeknight, I’m a believer that no night out in Hong Kong is complete without a rooftop bar. My desire for food with a view takes us across the harbour and up to the 38th floor of The Mondrian to find Avoca. The name, meaning ‘the meeting of waters’, rings true to the venue, providing sweeping 180 views looking back across Hong Kong island. The interior is bright, with a mid-century modern feel. The drinks menu is extensive, and as we settle into some prime real estate overlooking the view, we are presented with a box filled with what look like tiny perfume bottles, allowing you to get a spritz of your drink before you order. Sadly, my drink options don’t come in a spray version (alcohol being the key ingredient in perfume after all), so I asked the bartender to surprise me.
We are presented with a Ginger Pudding for my sober-un-curious friend. Part of a series of cocktails that pay homage to Hong Kong’s culinary culture. Ginger vodka, spiced syrup, and a creamy lemon foam on top. My drink of choice comes in the form of the Dry Peach Bellini. An unfussy mix of non-alcoholic dry sparkling topped with fresh peach puree. For those who shy away from overly sweet cocktails, this one is a great option. It goes down particularly well with the Spiced Yellow Chicken, marinated in fragrant Thai flavours. The food menu is designed for sharing and comes with a selection of small, medium, large, and sweet plates. My friend cruelly orders the oysters with fresh yuzu ponzu that look and taste divine (or so I’m told), but I soon get my revenge with the fish tacos, served with crispy barramundi fillets that are decidedly just for me.
I follow it up with a Salted Lime mocktail, made with their house lemonade and preserved lime. It’s a vodka soda in disguise, but with a bit more oomph. It serves as the perfect digestif as the bartender gestures for us to finish our drinks in a cosy, curtained off nook in the corner of the restaurant. It’s the perfect end to the evening as we sink into the velvet cushions and indulge in our last few sips with unobstructed views of the sparkly city below. If you fancy a livelier end to the night, Avoca features live DJs every Friday and Saturday from around 8:30pm-12:30am. Check out their Instagram for more information on the lineup, and definitely snag a seat in that nook if you can!
The Aftermath
It's a little before midnight when I finally arrive home, and there is something to be said for the reassurance of no hangover the next day. Though phasing out alcohol for nine months certainly doesn’t warrant a badge of honour by any stretch, it has been eye-opening experiencing social events without a drink in hand. In this time, I’ve attended two hen parties and subsequently two weddings, Songkran in Bangkok and my share of ‘free-flows’, all the while not having that little bit of Dutch courage that perhaps I’d previously relied heavily on. If anything, hopefully my experience can provide some assurance that a reduction of alcohol doesn’t have to mean a departure from your social life, and going to your favourite bars or clubs doesn’t have to involve nursing a glass of watered-down Coke Zero all night! Has it been an adjustment? Sure. Do I still feel social anxiety at events occasionally? Absolutely. Am I counting down the days til I have a crisp sauvignon blanc in hand? Possibly. (T-12 days at the point of writing this).
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