Tørstigbar (or Torstigbar) is what high-tech efficient renewable wind power is to fracking. An alternative not just content in being a replacement, this innovative establishment builds upon the flavours of your favourite drinks, offering unique non-alcoholic takes on classic alcoholic drinks, without straying too far away from their origins.
With more and more people paying attention to their mental and physical health and the toll vices such as alcohol can have on both, Torstigbar is a glimpse into a drinking revolution.
Sitting on what is a fairly unassuming street in Kemptown lies a first for Brighton in an establishment offering insight into the future of going to a bar with a few friends. A bar that doesn’t sell any alcohol.
As a place to spend an evening drinking, it’s easily among the nicest-looking bars to kick back in. It’s cosy, dimly lit, and classy. Upon entering you are immediately greeted welcoming relaxed ambience, permeating amidst the cool trendy furnishings. The entrance has stairs however the establishment has a portable wheelchair ramp and accessible toilets making it wheelchair friendly!
Laden with a variety of options for seating, with a choice of tables, bar stools, cushioned spots by the window, and a mood lounge for those looking to enjoy as laid-back a night as possible.
This relaxed atmosphere reflects a huge part of the bar’s ideology. It feels incredibly inviting, with the chilled-out vibe a rare comfort in most typical bars. Naturally, there’s already a refreshing lack of animosity in the air that often affects alcoholic bars, as the mood of the bar reflects the goal of the business.
When you further combine this with friendly, attentive staff and owners passionate about offering an alternative to typical bars you get a place perfect for an evening with some friends. Tørstigbar is unequivocal proof that you don’t need alcohol to enjoy yourself at a bar, you just need the right bar.
The bar has a massive selection to pick from, easily one of the biggest drinks menus I’ve ever seen. Even the staunchest of old-school alcohol enjoyers will find something to wet their whistle with.
Sticklers that might complain about a lack of a point in drinking if “you can’t get drunk from it” have options to entice them too. Their carefully curated “Mood Altering” range is perfect for those wanting that merry feeling many who drink crave but rarely achieve.
I was most eager to sample from this section of the menu, having had non-alcoholic drinks/ supplements claiming mental health benefits that have proven to be little more than placebo. Thankfully, the mood-altering cocktails were much more than just Jedi mind tricks.
I was amazed at the bar’s ingenuity. These cleverly concocted mood-altering drinks combined ingredients from across the world in order to deliver on this claim. The team behind the concept of each cocktail and the staff at the bar themselves might as well be alchemists.
After a few of these drinks, I found myself experiencing a sort of tipsiness, somewhat similar to how you might feel after a few drinks. I felt more chatty, but also experienced a sort of pleasant sluggishness causing me to speak a bit slower than usual. It was a much more noticeable effect than I was expecting, and it’s achieved using only 100% natural and obviously safe, legal ingredients.
Of course, it doesn’t perfectly recreate the effects of alcohol, but I’d say this is a good thing anyway, as there’s none of the plethora of unpleasant sensations. No Hang-over, no mood swings, no nausea, and no headaches. I honestly much preferred the feeling.
The mood-altering range contains a mixture of both pre-mixed cocktails and concoctions made and mixed in-house, with a variety of effects promised. My first of the night was a Havana Heat, starting simply to get a feel for general non-alcoholic alternatives not exclusive to Tørstigbar.
I hadn’t tried many non-alcoholic alternatives before, so having a pre-made drink to act as a litmus test for the quality of the freshly prepared drinks felt like a smart move. After my first sip, my immediate thought was of the high quality compared to typical pre-mixed alcoholic cocktails you can find in supermarkets. Taste is obviously more important here, with alcoholic examples operating on a ‘they’ll be too drunk to notice the taste anyway’ basis.
My two friends who had come to try the bar with me were similarly impressed by their orders Having shared all our drinks, I can say that the can of ‘Cannabrew’ was, better than any alcoholic beer or IPA I have had, providing a spot-on replication of an extra hoppy IPA without the familiar recoil that comes with each swig.
And if you like Pina Colada, but have found yourself caught in a downpour of mediocre alcohol-free imitations, and aren’t into Yoga-rt or any other dairy products, the ‘Helligso’ is a beautiful re-creation of the Rupert Holmes staple, that is also somehow vegan. It’s a half-brainer (ok ok, no more references to *that* song) if you’re stuck on what to order, or want a mocktail that provides a spot-on replication using vegan-friendly ingredients.
It was certainly a big hit between us, but their Mojito was another standout that just pips it as the highlight of the evening. Whilst the Pina Colada proved to serve up a convincing re-creation, the Mojito went a step further, not just settling for replication, but going a step further and improving upon the classic cocktail. I’ve never had a Mojito this nice.
The infusion of ginger with the classic Mojito taste was an unexpected but gorgeous twist on the typical Mojito, creating the perfect drink for a hot Summer’s evening. The flavours are big as the Gimber provides a hearty kick alongside the Marie Laveau Vanilla spiced faux-rum without being so strong as to overwhelm the subtler lime and Mint flavours. I can’t recommend this one enough.
To end it all, we were treated to an opportunity to sample some of their non-alcoholic Whiskey, with my Whiskey-loving friend curious to test the differences having recently stopped drinking alcohol. The story behind the process of making the Whiskey in each respective bottle was explained, the staff was well-versed in their knowledge of the brands and the scientific method of creating the drinks themselves, answering any questions we had with aplomb.
The Whiskey was again impressive in its replication of the flavours, leaving both myself and my friend impressed. I also took the chance to try their best Rum and found it much more enjoyable straight than any other Rum I’ve tried, and I’ve tried a lot of Rum…
Overall, my experience at Torstigbar was nothing but positive. Having somewhat phased out drinking from my life since finishing Uni, and finding it difficult to enjoy myself at bars without alcohol, Torstigbar is everything I could want in a nice bar to hang out with some friends. It’s relaxing, and stylish and left me feeling satisfied in a way I’ve almost never felt when leaving a bar before. I’d highly recommend checking it out, and I’ll certainly be coming back in the near future.
Find out more about Torstigbar: https://www.torstigbar.com/
