Mocktail bar back with ‘Noon Year,’ hoping to set the ‘sober scene’ in Edmonton

Some people gathered inside one of the province’s first mocktail bars on New Year’s Day to ring in the new year their own way.

Some Edmontonians chose to celebrate the start of 2026 with a sober countdown at noon on New Year’s Day.

It’s the second year that Spilt Zero Proof on Jasper Avenue, one of province’s first mocktail bars, has hosted a “Noon Year” countdown. Patrons were given a free glass of non-alcoholic bubbles to toast to the new year.

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JoAnne Pearce, who co-founded the business in 2024, says the concept was made for people who don’t want to stay up or drink alcohol on New Year’s Eve.

“This gives them an opportunity to have that party feeling and the sequins and the countdown without having to stay out too late,” she said in an interview on Thursday.

She’s hoping that with two successful events under its belt, the bar will be able to turn Noon Year into a tradition.

“Since we opened, we’ve definitely seen the community come together. We’ve seen events really pick up,” she said.

She added that Dry January, wherein people cut back on or give up alcohol completely for the month, is the bar’s Superbowl and easily its busiest time of year.

“Being one of the first (mocktail) bars in the Prairies and in Canada gives us an opportunity to really set the tone,” she said. “We’re forging new trails here with what the sober scene is going to look like.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti