In an izakaya or pub in Tokyo, a glass of orange juice can look out of place among a sea of beer mugs. For a nonalcoholic drinker who chooses to avoid pints for whatever reason, going out in Japan can be hard. While beer or wine lovers have a wide variety to choose from, those who can't drink are stuck with four or five soft drinks on the menu.
Aurora Lounge, located on the 45th floor of the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, is one of the most non-drinker friendly places in Tokyo. Its 45 Refresh! Non Alcohol Cocktail menu has as many cocktails as floors that the lounge is from the ground.
"In the last four of five years, we've been seeing more and more nonalcoholic versions of beer, umeshu (plum wine) and cocktails," says Atsushi Komiya, the manager of Aurora Lounge.
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