Now there is an Irish pub with no beer

It sounds like an April Fool's joke.

A new pub has opened its doors in Dublin with an unusual twist; it doesn’t serve alcohol.

“Can you lose the booze and keep the craic?”

Vaughan Yates, a co-founder of The Virgin Mary, which opened in Dublin earlier this month, is kicking against the trend.



Dublin is home to 750 pubs and the Guinness brewery.

The Virgin Mary, which sits on Capel Street, provides a sober alternative to a few pints after work, The Drinks Business reports.

The low-and-no alcohol category is one of the fastest-growing sections of the alcohol industry.

The Virgin Mary’s shelves are stocked with alcohol-free beer and wines, while the staff have also curated a menu of alcohol-free cocktails. Drinks start at €4.50 ($7.30), while cocktails are between €7 and €8.

The bar stocks a range of low ABV beers from both mainstream and craft brands.

Punters also have the option to create their own low ABV cocktail by combining a non-alcoholic spirits of their choice with any mixer from Irish soft drinks maker Poacher’s.

The pub, located a 10-minute walk from whiskey maker Jameson’s distillery on Bow Street and less than two miles from Guinness’ brewery, has already gained plenty of attention.

But crazy ideas tend to do that. I'd give them three months tops.

Open from 4pm to 11pm each day, the bar aims to recreate the buzz and atmosphere of any other late-night venue with “lighting, music, and conversation”, The Irish Times reported.