Excerpt from: Cheers! These reader-nominated mocktails in Akron area were our favorite, written by Tawney Beans and Kerry Clawson – Akron Beacon Journal (8/17/26)
- Beacon Journal writers sampled nine mocktails from six establishments in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls.
- The writers had different preferences, with one favoring fruity drinks and the other preferring those with nonalcoholic spirits.
- The top picks were drinks from High Street Hop House, Stirling, The Green Dragon Inn, Constance and Jilly’s Music Room.
We asked where to find the best mocktails in Summit County, and readers have spoken.
Their nominations came from five restaurants/bars in Akron and one in Cuyahoga Falls.
Once the nominations closed, Beacon Journal restaurant writers Kerry Clawson and Tawney Beans set out to try all eight nominated mocktails in their quest to choose their favorites.
We ended up sampling two variations of one mocktail that was nominated, so that brought the number of mocktails we sampled over a several-day period up to nine.
It was a lot of mocktails and a lot of fun as each of us winnowed the nominations down to our three favorite drinks. It turns out that Tawney likes the predominantly fruity mocktails best while Kerry gravitates toward the ones that include nonalcoholic spirit substitutes or alcohol-removed wines in them.
Sober Sangria (original recipe) – Jilly’s Music Room, 111 N. Main St.
TAWNEY BEANS: This was the first time I’d experienced black tea as the base for a nonalcoholic sangria. I must say, I’m a big fan, especially since it cost just $7.50.
Compared to Jilly’s newer version of the drink (see Kerry’s notes below), which was reinvented in 2026, it proved slightly sweeter, warmer and harbored more fruit-forward notes. The depth and boldness in the black tea, plus that dry mouth feeling I recently learned is called astringency, were pleasant.
The original recipe is made with black tea, pomegranate juice, orange juice, sparkling water and fresh fruit. While no longer listed on the menu, Jilly’s still carries the ingredients to make it and will do so upon request.
Jilly’s Music Room is a live music venue that also serves gluten-free grub, mocktails and cocktails in Akron’s Northside District. The venue also serves a nonalcoholic Bloody Mary, sex on the beach and other house-made concoctions. Dirty sodas are also a menu feature.
KERRY CLAWSON: Another enjoyable mocktail was the most recent iteration of the Sober Sangria at Jilly’s Music Room, which is now on its menu. Bartender Mike Farris has tweaked the drink since its original recipe, from a fruit juice and black tea version to a more complex concoction that includes alcohol-removed Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon.
The nonalcoholic red wine is mixed with orgeat (almond syrup) and peach nectar, garnished abundantly with lemon, lime, orange and cherry. This Sober Sangria’s smooth taste was deeper and more complex than the original, fruitier version and also less sweet.
The drink was still sweeter than what I normally go for, but that’s sangria, and it was quite tasty nevertheless. The delicious almond syrup and the peach nectar create the sweetness. Jilly’s does not soak its fruit (normally in alcohol) the way that traditional sangria is made, Farris said.
The price — $7.50 — was also very reasonable.
Read the full article to learn more about the other mocktails they enjoyed and where to find them.
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