Ireland’s first permanent alcohol-free bar, The Virgin Mary, has opened in Dublin.

Aimed at the growing number of consumers who are eliminating or reducing their alcohol intake, The Virgin Mary has the same look and feel as a regular bar, minus the booze.

The bar is the brainchild of Vaughan Yates, who is also one of the creators of Poacher’s, a brand of premium Irish mixers.

He said The Virgin Mary was built for the discerning drinker.

“Dublin is an incredibly diverse city with an increasingly discerning population, so people are looking for a place where they can sit down with friends and really connect in a lively yet mindful drinking environment,” he said.

The Dublin venue has created its own signature version of its namesake mocktail, The Virgin Mary, with freshly pressed vegetable juices, a secret hot sauce recipe and spicy infusions all created in-house.

In addition to mocktails, the bar also serves a variety of alcohol-free beers, spirits and wines.

Already a hit with the locals, the bar has been nominated as a finalist in the Irish Bar of the Year Awards 2019 in The Innovative Bar of the Year Award category.