The Thistle Street bar and events space owner Kate Kenyon said the recognition it has received in the UK Enterprise Awards highlights “there is a real need for a safe and inclusive place like SOBR”.
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SOBR Bar, which is located in Aberdeen, has been named a Trailblazer in the Low & No Alcohol category of the UK Enterprise Awards 2026 and opened in October last year.
Kenyon said: “As a small business trying something completely new in the city, and country, this recognition means the world to us. To be named a trailblazer in any field is a real compliment.
Huge potential
“We’re currently the only zero bar and events space in Scotland, although there are a few others across the UK. It’s a concept that is now growing fast, with huge potential.
“We have proved in just nine months of opening that there is a real need for a safe and inclusive place like SOBR, where you can enjoy a night out in a completely different, no pressure, way.”
The bar’s events space is also available for private hire and the team has found there is plenty of scope to run a variety of events for small groups and it is also providing outside catering at festivals and within other businesses.
Extremely proactive
“We have shown the doubters and the sceptics that a zero bar and events can be successful,” Kenyon stated. “We have been extremely proactive over the past nine months, collaborating with other businesses in our area, and putting ourselves in the spotlight in various awards schemes.
“We have set the benchmark for other zero bars opening in Scotland. We will continue to do our best, keeping industry standards high, and, as a trailblazer, reaching out to connect with new zero spirits entering the market.”
Its summer menu containing 12 “never before seen” cocktails that launched in July and focusing on how the customer wants to feel, this menu sees SOBR incorporate more functional tonics in their drinks than ever before.
