Wine, Cider, Seltzer or Cocktail: What Most People Order at a Dog Friendly Bar
Top TLDR: The most popular bar drinks at a dog friendly bar skew toward easy-drinking, outdoor-friendly options. Hard seltzer and local craft beer lead with regulars, while first-timers tend to grab whatever's on tap. Wine, cider, wine slushies, and NA beer fill in the rest depending on the time of day and the occasion. Check your nearest Wagbar location for the current tap list and seasonal specials.
Hard seltzer and local craft beer are the two most-ordered categories at outdoor dog friendly bars, with seltzer pulling ahead during warm weather.
First-timers almost always start with a local beer on draft. Regulars branch out into cider, wine, and NA options.
Dog bars don't typically carry hard liquor. Cocktails at these venues are built from wine, beer, or cider bases, like mimosas, sangria, micheladas, and wine slushies.
The NA drink category is growing fast. About 49% of Americans are actively cutting back on alcohol (Circana, 2025), and most dog bars now stock real NA beer, hop water, and coffee.
Time of day shapes the order more than anything else. Morning visitors grab coffee; afternoon visitors lean toward cider or a slushie; evening crowds go for beer and seltzer.
The Regulars' Order: Hard Seltzer Dominates
If you spend enough time at a dog friendly bar, you start to notice patterns. The people who come every week, the ones whose dogs already have a friend group, tend to reach for hard seltzer more than anything else.
There's a practical reason for that. Dog bars are outdoor spaces. You're sitting in the sun, watching dogs sprint around, and you want something cold, light, and easy to drink over a couple of hours. A 12-ounce seltzer at around 100 calories and 5% ABV fits that setting better than a heavy IPA or a glass of red wine.
The broader market reflects this. The global hard seltzer market hit $23.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at an 8.7% CAGR through 2031 (Mordor Intelligence). White Claw still owns roughly 70% of the malt-based seltzer segment (Beverage Industry, 2026), but new entrants keep showing up. At Wagbar's Weaverville location, the seltzer cooler turns over quickly, especially on weekend afternoons when the park fills up.
Regulars also know the menu well enough to branch out. A Tuesday afternoon might be a cider. A Friday evening might be a couple of draft beers. But if you asked most weekly visitors what they grab without thinking, seltzer would top the list.
The First-Timer's Order: A Local Beer
Walk into any off-leash dog bar for the first time and there's a lot happening at once. You're checking in your dog's vaccination records, figuring out the layout, watching how the play area works, and trying to relax all at the same time.
Most first-timers default to something familiar at the bar: a beer. Specifically, whatever's local and on tap.
This lines up with how craft beer works in casual on-premise settings. According to CGA by NIQ's 2025 on-premise report, 77% of Americans ate out in the last month and 50% went out for drinks. When people are in an unfamiliar venue, they tend to pick the safest option on the menu. At a dog bar in Asheville, that's a locally brewed pale ale. In Knoxville, it's a Tennessee craft lager. The tap list changes, but the instinct stays the same.
At Wagbar, the flagship location runs 10 rotating taps pouring local Asheville beers, with canned options from regional breweries filling out the rest. Craft beer accounted for over 13% of the total U.S. beer market in 2024 (Tastewise), and that share is higher at venues that prioritize local sourcing. If you're a first-timer reading this before your visit, the first visit walkthrough covers everything from check-in to ordering.
The first beer at a dog bar is a test drive. Most people who come back start trying the rest of the menu.
The Date-Night Order: Wine or a Cocktail
Dog bars aren't just Saturday afternoon hangouts. Plenty of couples show up in the evening, especially at locations with live music, trivia, or food trucks. The events calendar at Wagbar usually has something going on most nights of the week, and the drink orders shift when the sun goes down.
Evening visitors are more likely to reach for wine or one of the wine-based cocktails on the menu. At most dog friendly bars, the cocktail program works differently than a traditional bar. Because these venues typically don't carry hard liquor, the mixed drinks are built from wine, cider, or beer bases. That means mimosas, sangria, wine slushies, and micheladas instead of margaritas or old fashioneds.
This isn't a limitation so much as a fit. The social scene at a dog bar is relaxed and outdoor-focused. A glass of wine while watching your dog play under string lights hits a different note than a stiff cocktail at a dark bar. The vibe calls for something you can sip slowly, and wine delivers that.
Wine-based cocktails are gaining traction across the broader market too. Mixologists in 2026 are blending wines with fruits, botanicals, and sparkling water to create lighter hybrids that work in outdoor settings (EHL Insights, 2026). Dog bars were ahead of this curve, since the format naturally pushes the menu toward lighter, sessionable drinks.
The Afternoon Order: Cider or Wine Slushie
The 1 to 4 p.m. window at a dog friendly bar has its own personality. It's the weekend crowd, the remote workers taking a break, the parents whose kids are at practice and the dog needs an outing. The energy is mellow, and the orders match.
Cider is the quiet favorite in this time slot. It's lighter than beer, slightly sweet, and pairs well with the kind of lazy afternoon where you're sitting in a camp chair watching a beagle try to make friends with a Great Dane. Hard cider has been gaining ground as a category, especially among consumers who want something gluten-free or just different from beer.
Wine slushies are the other afternoon staple. Wagbar locations have made them a signature offering. They're exactly what they sound like: frozen, blended wine served in a cup, usually in flavors that rotate with the season. On a hot day, they're the most popular bar drinks on the menu by a wide margin. They're fun, they're shareable (at least in theory), and they photograph well for anyone posting their dog bar afternoon on social media.
For a full breakdown of every category on the human menu and the dog menu, the complete menu rundown covers it all, from what's on tap to what your pup can safely sip.
The Sober Order: NA Beer and Iced Coffee
The fastest-growing section of the dog bar menu isn't alcoholic at all.
About 49% of Americans say they're trying to drink less, up from 34% in 2023 (Circana, 2025). Gen Z is leading this: 65% plan to cut back, and 39% have committed to going fully dry (NCSolutions). On-premise NA beer sales jumped 33.7% year-over-year (Backbar Academy, 2025), and that growth is showing up at dog bars in real time.
At Wagbar, the NA lineup includes sodas from Devil's Foot Soda Company at the Asheville location, coffee from Dynamite Coffee Roasters, and seasonal warm drinks like hot chocolate and hot cider. Other locations carry their own regional NA options, and the selection keeps expanding.
Iced coffee is the sleeper hit. Morning and early afternoon visitors who aren't drinking alcohol tend to order it as their default, and it works perfectly in an outdoor setting. The coffee-first crowd and the beer-first crowd overlap more than you'd think. A lot of regulars start with coffee and switch to a beer or seltzer later in the visit.
The trend called "zebra striping," where people alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during the same outing, has gone mainstream in 2026 (Beverage Daily). Dog bars are a natural fit for this pattern because the pace is slow and nobody's keeping score. You might start with an iced coffee, switch to a seltzer, then finish with a water. Nobody notices, and nobody cares.
What Wagbar's Bartenders Pour the Most
If you asked Wagbar bartenders to rank the most popular bar drinks across a typical week, the list would look something like this:
Hard seltzer. The default for regulars, especially in warm months.
Local craft beer on draft. The go-to for first-timers and the steady second choice for everyone else.
Wine slushies. The afternoon favorite and the drink that sells itself on sight.
Canned beer. The grab-and-go option when the line at the bar is long.
Wine by the glass. The evening pick, especially for couples and groups.
Cider. The versatile middle ground between beer and wine.
Coffee and iced coffee. Morning staple and the NA leader.
NA beer and hop water. Growing fast, especially among younger visitors.
Mimosas. The weekend brunch crossover.
Hot drinks. Seasonal heavy hitters when it gets cold.
The mix shifts by location, season, and time of day. A summer Saturday at Wagbar Knoxville looks different from a winter Tuesday at the Weaverville original. But the broad strokes stay consistent. People want something cold, easy to hold while standing near the play area, and light enough to drink over a two-hour visit.
For specifics on what each location carries, check the locations page or the FAQ for general drink questions. And if you're still deciding whether to try a dog bar at all, the beginner's walkthrough covers everything from entry to ordering to off-leash etiquette.
Summary
The most popular bar drinks at a dog friendly bar reflect the setting: outdoor, casual, social, and built around dogs. Hard seltzer and local craft beer lead the pack. Wine, cider, and wine slushies pick up in the afternoon and evening. NA beer, coffee, and hop water are the fastest-growing segment as more people cut back on alcohol. Dog bars don't serve hard liquor, so the cocktail menu leans on wine and beer bases, which keeps things lighter and more sessionable. Whatever you order, the real draw is the same: a cold drink, a happy dog, and a few hours you don't want to end.
Bottom TLDR: The most popular bar drinks at a dog friendly bar are hard seltzer, local craft beer, wine slushies, and a growing list of NA options like hop water and iced coffee. Dog bars skip hard liquor and build their cocktail menus from wine, cider, and beer bases. Visit a Wagbar location to see the current tap list and find your go-to order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular drinks at a dog friendly bar?
Hard seltzer and local craft beer are the top sellers at most dog friendly bars. Wine slushies, cider, and wine by the glass round out the afternoon and evening orders. NA beer and iced coffee are the fastest-growing categories. The mix depends on the location, the weather, and the time of day.
Does Wagbar serve cocktails?
Wagbar's cocktail menu is built from wine, cider, and beer bases rather than hard liquor. That means drinks like mimosas, sangria, wine slushies, and micheladas. The approach keeps drinks lighter and fits the outdoor, relaxed atmosphere of an off-leash dog bar.
What beer does Wagbar have on tap?
The Weaverville flagship runs 10 rotating taps pouring local Asheville craft beers, with canned options from regional breweries. Other locations prioritize local and regional breweries in their own markets. The tap list changes regularly, so check your location page for the latest.
Can I get non-alcoholic drinks at a dog bar?
Yes. Most dog friendly bars now carry a real NA selection that goes beyond soda and water. Wagbar locations stock NA beer, local sodas, coffee, iced coffee, and seasonal warm drinks. Specific offerings vary by location.
What's the best drink to order at a dog bar on a hot day?
Wine slushies and hard seltzer are the warm-weather favorites. Both are cold, light, and easy to drink outside. Iced coffee and hop water are the top picks if you're skipping alcohol. Check the full menu breakdown for more options.
Why don't dog bars serve hard liquor?
Most off-leash dog bars skip hard liquor because the setting calls for lighter, slower-paced drinking. You're in an outdoor space supervising a dog, and the venue is designed around long, relaxed visits rather than quick, strong drinks. Wine, beer, cider, and seltzer fit the format better, and the cocktail options built from those bases are more than enough to keep things interesting.
Are drinks expensive at a dog bar?
Beer prices at most dog bars run $5 to $8, with food truck meals in the $10 to $20 range. Entry for humans at Wagbar is free, and your dog's admission is covered by a day pass or membership. Memberships save money for frequent visitors and skip the line at check-in.