The Brink looks like a pub in every way, from the  crowds of people sipping drinks to the trendy interior, but there’s one thing it’s missing: alcohol.

“There’s not much that doesn’t focus around drinking in the UK,” said Jacquie Johnston-Lynch, a spokeswoman for substance abuse recovery program SHARP, which spearheaded the idea of opening Liverpool’s  first dry bar.

But don’t call it a cafe.

John Sutton, who reviews bars for the Liverpool Echo, was surprised to find that The Brink was very much a pub.

“It’s got the edge over a lot of its rivals,” Sutton wrote in his review.  “I had a Virgin Mary…and it was better than any version I’ve had of its vodka-infused cousin.”

The need for a dry venue was underscored by the sobering fact that Liverpool leads the UK in alcohol-linked hospital admissions, The Guardian reported.

Despite the lack of booze, the pub has been doing incredibly well, attracting more than just recovering alcoholics, Johnston-Lynch said.

“It’s an eclectic and cosmopolitan crowd, including single women, students, and musicians,” she said. “It’s become a really sophisticated venue.”