Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? Even if it’s past January 1, there’s still time to do something nice for yourself.
Dry January, Damp January and National Mocktail Week (January 8-14) all seem to be taking over our lives this month. As we recover from overindulging during the holidays, there seem to be plenty of options to help us retrench. Damp January is a newish concept, a , if you will, for those not quite ready to take the plunge into total abstention. Its concept is simple: tone down your drinking and you’ll put yourself in a healthier place. But for the rest of us who have experienced or want to experience the benefits of a month (or longer) without alcohol, there are many options that go beyond National Mocktail Week to help you survive a sober month. If you find you like the results, there’s no need to stop on January 31. Or maybe just moderate until Sober October arrives.
You won’t be alone. According to CGA research, an agency specializing in the food and drink industries, about 35% of legal aged adults in the U.S. participated in Dry January in 2022, an increase of some 15% from the previous year. Perhaps the excesses of the pandemic period have motivated people to take the NA (non-alcoholic) plunge. But whatever it was, bars, restaurants and drink manufacturers have responded with many zero-proof choices to fill in the taste and variety blanks as you enjoy socializing and relaxing without alcohol.
Booze-free Bars and Mocktails
New York City invites you to dabble in innovative drink and flavor combinations with a baker’s dozen choices.
L’Amico - Crimson & Clover Cocktail © Jason Hedges
Laurent Tourondel’s L’Amico shows off the versatility of zero-proof Seedlip spirit, using Seedlip Grove in a Crimson & Clover mocktail, adding fresh blood orange juice, lime juice, honey/clove syrup and club soda. It pairs beautiful with any of the restaurant’s pasta dishes.
Sama Street - Same Same but Virgin © Eric Medsker
Pan-Asian Sama Street, in Brooklyn’s trendy Greenpoint neighborhood, offers a selection of Asian-inflected mocktails that are sure to make you look cool and satisfy the urge to imbibe. Try their humorously named Same Same but Virgin, a novel blend of spicy ginger turmeric tea, Coco Lopez, lime juice, fish sauce, mint and dill sprigs for a dramatic beverage served in a blue ceramic fish. Or the Baby Buck, a spin on Sama’s famous Shanghai Buck , a fresh cocktail made with winter melon tea syrup, lime juice, angostura bitters, and topped with ice and ginger beer.
Dante © Steve Freihon
Popular NYC cocktail bar Dante has curated a cocktail experience for those withholding from alcohol for Dry January. Special NA (non-alcoholic) cocktails include the Fall Fox (Seedlip Spice, pear shrub, and London Essence ginger beer), Dante Spritz (Lyre’s Italian Spritz, Classic N/A Prosecco, San Pellegrino), the Espresso Shakerato (Three Spirits Nightcap, Lyre’s Coffee Liqueur, simple syrup, espresso, rose water and saline), and an NA Cosmojito (lime, Dante Cranberry, simple syrup, mint leaves, and orange bitters).
Rosa Mexicano - Mango-Ginger Refresco © Cody Rasmussen
Rosa Mexicano helps you tame the fire of their spicy cocina with a Mango-Ginger Refresco, a cooling combo of mango purée, lemon, chia seed and ginger beer. It’s offered at their multiple locations in the city.
Courtesy Hideout at Gallow Green
At the Alpine-decorated Hideout at Gallow Green, the month goes dry with two refreshing mocktails, the Dry Northern made with pomegranate juice, citrus and soda, and the Dew Drop, a mix of ginger, grapefruit juice and rose lemonade.
Berries & Bubbles Courtesy Ocean Prime
Playing off its near-Broadway location, Ocean Prime is all about theatricality with its signature Berries & Bubbles. The Instagrammable libation is made with Sprite, marinated blackberries, fresh lemon and dry ice smoke.
Courtesy Skylark Lounge
Soak in the city views instead of alcohol from the 30th floor at the Skylark Lounge. Master Mixologist Johnny Swet takes full advantage of winter flavors with his Harvest Honey Lemonade, a dreamy mix of pear puree, honey syrup, apple cider and lemon juice.
NR - Ginger Soda © Zenith Richards
Not-so-secret speakeasy/restaurant NR offers their acclaimed ramen and small bites menu along with their cocktail magic turned NA. Mocktail offerings include the Ginger Soda with a blend of ginger, house-spiced syrup, ginger ale and lime. For something bitter, the Bitter Sweet has Bitter Sweet Non-Alcohol Spirit, pineapple, pomegranate, elderflower and tonic.
Courtesy Oiji Mi
Michelin-starred contemporary Korean restaurant Oiji Mi offers a mocktail menu worthy of its acclaim. Addressing both plant-forward and zero-proof trends, the Peter Rabbit is made with carrot, orange oleo, Meyer lemon, and vanilla bean ice cream. A new version of Mexican horchata, the Jatchata is made with pine nut, cinnamon and vanilla.
Courtesy The Ivory Peacock
The Ivory Peacock, an elegant new cocktail bar in NoMad/Chelsea dedicated to all things gin, offers a zero-proof gin cocktail this month. The Super Lemon is made with Clean & Co. ‘gin,’ lemon cordial Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic, and mint oil.
N.A.GRONI Courtesy Celestine
Capitalizing on the popularity of the non-alcoholic botanical aperitif Ghia, DUMBO’s Celestine pairs a Negroni mocktail with its Mediterranean-inspired menu. The N.A.GRONI features Amass “Riverine” N.A. Gin from California along with Ghia and verjus, a tart juice made from pressing unripe grapes.
Courtesy Alice
At Alice in the West Village, the Italian and seafood restaurant serves up fancified mocktails with aromatics, tinctures and various zero proof spirits that mimic the real thing. Order your baked lobster or oysters paired with Prima Pavé Rose Brut sparkling AF (alcohol-free) wine or a mocktail like the Body Language, mixed with Pathfinder, a zero-proof, fermented and distilled spirit, date molasses, grape syrup, lemon, and spritzed with rosewater for an aromatic finish.
Courtesy Madame George
Spirits specialist Madame George adds a few mocktails to their New York-themed cocktail list. Try the Mulberry Blend, a malty and caffeine-rich concoction of Lyre’s American malt, Lyre’s amaretti, lemon juice, cola redux, and Manhattan Special Espresso soda.
Fun at Home
You’ll need to check the web for online sites to purchase these NA beverages for your home enjoyment, but many are available on Amazon. Others are available at liquor stores and grocery stores, so you’ll have no trouble keeping your refrigerator stocked during the month.
Courtesy Uncle Waithley’s
A non-alcoholic small batch ginger beer, Uncle Waithley’s Vincy Brew, Ginger Beer with Scotch Bonnet Pepper is a refreshing beverage and an ideal mixer enhanced and balanced with pepper.
Kombucha Mixed Berry Courtesy Remedy Kombucha
Remedy Drinks is a great Dry January choice for kombucha fans. Remedy has a line of tasty Ginger Beer and Kombuchas that contain no sugar and taste like seltzers with organic acids and antioxidants. Rotate their ginger beer, mixed berry, peach and raspberry lemonade flavors for a variety-filled, gut-friendly month.
Courtesy De Soi
Inspired by the French ethos of pleasure and restraint, De Soi is a line of sparkling, ready-to-drink non-alcoholic aperitifs created by Katy Perry and award-winning Master Distiller Morgan McLachlan. Reminiscent of a light-, medium-, and full-bodied wine, De Soi’s three flavors, Golden Hour, Champignon Dreams, and Purple Lune, layer botanicals with natural adaptogens.
Courtesy MIXOLOSHE
MIXOLOSHE is a new female-founded beverage brand of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic, low-sugar beverages and spirits with tempting flavors like Orange Old Fashioned Cosmic Bitter Spritz, Blueberry G&T and Tropical Smoky Margarita.
Courtesy Cut Above
For beverages you can drink straight or mix, Cut Above is a line of zero-proof gin, mezcal, agave blanco and whisky. The website includes many mocktail suggestions such as Tommy’s Skinny Margarita, a NA Old Fashioned, and the Naughty & Nice Punch made with their mezcal, fresh fruit and sparkling water.
Courtesy Stone Hollow Farmstead
I’ve always found that a Virgin Mary or, as some call it, a Bloody Shame tastes pretty darn good given all its pickled vegetables, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and other peppery ingredients. Red or green Bloody Mary mixes from Stone Hollow Farmstead in Alabama have nailed them with their own farm veggies. And, I’m not kidding you, you won’t miss the vodka. Or the hangover.
Seedlip © Meryl Pearlstein
Other mocktail favorites for your at-home dinners include creatively layered beverages with a base of Seedlip, a distilled, non-alcoholic spirit, made with botanicals. There’s Spice 94, herbal Seedlip Garden 108 or citrus-based Grove 42. The website inspires your creativity with recipe suggestions or take a cue from the mixology wizards at La Societe at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa who mix Seedlip Garden with lemon, basil syrup, elderflower and elderflower tonic to create their refreshing Nonna’s Garden, or from Denver’s Tamayo with their Non-Collins, mixing Seedlip Grove with strawberry, lemon, mint and sparkling water.
Courtesy Lyre’s
Two other base liquors give you many opportunities to express your NA creativity. Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic spirits offer a range of wines and liquors to add plenty of variety during the month. They will ship premixed cocktails like their non-alcoholic G&T or the Dry London spirit, an NA gin, American Malt, a NA classic bourbon malt wherever you live. Liqueur and aperitif fans can try their Italian orange, a NA red Italian bitter aperitivo style drink, or Amaretti, a NA nutty amaretto liqueur. There are many choices to tempt. Ghia gives you the option of a full-bottle aperitivo or canned spritzes in flavors like ginger and line and salt.
Courtesy Clausthaler
Clausthaler craft non-alcoholic beers taste just like the real brew. The German brewery has the pedigree, too, as they are an exclusively N/A brewery in existence for more than 40 years with a patented process for making beer that doesn’t create alcohol. There are dry-hopped beers, IPAs, and, for a kick, try their grapefruit beer.
Courtesy HOP WTR
Offered in three flavors, Classic, Mango and Blood Orange, HOP WTR is a non-alcoholic brew of crisp, bold hops, sparkling water and mood-boosting adaptogens and nootropics crafted without calories or sugar. The tasty beer alternatives are bright and refreshing, perfect for Superbowl parties or anytime during Dry January or beyond.
Courtesy Surely
Love California wines? Sonoma Valley has a lovely alcohol-free wine collection. Surely’s non-alcoholic wine is made from wine with the alcohol removed. A favorite is their non-alcoholic cabernet sauvignon, bold and full-bodied, and made with 100% Sonoma Valley grapes.
Gift a Kit for the Month
Courtesy Raising The Bar - Zero-Proof Subscription Box
Keep it coming with Raising The Bar – Zero-Proof Subscription Box. DIY cocktail creations that keep on giving is the name of the game with this program. You can subscribe for as long as you want for creative alcohol-free beverages shipped to you directly. Boxes are themed with fun names like “Love Potion,” and each kit makes a minimum of four drinks.
Courtesy Something Else
For another package of Dry January goodies, non-alcoholic brand, Something Else, is offering a bundle fora month of fun and renewal. The Best January Kit comes with a six-pack sampler of NA sippers: Kally, a verjus-based sipper, and Lili, a sparkler that is all bubbles and no booze; a candle; gratitude journal; herbal tea; and a digital guide.
Damp January instead?
Courtesy Sommarøy Spirits
If you haven’t yet made the full zero-proof commitment, that’s not a problem.
Sommarøy Spirits are a new line of lower-proof premium spirits with 1/3 less alcohol so you can drink in moderation for a Dry-ish January. Look for them at Whole Foods.
Courtesy HEAVENSAKE
The first lifestyle sake brand, HEAVENSAKE is all natural, gluten-free and three times less acidic than wine. Junmai translates to pure in Japanese, and taking inspiration from the rosés of Provence and the lightness of Champagne HEAVENSAKE Junmai 12 is no exception. With notes of salted caramel, cacao and kumquat, this 12% ABV sake can be used in low-alcohol cocktails such as highballs and mules to replace full-strength spirits.
Courtesy Sunny with a Chance of Flowers
With only 85 calories, 9% alcohol and zero sugar across the entire product range, Sunny with a Chance of Flowers is a new wine line made with fully ripened grapes that pass through a special filtration system to carefully remove the alcohol,. Try their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
