We all need it...a month of cleansing from the Octo-BAR, Novem-BAR, and Decem-BAR binging. But we definitely dread it. Because sometimes you just need a glass of wine...or a good cocktail. My guide to staying dry in January in style will you have counting down the days until your next Alcohol Pause.
Approximately 15% of Americans pledge to practice Dry January each year....
Alcohol-free Pornstar Martini(Real Passionfruit Puree, Monin Vanilla Syrup, and Fever Tree Club Soda)
As someone working in the business of alcohol completing a dry January challenge has to be the most difficult thing I have ever tried. I work around it, my business is built around, and then my house is full of it. But I decided to use dry January as not only a pocket saver and a health button reset, but also a chance to really explore the world of craft mocktails and spirit-free alternatives.
I created this guide in hopes that navigating dry January on those days you just need a drink...will be a lot easier for you...
First off, what the #$%@ is Dry January?
Because the last couple months of the year are packed with holidays and cheer...most of tend to drink. Maybe we drink to celebrate, maybe we drink as we swipe our credit card for 500th time, or maybe we drink to tune out that annoying uncle who keeps asking why we're not married yet. Either way the spike in alcohol consumption for the average person between the months of October, November, and December birthed a new social movement...Dry January. A chance to pretend you didn't chug a bottle of champagne at midnight. A social challenge to start the year off healthier.
How to make your favorite cocktail spirit-free!
What about me? I love wine and beer!
My Favorite Spirit-free recipes
The art of making your favorite drink without alcohol...
Let's start by killing the idea that all mocktails are super sweet and laced with grenadine. In fact, let's just stop saying mocktails entirely...it's giving knock off Chanel. From now on, we'll use spirit-free or spirit-less.
You don't have to make a sweet drink when making a spirit free cocktail. Whatever you usually drink, you can make that...you'll be surprised at how great the flavor profiles are even without alcohol. Because of the prevalence of a sober movement now...a plethora of spiritless brands have surfaced providing far greater options than the Shirley temple that I was beat over the head with growing up. Now you can scroll through aisles of Spiritless Tequila...Vodka...and even Bourbon! To make your same favorite drinks at the bar.
Don't be surprised if the prices of these brands are a little bit higher than those with alcohol though. If you're not willing to break the bank during dry January, there are alternatives to getting the right spirit free taste. For one use coconut water...it's always a good healthy and hydrated way to make your cocktail. Or Ginger beer. There's always a way to enjoy all the flavors you love in your cocktail without the alcohol. There are days where I just crave a good fresh mojito. Virgin mojitos are the easiest cocktail, and you make them any flavor possible.
Some great brands for flavor profile are Monin, Real and Fever Tree. Monin has great syrups to go crazy with from sweet to spicy to just wild. Our current two favorites are their Pistachio syrup and their Chipotle Pineapple. Real has some thick purees that you can't get enough like their Lychee and their Coconut. Fever Tree is your go to for any bubbles you need to make our spiritless drink a hit. If you're having a Japanese dish, you can use their Yuzu Lime Soda to make a spirit-free sake-tini or use their Sparkling Grapefruit to satisfy an Aperol Spritz crave.
Spirit-Less Spicy Sorrell Margarita (Grace Sorrell & Ginger, Finest Call Elderflower Syrup)
Yes we know there's nothing like a good glass of wine, and a nice cold beer but...
We found some really good alcohol-free alternatives that have gotten pretty close.
If you're like me and beer is your guilty pleasure, there's a couple brands who have hopped on the alcohol-free train and have mastered it. One of them is Stella! Surprisingly Stella Librte tastes exactly like the real thing. We found Heineken Zero to be just "aight" not really hitting the mark but definitely filling us up and Corona's Alcohol Free of the same caliber to taste literally like fermented apple juice and not the Mexican lager we have all grown to love. Stella instead matched their exact flavor and simply removed the alcohol. For those lovers of a simple domestic lager....Budweiser Zero has got your back. It tasted exactly like the real thing...like watered down garbage :)
Now we all grew up with our parents shoving a bottle of Welch's Sparkling Grape juice at us for New Years Eve...or that quick sip from the Communion plate. And as much as I enjoy the sugar rush from Welch's Sparkling Rose....for dry January I had to search for a way better substitute to satisfy my wine craving. Because we all know There's nothing like a glass of wine in the tub, or after a long day or work...or while you vacuum the house. Or before grocery shopping, or at breakfast...or you get the point. Every hour is wine hour. I first tried the media face...Fre. It was everywhere and I couldn't grasp the notion that I was paying 3x for Welches. None of their brands really hit the spot for in red wines and all needed to be refrigerated before consumption. Now Fre wasn't all bad, I did enjoy their Sparkling Brut. But it wasn't until I stumbled on a brand called Ariel that I regained hope. Ariel has a Paso Robles grown alcohol removed Cab Sauv...and it's literally to die for. the bottle price is $8 which is far more reasonable for something where the alcohol was moved, and I got the robust bold flavors that I love in a big bold cab...and after a whole bottle I was still able to drive! So I didn't stop there, I found Luminara a vintage alcohol removed Chardonnay. I had to check the bottle twice to make sure that it really was 0% ABV because it reminded of my favorite Oaky Chard.
Most importantly remember why you are doing dry January whether it's health wealth....or you just want to see what you're like sober and put that at the forefront of our goal each day to keep at it. As fun as alcohol can be, we all know that everything in excess is bad for us.
Blue MF(Finest Call Blue Curacao, Roes's Triple Sec, Goya Pineapple Nectar)
My Top 12 Dry January Recipes
Lychee Martini
4oz Foco Lychee Juice
1oz Real Lychee Puree
1oz Lemon juice
.25oz simple syrup
Fresh Lychee to garnish
Coconut Mojito
4oz Coconut Water
1oz Real Coconut Syrup
1oz Lime Juice
1oz Simple Syrup
8 mint leaves
Top with club soda
Cosmopolitan
2oz Cranberry Juice
1oz Rose's Triple Sec
.5oz Rose's Lime Juice
.5oz Lemon Juice
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Splash of Soda
Lime twist garnish
Blueberry-Peach Mule
1oz Blueberry Syrup
.5oz Lime Juice
Top with Ginger Beer
Mint & Canned Peaches for Garnish
Lavendar Vanilla Mimosa
1oz Lavendar
.5oz Vanilla Syrup
Top with Fre Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine
Lavendar sprig and lemon for garnish
Elderflower Margarita
1.5oz Jalisco 55 Spirtless
1oz Fresh lime Juice
1oz Elderflower Syrup
.75oz Agave
Edible flower to garnish
Chai Espresso Martini
3oz Tazo Chai Tea
.25oz Vanilla Syrup
2oz Vanilla Cold Brew
Coffee Beans to Garnish
Cucumber Sour
4oz Lemonade
1oz Basil infused Syrup
Muddled Cucumber
2 dashes of Fee bitters
Garnish with cucumber slices
Spiced Cranberry Sangria
6oz Welch's Red Sangria
1oz Cranberry Syrup
1oz Ginger Syrup
.5oz Lemon Juice
.5oz Orange Juice
Top with Sprite
Blue MF
1oz Blue Curacao
2oz Pineapple Juice
2oz Sweet & Sour Mix
.5oz Rose's Triple Sec
Top with Sprite
Garnish with Lime
Smokey Pineapple Margarita
2oz Optimist Botanicals Smoky
1oz Monin Chipotle Pineapple Syrup
1oz Lime Juice
.5oz Agave
Tajin Rim
Jalapenos & Dehydrated Pineapple for garnish
Green Tea Shot
1oz Iced Green Tea
.25oz Peach Syrup
1oz Lemonade
Muddled Ginger Slice
Splash of Sprite
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