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Writer's pictureKaye Beckford

Kaye's Guide On How To Stay Dry in January

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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