Dry January rolls around every year with a lot of noise. Challenges, trackers, big declarations and the feeling that everyone is either all in or counting down the days until February.
For me, it looks a little different. These days I rarely drink alcohol anyway. I save it for two very specific occasions, an Old Fashioned at Christmas, and an espresso martini on my birthday. Outside of that, alcohol just is not really part of my life.
That does not mean I am anti-alcohol, or judging anyone who enjoys a glass of wine on a Friday. It just means I made a quiet decision years ago about what actually adds something to my life.
Dry January, for a lot of people, is the first time they pause long enough to notice their habits and that is where it can be genuinely useful.
Why so many people rethink drinking in January
January has a way of making everything feel louder. After December excess, routines go out of the window, sleep is disrupted and energy feels low. Alcohol often gets caught up in that reflection.
Dry January appeals because it promises clarity. Better sleep, more energy, improved mood, maybe a bit more focus. For runners, it can also mean better recovery and more consistent training.
What most people realise quite quickly, though, is that the hardest part is not the alcohol itself, it is the habit around it.
I first noticed this years ago when I used to cut out alcohol during marathon training. It started as a practical decision, fewer disrupted nights, better long runs, easier recovery. Over time, I realised it was not just helping my training, it suited my life. I felt better without it, more consistent, and more in tune with how I wanted to feel day to day. What began as a training tweak quietly became my normal.
The hardest part of Dry January is not the drink
For most people, the struggle is habit and ritual.
The 6pm pour while cooking. A drink in the pub just because everyone else has one. Something in your hand while you sit down in the evening and switch off.
When you remove alcohol, you remove the routine around it. That is why simply saying “I will just drink water” often does not stick.
What actually helps is replacing the ritual, not just removing the alcohol.
What living alcohol light has taught me
Because I rarely drink anyway, this is something I navigate all year round, not just in January.
People often assume it must take willpower, or that I am constantly missing out. In reality, it is the opposite. Once you have something you genuinely enjoy drinking, it stops being a thing.
I still go to the pub. I still sit with friends while they drink wine. I still want something that feels like a treat in the evening. I just choose something different.
That is where decent alcohol free options matter.
What I actually drink instead
I have tried a lot of alcohol free drinks over the years, and most of them fall into two categories. Either they are overly sweet, or they feel like a poor imitation of something alcoholic.
Alcohol free beers and ciders can work well in social settings, especially in the pub, when you want something familiar. The same goes for alcohol free prosecco style drinks or zero secco options, they can be handy at celebrations when everyone else is popping corks. For me though, they still feel tied to alcohol occasions, rather than something I naturally reach for day to day.
I’m a huge fan of TRIP drinks I drink them in the evening when I want to unwind or when everyone else is having a glass of something stronger.
They work for me because:
- They feel like a proper drink, not a soft drink
- They still fit into that evening wind down ritual
- They do not feel like they are trying too hard to replace alcohol
This is not something I use just for Dry January. It is what I drink most of the year anyway.
If you are looking for a genuinely nice alcohol free option then check out TRIP here.
A genuinely nice alcohol free option
If you are looking for something to drink during Dry January that still feels like a treat, this mixed pack is a great option to try. TRIP drinks are calm, grown up, and easy to reach for in the evening.
Dry January does not have to be all or nothing
One thing Dry January gets wrong sometimes is the pressure to be perfect.
You do not have to swear off alcohol forever.
You do not have to label yourself.
You do not have to turn it into a personality trait.
You can simply notice how you feel without it, decide when alcohol actually adds something, and keep the parts that work for you.
For some people, Dry January is a reset. For others, it is a pause. And for some, it is just a reminder that there are good alternatives out there that do not leave you feeling worse the next day.
If Dry January helps you rethink your relationship with alcohol, even slightly, then it has done its job.
And if you are looking for something to drink that still feels like a moment, not a downgrade, having a few solid alcohol free options on hand makes all the difference.
