Have Fun With Mocktails During Dry January

Many people start January with New Year's resolutions, vision boards, and, increasingly, a commitment to having a "dry January." Since its inception as an initiative from the British charity organization Alcohol Change UK in 2012, many adults in the U.K. and the U.S. have committed to starting their new years off on a sober note. The stress and isolation of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to an uptick in risky drinking behaviors, according to the National Institute of Health. Spikes in alcohol use disorders typically drop about 5-6 years after a disastrous event, and the NIH expects more people will lessen their alcohol use as time passes. According to George F. Koob, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, curiosity about sobriety and concerns about alcohol use are rising among many Americans, especially the youth.

Thanks to the growing popularity of the sobriety challenges, there are many resources on alcohol consumption and alternatives to help sober-curious people make temporary or permanent lifestyle changes. Author and journalist Hillary Sheinbaum wrote The Dry Challenge after becoming sober-curious. Sheinbaum's book contains social activity ideas, prompts, mocktail recipes and words of encouragement to stick to one's sobriety goals. 

There is a growing number of mocktail recipe books published by nutritionists, social butterflies, and pregnant people aimed at providing alcohol alternatives that are not just tasty, but healthy. A good example is Mocktail Party by Kerry Benson.

Registered dieticians Lecalzi and Benson developed 75 refreshing low-sugar and mocktail recipes that use plant-based healthy ingredients such as herbs, coconut water, tea, and fruit. The authors also include information on the health effects of regularly consuming alcohol and added sugars.  

The Mocktail Club includes recipes for making your own syrups. This collection of mocktail ideas is broken down by the zero-proof spirit the alcoholic version of the drink is based on, making it a good choice for those who want to stick to the classics.  

In Baby Proof, mother and blogger Nicole Nared-Washington divides this collection of 50 mocktail recipes into three sections split between drinks for pregnancy symptoms and drinks for fun. Her twists on the classics include a "Baby Sunrise" and stomach-soothing elixirs. 

Fans of Golden Girls will enjoy Drinks on the Lanai, a collection of fun recipes including many favored by the characters. Unlike the other books included in this list, this recipe collection also includes both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, as well as some cheesecake recipes.