Drinking alcohol as an option, not an obligation
A quick look at Dry January, socializing, and how we can support nonalcoholic options year round
Since returning to Boston last weekend, I’ve been trying to get my normal diet/sleep schedule/routines back after 10 days with family and a wave of holiday food and drinks more excessive than what the rest of my year typically holds. Over Christmas, cocktails were paired with family conversations reflecting on the unusual diets we were all enjoying at that moment, and more than once, one of us would say through a mouthful of cookies and red wine: “starting in January, I’m going to [do something healthier].”
Predictably, the topic of Dry January came up. Dry January is a tradition where people give up alcohol for the month of January, starting the new year with healthier goals in mind and serving as a reset after the overindulgence of the holidays.
Dry January isn’t a treatment for addiction or a solution to problematic alcohol use. But for light to moderate drinkers, there are many reasons to consider joining the 15% of people in the U.S. who’ve pledged to take this month-long break: even a short-term pause in drinking has benefits for mental and physical health including better sleep, weight management, reduced anxiety, and the opportunity to reflect on the role that alcohol plays in your life.
But in a country where 62% of adults report drinking alcohol, and everything from family gatherings to professional networking involves drinking, avoiding it can be difficult. This makes the month of January a logical choice: with the holiday party season in the rear view mirror, January holds fewer obligations to get together, and more excuses to get out of it when there are. Bad weather, illnesses, and watching post-holiday finances make for easy, socially-acceptable reasons to bow out of plans that might otherwise challenge our resolve to stay alcohol-free.
Beyond the draw of alcohol itself, plans that involve imbibing come with social challenges to sobriety. Alcohol-centered professional events, for example, place pressure on non-drinkers to participate or lose out on valuable relationship-building and networking. Not drinking risks raising questions about why or risks revealing personal circumstances such as health conditions or pregnancy. And important relationships are maintained in the spaces of restaurants and bars – but these are also spaces that can call attention to who’s drinking and who isn’t, and where an alcohol-centered menu can make someone who’s abstaining feel left out.
With how complicated it can be to navigate not drinking in a drinking-oriented setting, it makes sense that we might be tempted to socially withdraw as part of a sobriety plan. But social connection is crucial for our health, too: as the Surgeon General warns, loneliness and social disconnection increase your risk of stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, anxiety, and more.
As a result, withdrawing from social activities to avoid the harm of alcohol risks introducing the harm of social isolation. How can we make it easier to break from alcohol while staying social?
In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of nonalcoholic beverage options in bars and restaurants, facilitated in part by a decline in drinking among younger adults. Back in my Goose Island serving days, the best we could offer a guest who wanted to inconspicuously stay sober was a soda water made to look like a gin and tonic, or a faux IPA made with iced tea and soda water – not the most thrilling options. Today, mocktails and other specialty nonalcoholic drinks are seemingly everywhere and increasingly specialized. For example, Bistro 781 in Waltham, MA – one of my favorite mocktail spots – has a wide selection including an espresso mocktini, a mule made with nonalcoholic wine, and two nonalcoholic IPAs. Options like this help normalize choosing nonalcoholic drinks, include sober guests in the bar experience, and make the choice to abstain appear less conspicuous.
But being in a place with alcohol present isn’t always the best for sobriety, and this is where alcohol-free opportunities for socializing are crucial. These are especially important to adopt in cases where socializing is (explicitly or implicitly) obligatory, such as professional gatherings. In my department at Boston University, for example, we expanded our social activities a few years ago beyond our traditional bar nights to include light hikes and coffee gatherings – options that make it easier for everyone to find something they can attend.
The more we can grow and normalize nonalcoholic options for socializing, the better we can support anyone who wants to go dry at any time – not just January – without questions, without stigma, and without sacrificing the crucial health benefits of spending time with each other.
A reminder: this Dry January conversation is specific to the aim of pausing or reducing alcohol consumption for people who are light or moderate drinkers. Dry January isn’t treatment for addiction, nor are these solutions tailored to the challenges associated with alcoholism. If you engage in heavy drinking and want to quit, please consult your doctor first. For information and resources on alcoholism, please visit SAMHSA or Alcoholics Anonymous.