Hold the booze, Dry January is more popular than ever.
Almost nine million people in the UK are planning to take a month off drinking in the first month of 2023 – a record number since Dry January began 10 years ago.
That’s not insignificant. It means an estimated as 8.8 million Brits plan to go alcohol-free for 31 days, with three in 10 looking to cut down in general, according to Alcohol Change UK.
More people are considering ditching alcohol as they realise they can’t take the hangxiety that comes after a boozy night. And having a month of sobriety comes with reams of benefits.
Studies shows that those who do Dry January often drink less in the long run, and a month is long enough to start noticing the difference.
People who take breaks from alcohol can expect to sleep better, have more energy, and may even notice they lose a little weight or feel a boost in mood.
With all of the alcohol alternative drinks out there, it’s never been easier to take some time off alcohol. No more are sober people resigned to drinking the same soft drinks or sticking to tap water at the weekend.
So whether you’re a Dry January veteran or this is your first stab at abstinence, we rounded up some of the new alcohol-free drinks hitting shelves in January 2023.
Because alcohol-free doesn’t have to mean flavour free.
ALT Sparkling Organic Chardonnay and Sparkling Organic Rosé
These new sparkling wines from the Danish brothers behind ALT are now available in the UK. They are 100% organic, low sugar and vegan.
The crisp, zesty and floral non-alcoholic sparkling white wine is made with Chardonnay grapes.
The sparkling Organic Rosé is dry and fruity, made with Spanish Tempranillo grapes. Try it as an aperitif, with salmon, chicken, salads, hummus, quinoa, soft cheese and snacks.
Also, they are much lower in calories than alcoholic wine, if you care about that.
A 750ml bottle of each costs from £11.99 at Wise Bartender.
Club Soda’s Cocktail Trail
Club Soda has a new permanent alcohol-free tasting room open in Covent Garden, where visitors can sample their new offering during an alcohol-free cocktail trail in the West End this January.
You can sample these new tipples:
Big Drop Reef Point Lager
This malty beer has a honey aroma balanced with a gentle bitterness and a delicate uplifting waft of citrus.
Available at Club Soda for £2.50 per bottle.
Sentia Spirits
Sentia is designed to stimulate your Gaba receptors in the same way as your first drink – but without any of the downsides.
Available at Club Soda from £16 per bottle.
OddBird Low Intervention Organic White Nº 2
This is the first alcohol-free natural wine from North Alsace in France.
Available at Club Soda for £12 per bottle.
Zeno Wines
Made by Londoner David Hodgson his white, sparkling and red flew off the shelves when they came in just before Christmas.
Available at Club Soda for £11 per bottle.
Bach 0 by Back 95
Bach 0 is a new gluten-free and vegan reduced-calorie lager made by Bach 95.
Crafted in Cheshire, Bach 0 will be available to purchase directly from the Bach 95 website in either 12 or 24 packs, as well as the option to sign-up to a monthly subscription from the 4th January 2023.
Bach 95 was founded by Cheshire rugby pros Will Cliff, former rugby player Tom Holmes, and former rugby player and sports agent, Jesse Coulson.
Now, there’s the alcohol-free alternative.
A 12-pack costs £19 direct from the brand.
Kombucha Warehouse
Kombucha is the latest poster child for gut health. Loads of brands have battled to produce the best-fermented goodness – and now you don’t have to choose just one.
Kombucha Warehouse is selling the UK’s first mixed brand kombucha subscription box, for those seeking variety this Dry January.
Subscriptions start from £18 per month.
Lyre’s
While Lyre – Alcohol Change’s non-alcoholic partner for Dry January – doesn’t have a new drink coming out, they are giving away 10,000 free non-alcoholic cocktails over the month of January from nationwide chains such as Mitchell & Butler, Youngs, Head of Steam and The Ivy, along with a bunch of independent sites.
Check out Lyre’s venue locator to try one of the brand’s alcohol-free spirits.
High Point
Cornish-based High Point has created something intriguing – the world’s first fermented non-alcoholic spirit.
The new High Point Ruby Aperitif takes 30 days to create and tastes like hibiscus, lavender and pink peppercorn.
Try it mixed with tonic water and poured over ice, served with a slice of pink grapefruit.
For a more smoky flavour try the High Point Amber. Mix with ginger ale, pour over ice and add a slice of orange to garnish.
High Point can be purchased from Amazon and High Point for £19.99 per bottle.
GUNNA Drinks
Craft lemonade brand, GUNNA Drinks, built a cheeky middle finger sculpture made of plastic cola bottles following the launch of their petition to ban the use of single-use plastic bottles in the manufacture of soft drinks.
The average person in the UK uses 150 plastic bottles every year, and many are discarded and end up polluting our rivers and seas.
GUNNA Drinks pledges to be carbon negative and eliminate twice the carbon they create, while investing invests in the Clean Oceans project, which picks up plastic bottles from the ocean. Now, they are lobbying the UK government to take action against plastic bottles.
Inspired by traditional soft drinks, GUNNA’s offerings contain less than 5% sugar. Find them in Holland & Barrett, Ocado, Amazon, Sainsbury’s and bars and restaurants across the UK.
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