Is Dry January just another capitalist scam?

Does it matter?

may I offer you a booze-free mojito?

Soon it is the new year, a time of attempted starts. Over the past few years, trends like Dry January (forgoing booze for the month) have erupted in our culture, and some people really commit.

Whether resolutions are valuable or not, I think it’s nice that, collectively, we seek out time markers to make changes or set goals. It helps give some meaning to our existence, and especially in the gloomy, come-down month of January, it can feel good to have something to reach for.

It’s interesting, though, that Dry January — an event focused on going without — has summoned new opportunities for brands to produce more.

I can’t count (I probably could but don’t want to) the number of Dry January-related mocktail products I’ve been pitched over the last couple of months. I love me a good mocktail and there are so many I’d want to try, but the overwhelm in my inbox got me thinking: Do we really need something to physically replace alcohol in our fridge when we’re not drinking for 30 days?

Again, I’m all for ordering a mocktail when you’re out at a bar or even crafting yourself a boozeless elixir at home when the spirit calls. There are so many benefits to quitting alcohol (even for a month) and I think it can be a great experiment for anyone. It’s just that the message I’m being bombarded with is: The only way you can survive Dry January is if you replace your boozy drinks with non-boozy drinks.

It’s not the products that are the problem for me, but the principle behind their intent. If we want to quit one thing, we must replace it with another. The exercise of going without is a challenge of it’s own, and one that has value in its practice.

I’ve always been so intrigued by Lent; I can remember one time when we were kids, a friend gave up chocolate for the 40 days (a big deal when you’re like 10 or whatever). She didn’t substitute carob (thank god, it’s vile) or find some other sweet to quell a craving. She just existed in a space where she wanted something but couldn’t have it. I think this kind of exercise — whether it’s food/drink related or not — can help us distinguish our wants from our needs and get a little more in touch with ourselves.

In 2020 I challenged myself to buy no new clothes for the year, and, while I wasn’t 100% successful, the intention really forced me to question my impulses and track their origins. It has made me much more thoughtful about how I buy things today. In a world of overconsumption, any exercise that has us pause and consider a want versus a need can be enlightening. There’s nothing wrong with acting on a want, BTW. I think it’s healthy to just notice it.

Corporate wants us to believe that Dry January is a 1 for 1 exchange: If you normally would have had a beer in this moment, reach for a Heineken 0.0 and you shall be saved! It’s smart ad campaigning, but it depresses me. I would like to throw a little wrench in the machine of consumption that’d help us all slow down a little.

With that, cheers to you all, and happy new year!

Some questions:

• Are you Dry Januarying?

• What’s your favorite mocktail?