Every New Year, we make a resolution to do better. Whether it’s to lose weight, eat better, clean out clutter from our homes, find a new job, or even to drink less.
There are plenty of reasons to try a Dry January such as sleeping better, losing weight, feeling better and some even note having better skin. In 2022, 35% of adults in the US stated they would take part in a Dry January challenge which was a significant increase from 19% the year before.
Eliminating alcohol from your daily/weekly routine isn’t always easy. In fact, the first three days are said to be the hardest. If you keep busy with activities, or have friends participate with you, you stand a much better chance of making the entire 30 days.
If you enjoy the social aspect of a cocktail, ask your favorite bartender to recommend their favorite “mocktail.” If at home, here are a few tasty options.
Zen Garden
courtesy of Sushi Roku
Ingredients
3 ea cucumber slices muddled
3 ea mint leaves muddled
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz Organics by Red Bull Tonic
Directions: In tin, muddle 3 cucumber slices and 3 mint leaves, add ice. Add pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake and strain into Collins glass. Top it with the Organics by Red Bull Tonic Garnish: Cucumber and edible flower
Haymaker’s Punch
Courtesy of Leslie Britt from Tree Restaurant and Bar at The Lodge at Woodloch
Ingredients
2 fresh strawberries
1/2 lime wedge
1 mint leaf- muddled
One bottle of Jukes # 6
Fever Tree Ginger Beer or favorite No-Secco topper
Directions: Mix above ingredients. Garnish with fresh rosemary and seasonal berries and/or a wedge of candied ginger
Shirley Temple
Ingredients
8 ounces of diet ginger ale
Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Sugar Free Cherry Syrup
Directions: In a glass, add ice and soda, start off with a tablespoon of Sugar Free Cherry Syrup and build up the flavor as desired. Garnish with maraschino cherries and enjoy!
Citrus Cooler
Ingredients
1 ounce Abstinence Cape Citrus
1 ounce Abstinence Blood Orange Aperitif
6 ounces club soda
Orange twist
Directions: Combine Cape Citrus and Blood Orange Aperitif in a glass. Add ice and top with club soda. Garnish with orange twist.
Ramblin’ Rose
Photo credit: Kat Kimball
Ingredients
6 oz ginger beer
1⁄2 oz Cocktail & Sons Strawberry Rose
1⁄2 oz lemon juice
Directions: Add all ingredients to a Collins glass over fresh ice. Stir to combine
The Paradise
Courtesy of Andaz Mayakoba Resort – Riviera Maya
Photo credit: Andaz Mayakoba
Ingredients
½ oz Passion Fruit Purée
½ oz Lime Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Natural Syrup
10 mint leaves
Directions: Muddle the mint in a Collins glass, add ice and pour
all the ingredients adding the sparkling water at the end.
Ingredients
1oz lemon juice
2oz strongly steeped Butterfly Pea Flower (about 2 tablespoons)
1oz lavender syrup
Directions: Mix above ingredients together. Enjoy!
Freixenet Sparkling Paloma
Created by Maureen Petrosky
Ingredients
2/3 cup Freixenet Alcohol-Removed Sparkling White, chilled
2 ounces grapefruit juice
½ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid strained from canned chickpeas)
1 ounce simple syrup
Directions: In a cocktail shaker, half- filled with ice, combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup and aquafaba. Shake, shake, shake until frothy. Add the Freixenet Alcohol-Removed Sparkling White to the shaker and stir once. Strain the cocktail into your glass. Using a spoon, take the froth that’s left in the shaker and top off the cocktail.
Pomegranate and Orange Mojito Mocktail
Compliments of Lifesum
Ingredients
3 oz/90 ml pomegranate juice, unsweetened
1 oz/30 ml fresh orange juice
Directions: Add pomegranate juice, orange juice and ice and shake until chilled.
Pour into a glass with ice. Top with ginger ale and stir.
Miso Pear Prickler
Ingredients
1 oz miso-pear purée (recipe below or buy in-store)
¾ oz thyme simple syrup (recipe below or buy in-store)
1½ oz freshly squeezed orange juice
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Garnish: orange wheel & thyme sprig
Directions: Combine miso-pear purée, thyme simple syrup, orange juice, and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker. Shake with a good amount of ice until chilled. Double strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish with an orange wheel (I used dehydrated) and a thyme sprig.
Miso-Pear Purée
Ingredients
1 pear, peeled & roughly chopped (should equal 1 cup)
3 strips of orange zest
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp white miso paste
2 tbsp water
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a medium saucepan on medium to low heat. Allow pears to soften and let the mixture steep on low heat for thirty minutes. Remove heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender and blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Thyme Syrup
Ingredients
½ cup white sugar
½ cup water
6-8 thyme sprigs
Directions: Combine sugar, water and thyme sprigs into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Allow sugar to dissolve, remove from heat, and let the flavors steep while the syrup cools completely (about 30 minutes to an hour). Once cooled, strain out the thyme sprigs, and transfer syrup into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for about two weeks.
Ingredients
6 oz Cucumber Watermelon ROAR Organic
½ Lime
Splash Club Soda
10 Sprigs Mint
Ice cubes, as needed
Directions: Squeeze half lime into an empty glass. Add mint leaves to the lime juice and lightly muddle.Add ice cubes to a cocktail mixer. Add Cucumber Watermelon ROAR Organic over the ice. Shake cocktail mixer. Add fresh ice to glass with lime and mint. Pour shaken Cucumber Watermelon ROAR Organic in the glass. Top with club soda. Gently stir.
ABC DRINK
Ingredients
1/2 Bottle Betty Buzz Ginger Beer
1 oz Apple Juice
Pomegranate Seeds
Apple Slices
Cinnamon Stick & Star Anise
Directions: Fill your glass with ice. Pour apple juice and Betty Buzz Ginger Beer into glass and stir gently. Add 2 generous handfuls of pomegranate seeds into the glass. Garnish with apple slices, cinnamon stick and star anise.
Agua Bendita
Courtesy of Ceviches by Divino
Ingredients
1.5 oz Rosemary-Sage Simple Syrup
.5 oz Lime Juice
3 oz White Cranberry Juice
3 oz Lietz Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Riesling
Directions: Fill a wine glass with ice. Add ingredients. Squeeze a peel of lime to release its oils and drop it into the glass. Garnish with fresh cranberries and a rosemary sprig.
Finally, there is a great app by Sunnyside that helps you create goals and stick with them. Whether you want a TRUE Dry January, or if you are just dipping your toes for a Dry-ISH January, they can help. Check them out….