Belated Reflections on Dry Jan and 3 Botanical Bevs that Made it More Fun
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Dry January gets all the attention, but the rejuvenating effects of little bouts of sobriety can be enjoyed any time of year. If a month feels long, a week or weekend can be a nice reset too. And there’s no finer way to take the edge off any associated FOMO than with some thoughtfully chosen beverages to enhance the mood and tickle the tastebuds. Here I’ll share three that hit the spot this past dry Jan.
A quick recap for those considering a sober month
The eve of dry Jan had me feeling quite low. Probably because something possessed us to also give up television for the month, and the idea of being not only sober but also bored felt like a lot. Ah, we were so young then.
The first few days definitely felt dimmer in the absence of some of our favorite pastimes. My fiancé Whit and I would sit gazing at each other after dinner and say things like, “…I guess we could do a puzzle?” Then the other would nod slowly and we’d keep sitting there looking at the wall for a while longer.
But it didn’t take long to adjust. We read a lot more. We worked out more. (My Oura ring tells me that January was the healthiest month I’ve had so far in 2024.) Without fun & lazy activities like drinking IPAs and watching shows we’ve seen so many times, we did fun & active activities like drinking fizzy kombucha while finally doing the puzzle we got during our engagement weekend. Wholesome stuff, folks. Highly recommend.
And on the topic of kombucha, let’s get into these bevs.
1. Good old fashioned kombucha
I’ve passed those Synergy Kombucha drinks for years in the grocery store and had never tried one, assuming that kombucha tasted like apple cider vinegar. But as dry Jan approached and we wanted something easy-to-find and sparkly, I picked some up.
And lo and behold, it turns out there’s something to all this kombucha hype that’s been going on for the last 30 years. It’s good! It takes a little adjusting to, I think, but is honestly tasty. My favorite flavor from Synergy was Guava Goodness, and Trilogy and Watermelon are delicious as well.
Health-Ade was the other option at our local grocery, and seems to be widely-available, but it’s higher in sugar than Synergy (about 8.5g per 8oz vs. 3g in Synergy).
Here are other promising brands if you’re on the hunt for booch, though they’re a little more niche and may be harder to find than the above two:
Rowdy Mermaid: Comes in cans, with super-fun flavors like Savory Peach and Alpine Lavender. Organic and highly reviewed. (They’ve got 9-10g of sugar per can, so not the lowest out there.) A trendy brand with sleek packaging, so ideal for a party where you’re trying to impress your frands.
Bear’s Fruit: Low sugar (2-3g per can). Organic. Also comes in cool flavors like Blackberry Sage and Strawberry Basil. Made from 100% real fruit and herbs!
2. Curious Elixirs
As you may know if you’ve ever done a sober month or week or event or just are sober, there is a whole world of delicious, high-quality alcohol-free cocktails out there.
And like kombucha, many of these drinks go beyond just a tasty alternative to alcy bevvies: they add functional benefits into the mix. So instead of subbing wine for juice or a cocktail for soda, you can do something delicious and nourishing for yourself.
Curious Elixirs falls into this category. And they’ve made the New York Times best non-alcoholic drinks list for three years running, so that’s a nice vote of confidence on taste.
Beyond their complex flavors and thoughtful ingredients, Curious Elixirs are also, hallelujah, not overly sweet. Most have just 4-6g of sugar per drink (and the only one with 9g is Elixir #6 – a Coconut Pineapple Painkiller).
They use various organic plants to create beautiful blends with key benefits. Like Elixir #3 that’s made for de-stressing and complete with lemon, cucumber, alpine flowers, herbs, and ashwagandha. All are made without gluten, caffeine, refined sugar, preservatives, sulfates, or fillers.
3. Recess CBD drinks
After years of admiring their packaging, I finally got to try Recess. And I’m not sure whether the sense of fun, calm, and relaxation I experienced was the CBD or placebo but… does it matter?
These were a lovely way to add a little intrigue and variety to the mix in dry January. Kombucha is punchy and fizzy, the non-alcoholic cocktails complex and flavorful, and Recess lightly fruity, soft, and refreshing. We poured them in wine glasses to feel a little fancy and it reminded me that, indeed, presentation is everything.
Beyond their relaxation-encouraging properties, Recess drinks also have magnesium, which is good for our brains. Functional for the win. Highly recommend.
Honorable mention
As I researched additional brands of kombucha for this post, I stumbled upon Wild Wonder. They’re highly reviewed, and is a different category than any other non-alcoholic beverage here: heritage-inspired prebiotic + probiotic sparkling beverages in sublime flavors like Raspberry Lychee and Guava Rose.
They’re organic, vegan, women-owned, and the cans are so pretty! Check ’em out.
