It might be Dry January, a New Year’s resolution or just a general curiosity in sobriety, but at the start of each year, millions of American adults skip out on drinking.
This has become easier than ever thanks to the growing prominence of non-alcoholic beverages, including mocktails. A staple now on most drinks menus, mocktails mix cocktail staples like fruit juices, syrups and sparkling waters, but leave out the spirits.
“January comes around and everybody is interested in being the best selves they can be for the next year,” says Rachel Rodgers, an associate professor of applied psychology at Northeastern University. “(Not drinking) is also grounded in this idea of it being somewhat virtuous to be pursuing something that could be healthy, whether or not.”
Janice Maras, associate teaching professor in health science and director of the Dietary Assessment Center at Northeastern, says many Americans are turning to this while re-evaluating their drinking after a spike in consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
