‘Mocktail’ sales spiking during Dry January

Giving up alcohol for a month is a common New Year’s resolution in 2023.

The Dry January trend is a commitment to go without alcohol for the whole month, but it hasn’t completely stopped people from heading out to their favourite bars.

Greg Clark with Hudson’s Saskatoon said January always tends to be a slower month, but it seems that more customers than ever are ordering mixed drinks without the booze.

“If we take a look at our non-alcoholic sales, definitely you can see a bit of a trend there,” he said.

Clark said the bar is seeing more customers ordering alcohol-free “mocktails” this January, especially among younger age groups.

The bar offers an array of non-alcoholic options, Clark said, such as its Canadian rhubarb drink, craft sodas and non-alcoholic beers.

“Pretty much all of our drinks we can do (without alcohol),” he added.

Clark said some of the Hudson’s staff members have joined in on the trend as well. Even though he operates a bar, Clark said there’s nothing wrong with taking a break from drinking.

“Everything is a personal choice,” he said.

Taking a step back from alcohol can be beneficial for your wallet and also for your health, according to Carrie Verishagen, a registered dietician and director of Eat Well Saskatchewan.

Verishagen said less is always better, and any amount of alcohol can be a health risk.

Taking a break from alcohol for even a little while can improve sleep, energy levels, mood and digestion, the dietician said.

“It can take a few weeks to feel some of those benefits,” she added.

Long-term effects of an alcohol-free diet are improvement of liver function, weight and blood pressure levels. It also can decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Verishagen said alcohol use in Canada is quite normalized. She adds men and women should aim to drink fewer than six standard drinks per week.

She adds each additional standard drink can radically increase the risk of alcohol-related consequences.

For those not wanting to fully cut out alcohol but who want to make healthier choices when drinking, Verishagen suggests sticking to one glass at a time.

“For example, don’t keep topping up a glass of wine,” she said, noting it makes it easier to track alcohol consumption that way.

She also suggests planning ahead how many drinks you plan to have, having a snack before going out, and hydrating.

“Every drink you have of alcohol, try to have a non-alcoholic drink or some water,” she said.