These terrific mocktails are perfect for Dry January

Giving your liver a break doesn't have to mean skimping on flavor

By Lindsay Parrill January 3, 2023

mocktails — Image used with permission by copyright holder

January is a time when some people like to take a month off from drinking to let their livers relax a little. After a holiday season packed with parties, office gatherings, and family get-togethers, a break from the booze makes sense. To make it through any of these festivities, a good, stiff drink is often necessary. The problem is that that drink quickly becomes two. Then there’s a few casual beers, a glass of champagne for the toast, and pretty soon you’re throwing up on your boss’ shoes. Come January, our bodies need a break. Cue the mocktails.

Contents

Coconut Cream Mocktini
Pink Panther Mocktail
Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktails
Virgin Mojito Mocktail

If you’ve been living under a rock, a mocktail is a mixed drink that feels celebratory and special, but doesn’t contain any alcohol. They’re wonderful for those post-holiday get-togethers when your body needs to mend, for people who don’t drink, and for parties with guests of all ages. These are a few of our favorites.

Coconut Cream Mocktini

Art From My Table

(From Art from my Table)

This beautiful mocktail feels somehow wintery and tropical at the same time. Its snowy texture and pure white color are perfect for January, but the summertime flavor will have to ready to shed the hat and scarf.

Pink Panther Mocktail

A Farmgirl's Dabbles

(From A Farmgirl’s Dabbles)

Make a big batch of these, because everyone from Grandma to little Suzie to Boozie Betty will want seconds. Drinking like an alcohol-free pina colada, this creamy treat is sure to get you through dry January without a second glance at the bar.

Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktails

Bowl of Delicious

(From Bowl of Delicious)

This fresh and fizzy mocktail is not only beautiful and delicious, but it’s healthy, too! Containing zero refined sugar, this booze-free beverage is good for both the waistline and the liver.

Virgin Mojito Mocktail

Munaty Cooking

(From Munaty Cooking)

If you’re missing the flavor of a more classic cocktail, this virgin mojito is the way to go. Containing all of the minty, refreshing mojito taste with none of the rum, this is a perfect drink that will carry you right on through January to the hammock-swinging, lazy days of summer.

Lindsay Parrill

Contributor

Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…

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Whether it’s for health reasons, a change of pace, or you tied one on a little too tightly during the holiday season, there’s a chance you’ve decided to join countless others for Dry January. For those unaware, this means this month will be spent without imbibing any alcohol. This means no cocktails, no wine, and absolutely no beer. Well, no beer with alcohol in it, at least.

Dry January doesn’t mean you’ll be completely parched all month because no beer hits your lips. Due to a rise in sober consumers and drinkers who enjoy taking time off from booze, there are countless non-alcoholic beers on the market. Gone are the days of mass-produced, fizzy water NA beers.

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For many people, the holidays are a time of extra indulgence, social gatherings, and celebration, all of which can involve more imbibing than you’re used to or that feels healthy. Dry January offers an opportunity to reset and step away from alcohol for the month, which can do wonders for your health and give you a chance to re-examine your relationship with alcohol.

However, getting through Dry January can be challenging, particularly if you normally do a lot of social drinking or simply enjoy the taste of your favorite beer, wine, cocktail, or spirit. Even if you don’t feel you need the buzz associated with an alcoholic drink, there can be social pressures to have a drink when in the company of others who are drinking, and you may enjoy the ritual or flavors associated with a nice glass of wine or bottle of beer with dinner.

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When the New Year rolls around, many people see it as a perfect time to reset and refresh. Particularly after the rich and festive meals during the holidays, many people make New Year’s resolutions to start eating healthier and exercising regularly, for example.
The holidays are also a time when many of us enjoy (more than) our fair share of alcoholic beverages. Between holiday parties, happy hours, spiked eggnog, all those festive cocktails, and countless bottles of Christmas wine, you may feel like your liver needs a bit of a break. Dry January was designed for precisely this purpose -- to encourage people to abstain from alcohol for the entire month, to restore their physical health and their healthy relationship with alcohol.
If you’ve never participated in Dry January before, you may think it downright daunting or completely unnecessary. But you may be surprised at just how beneficial and easy it can be with a little discipline, flexibility, and planning. So, if you’re looking for a fresh way to boost your health in 2023, keep reading for our Dry January tips.

What is Dry January?
Dry January was started in 2013 by a British organization called Alcohol Change UK. Dry January aims to help adults improve their health and reset their relationship with drinking by challenging them to abstain from alcohol throughout the entire month of January.
What began as a simple initiative now has blossomed into a movement with a robust app and a host of supportive resources online, helping participants stick with their goals and stay sober for the 31-day challenge. There are also many non-alcoholic beverage companies with zero-proof options, giving Dry January participants alternatives for social, ritualistic, and flavor substitutes for their favorite alcoholic beverages.