Your Dry January Survival Guide

Are you taking the Dry January Challenge and finding it difficult not to reach for your favourite alcoholic beverage, take a shot in celebration or enjoy a glass of wine at a restaurant with friends? 

The Dry January Challenge can be difficult if you choose to take an all or nothing approach. Coming from the indulgences of the holidays to cutting out drinking completely is especially challenging when our social habits haven’t changed.

Visiting friends, family or going out to eat tends to bring on the pressure to drink. Continuing to put ourselves in those social settings, without a beverage in hand can result in the “Where’s your drink?” conversation.

Instead of going empty handed all Dry January long, perhaps you simply need a more satisfying non-alcoholic option. The founder of Sobrii 0-Spirits, Bob Huitema recommends “Don’t start by trying to quit, start by finding a viable alternative.” 

Habits are hard to break, especially when it comes to our social rituals. In our current social environment, alcoholic beverages are heavily intertwined with socializing. In the past non-alcoholic options only consisted of pop, juice or water, which are seemingly juvenile in social settings. 

With Sobrii 0-Spirits and many other emerging non-alcoholic beverages, you can enjoy the complexity and experience of cocktails, without the alcohol. 

SO don’t make the Dry January Challenge too difficult for yourself, start by replacing some of your drinking occasions with non-alcoholic drinks. Plus, you can try to change up your regular activities, and try something new this month.

We’ve put together a list of delicious non-alcoholic cocktails you can make with Sobrii plus some new activities to put on your list!

THE SANS-ALC SPRITZER 

The ingredients you will need are 1 oz Sobrii 0-Gin, 1 oz Ginger Syrup*, 1 oz Roots Divino Aperitif Blanco, Top with Sapsucker Lemon (3-4oz) and Angostura Bitters. 

1. Add 0-Gin, Ginger Syrup and aperitif blanco in a glass with ice. Top with Sapsucker Lemon. Add a dash of Angostura bitters and stir. 
2. Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel. 
3. *Ginger Syrup: Chop ginger root into fine pieces, add 0.5 cup of sugar, and 0.5 cup of water into a pot and let simmer. Stir as the sugar dissolves. Let cool overnight. 

Activity Pairing:  Reading a book 

We recommend the following popular reads of 2022:

• Good Vibes Good Life by Vex King
• 101 Essays that Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest 
• How to Drop Everything That’s Holding You Back by: John Purkiss
• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry
• I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman
• Atomic Habits by James Clear

SOBRII CHAI HOT NODDY

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Sobrii 0-Tequila⁠

1 oz Orange Juice⁠

½ oz Honey⁠

4 oz Brewed Chai Tea⁠

Garnish: Cinnamon Stick⁠

METHOD

Add Sobrii 0-Tequila, orange juice, and honey to a heat proof mug. ⁠

Top with freshly brewed chai tea.⁠

Stir well to combine.⁠

Garnish with a cinnamon stick and enjoy hot!⁠

Activity Pairing: Watching your favourite movie/tv show 

BEES ZERO KNEES

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Sobrii 0 Gin

¾ oz Lemon juice

¾ oz Honey Syrup

3 Dashes Lavender

Bitters

METHOD

Add all your ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and double strain into your favourite coupe.

Activity Pairing: Enjoy sitting and watching nature or trying a Winter activity in the GTA.

Some winter activities you can try are:

• Skiing at Blue Mountain
• Ice Skating at Union Station/Nathan Phillips Square/The Bentway Skate Trail
• Toronto International Boat Show
• Illumi Mississauga
• Bloor-Yorkville Icefest
• Toronto The Winter Chocolate Show