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Adieu, Dry January; Hi, Try February
Oh, Dry January. We love it so much. It comes and goes with so much excitement and post-holiday resolution…that the first of February can feel like a jarring end to something good. Alternatively, it’s simply another beginning.
Whether you didn’t have a sip of alcohol in January, limited your intake, or took a damp approach—getting back into drinking can be an experience in and of itself. If you rolled out of Dry January and right into yet another hangover…don’t worry. Try February is simply an invitation to take what is working and carry it with you into this month.
Some bandwagons are easier to jump on—and off of—than others…namely, the yearly kickoff of 31 days sober(ish). With so much buzz, press coverage, and social engagement media around the month, it feels like the perfect (albeit obvious) time to experiment with less alcohol. If any other month—in this case, February—feels lackluster, we’re here to spruce up the idea of fully embracing NA as a regular part of your daily life.
If you’re brand new to the NA world—welcome. Consider this your personal invitation to Try February with us. Before we get started, we wanted to take a moment to look back at Dry January.
Reflecting on Dry January
As it turns out, we aren’t the only ones who loved Dry January. Today cites that a vast majority (over 67%) experienced better sleep and energy, and over 50% lost weight and saw better skin. There are other notable, immediate benefits: nine in ten people save money and three in five lose weight.
While we don’t have a statistic to back it up, the showcasing in our community reassured us that drinking dry truly does make room for deep, lasting connections. People showed up in our store locations, at in-person events, and online to toast with us. So, yes, our cup was half-full as we moved through 31 days in The Oasis. Each week, we focused on a theme to guide us toward the kind of year we intend to look back on fondly.
The Recap:
- Reset: A chance to start anew.
- Our conversation with Aliza Shapiro set the tone for a mindful entry into Dry January. We chatted about mindful consumption, resolutions, and imperfection—reminding us that taking a moment to set goals is essential at the start of Try February.
- Recharge: Back to the wellspring of energy.
- Engaging in a bit of Social Self-Care and partnering with the team at Remedy Place gave us time to exhale, take it easy, and connect with like-minded friends from around the city. We’re here for more of that.
- Recovery: Collect your (best) self.
- We took time to nourish our bodies, savor clean eats alongside dry drinks, and learn about what makes clean eating such a delight in our partnership with Daily Dose. Culminating in a farm to table dining experience atop Williamsburg’s Wythe Hotel was…chef’s kiss.
- Renew: Re-emerge, better than before.
- Our post-workout happy hours at bicoastal Barry’s locations left us empowered, a bit sore, and motivated to keep it moving this month.
What is Try February?
For us, Dry January was anything but a month of survival followed by the need to run to a bottle shop on February 1st. Rather than making up for lost time in January, we’re wholeheartedly embracing another month of opportunity…because, after all, nothing was lost. Except the booze. The age-old adage of don’t fix what isn’t broken rings true here. In the simplest of terms, Try February is simply keeping a good thing going. If you haven’t already, consider drinking dry as part of a lifestyle shift, rather than a fleeting trend—although the best of trends do tend to stick around. Let us not forget the evolution of the Negroni to the Negroni Sbagliato. What started as a classic turned into a sensational, viral cocktail—and it stuck. Negronis—sparkling or not—are still in the spotlight.
Like the beloved blood-orange cocktail, Try February is about taking Dry January and shaking things up a bit. Where the Sblagiato adds Prosecco, Try February adds flexibility. This month is meant to evolve and mold the best of January for a longer-term change. It can be about having chill Saturdays, making small tweaks to your weekday drinking habits, or doing a total overhaul if you feel so inclined. Our mindset for Try February is—if it feels right, it probably is.
The NA Lifestyle
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, our President & Co-Founder noted that 90% of Boisson customers also choose to drink alcohol—“They’re changing the ingredients of the ritual but not the ritual itself.” So, while the vast majority of Dry January participants happen to love the way they feel with a bit of time off booze, a less black-and-white approach is whole-heartedly embraced here.
The NA lifestyle is not about alcohol. It’s not even necessarily about the drink. Truthfully, it’s about whatever you want it to be about—but we love the idea that this lifestyle is one based around ritual. Drinking dry can mean that the only change in your favorite experiences is how you feel the morning after. It's about going to jazz bars, sports venues, nightlife speakeasies, restaurants, and hotels—and enjoying a drink, however you like it. Or not.
Whether you moderate, abstain, or mix NA sips and boozy ones this month, the idea is that all of your favorite things are no longer driven by alcohol. Rather, they’re elevated by optionality and the beloved trifecta of NA drinks: they taste good, they look good, and they feel good tomorrow. We compiled a few of our favorite ways to keep things Fresh in February.
Try February Tips
Clarify Your Terms
If you didn’t quite make it through Dry January without a drink (most of us don’t!)—take pride in having tried. Perfectionism is a surefire way to suck the fun and sustainability out of the journey. Relationships with alcohol are personal. They evolve. Different situations may inspire different feelings. Trusting your intuition and serving yourself above all else is key here. As with an oxygen mask, fill your own glass first…then raise a bubbly toast, of course.
Consider taking a moment to simply write down three intentions for Try February—for example, sticking to NA on weekdays, trying a new recipe on Sundays, or scheduling extra long morning and evening self-care routines all month long. The act of putting pen to paper can help solidify and inspire actions against your desires.
Schedule Things to Look Forward To
For inspired mornings, scheduling workouts like Barry’s ahead of time is a great way to stay mindful around drinking the night before. As we know, no alcohol means better sleep; sometimes, the best pre-workout is rest. For the perfect hangover-proof nightcap, try a soothing dose of Aplós Calme.
For us, our launch in Miami is getting us out of bed in the morning. Of course, you should come visit. But keeping it local works, too! If you’re craving the ambiance and experience of the restaurant and bar scene, our compilation of the best NA drinks in LA & NYC is for you. As always, our in-store schedule is packed with tastings and community-minded moments and we’d love to see you.
Try Something New
Keeping your palate open to experimentation while also enjoying the nostalgic, NA version of your favorite wine variety can help preserve your favorite rituals…with a dash of novelty. As always, the fun is in romanticizing the art of drinking dry.
If you’re a creature of habit but feel a bit stalled after Dry January, finding one or two new sips may inspire you to keep going. Enjoy a midday brew, have an NA wine pairing dinner with friends, or try your hand at a happy hour cocktail at home. We collected the best sips to keep your glass half-full with whatever you love most.
