On a Tuesday night in late January, a few dozen diners pile into the bar area of a cozy restaurant in Toronto’s east end. Before the $135-per-person tasting menu begins, they’re invited to grab a bright red welcome mocktail and take a photo in front of a non-alcoholic champagne tower.
They’ll drink late into the evening, but there’ll be no need for a designated driver.
The revelers are here for Dry Supper Club, an event series hosted by Acquired Taste, a non-alcoholic wine retailer founded by Roxanne Voidonicolas. According to the event posting, guests come together to “hang without the hangover” – an early mantra of the business.
A four-course menu, created by Bar St. Lo’s executive chef Rory McGouran, is accompanied by pairings from the Swedish non-alcoholic winemaker Oddbird. The goal of this and other increasingly popular events during what’s been dubbed Dry January, according to Voidonicolas, is to prove to people that you don’t need alcohol to have a fun night out on the town.
“Eating good food and spending time with friends is inherently enjoyable,” she says. “We’ve forgotten how to do these things without drinking (alcohol).”
Voidonicolas’ events cater to those who love the rituals around alcohol — popping corks, swirling wine glasses, and sitting at the dinner table long after the dessert plates have been cleared. The overwhelming feedback, she says, is that her guests didn’t feel like they were missing boozy drinks from their experience. “People had a great time,” said Voidonicolas.
Growing awareness around the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption is driving more Canadians to participate in month-long sobriety challenges, including modern-day traditions like “Dry January” or “Sober October.”
In Toronto’s west end, the Collective Arts Taproom extended the Dry January event series, Sober Speakeasy, into April. Every Saturday, the event features live music and mocktails from Beatrice Society, a cafe and non-alcoholic bottle shop, and The Sobr Market, a non-alcoholic retailer.
For Dry January this year, one in three Canadians aged 18 to 34 planned to either abstain from alcohol or be more mindful of their consumption, according to a survey conducted by Tinder, a popular dating platform. Many more participated in “damp” January, a less restrictive alternative where people are more mindful of their alcohol consumption rather than abstaining entirely. Others have extended the 30-day experiment into February and beyond.
Voidonicolas started experimenting with non-alcoholic wines in 2023, after the demands of motherhood drove her to try a 30-day sobriety challenge. The effects were immediate, from sleeping better to feeling more energized during the day, so she kept going.
The effects were immediate, from sleeping better to feeling more energized during the day, so she kept going.
She says her inbox is flooded with messages from others who are choosing to embrace a sober lifestyle: “You feel too good, and you’re like, why would I not keep going?” she said.
Studies show that even a modest reduction in drinking can improve your blood pressure, mental health and liver health. You also might lose weight and see clearer skin. In the longer term, the risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and other health concerns can drop dramatically. For women, who generally have lower levels of a key enzyme that helps break down alcohol in the body, reducing consumption can have the added impact of correcting hormone imbalances that can impact menstrual cycles, mood and overall health.
Sobriety challenges can also help shake old habits and build healthy new ones that will last into the year, according to experts.
“It’s unusual to see people just give up alcohol,” says Ian Hamilton, an associate professor of addiction at the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York in England. Once people work up the motivation to abstain from alcohol for a set period, they often also take up exercise or improve their diet, he says. And once people spend enough time breaking habits and developing new ones, “there’s a good chance they’re going to carry it on much further,” he says.
Self-reflection is another benefit of abstinence challenges, according to Matthew Chaiton, a senior scientist at CAMH’s Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, which he says is a first step toward developing a healthy relationship with alcohol.
But experts caution those who are dependent on alcohol to first seek medical support.
Immediate withdrawal from alcohol can be “deadly” for those who are struggling with an alcohol use disorder, says Chaiton.
Kayla Brown, a hospitality professor at Centennial College and a “sober” sommelier who has been alcohol-free for over a decade, says everyone’s experience is unique. Ahead of social activities, she recommends having non-alcoholic beverage options in your fridge ready to go. If you’re headed to a restaurant, calling ahead to check for non-alcoholic options works, too.
Taycia Chaplin, CEO of Beatrice Society, says the Sober Speakeasy event provides the same ambiance you’d expect from a bar, only people are drinking French 75s made with grapefruit juice and Earl Grey Old Fashioneds instead. The draw of the party, she adds, is finding the same ambiance you’d expect from a bar: It just so happens that the cocktails, wines and beers don’t have any alcohol.
Many of Chaplin’s customers have decided to extend their Dry January, she says, citing the positive effects that come with cutting back on alcohol. “It really kicks things off for people,” she says. “A lot of (customers) say this all started because I did dry January and I felt great.”
