The first month or two of the year is known by some as a time to stop drinking.
Initiatives like Dry January and February encourage people to eliminate or limit their alcohol consumption. And, while there’s several reasons someone might be turning away from boozy beverages — such as health, price or a lifestyle change — the movement seems to be growing in popularity.
For Kayla Wurzer-Fix, owner of Unfortified, an online business offering a variety of non-alcoholic drinks as an alternative to beer, cider, spirits and wine, she saw a gap in the market.
“I started with the idea actually back in January of last year,” said Wurzer-Fix. “Here at the Food and Beverage Expo because I was pregnant and looking for a non-alcoholic option and by the time I found the only booth that had a non-alcoholic option, it was sold out.
“So, I was super disappointed. You know, I like being social, I like having a social drink and kind of my only options were like coffee, water or pop.
“That’s kind of what made me think we need to have those options available to more people on a more consistent basis.”
Wurzer-Fix said she was surprised by how quickly people took to her website searching for alcohol-free options after launching in November.
“Obviously there’s an increasing trend in the sober lifestyle and sober curiosity, so I’m happy that I’m able to offer those options to people who want to explore that.”
Unfortified will also be on display at the 2024 Lethbridge Food and Beverage Expo on Jan. 20 to offer those alcohol-free options Wurzer-Fix sought out last year.
Restaurants are also seeing a bit of decline in alcohol sales, as Water Tower Grill & Bar owner Ram Khanal shares they’ve seen a major shift in recent years.
“So around eight per cent of last year’s total sales were for non-alcoholic beverages — that includes tea, coffee, juices and mocktails,” said Khanal. “Which is quite significant.
“Here at the Tower, we have non-alcoholic cocktails, non-alcoholic beers and non-alcoholic wine, so we are increasing the choices in large sections so that you don’t have to drink all the time when you go out to restaurants, but at least the restaurants can make at least a reasonable revenue.”
Khanal shared that alcohol sales have dropped nearly 20 per cent in the past four years.
According to a 2023 report from Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, drinking less is better, as even a small amount of alcohol can be damaging to your health.
Candace Benson and Lacey Brummelhuis from The Counselling Collective says the lifestyle is gaining momentum.
“I really love this movement of the Dry January, Dry February, Sober October,” said Brummelhuis.
“A lot of people are participating in it these days. We’re finding that 15 to 35 per cent people are, and so for people that are curious about sobriety or have even thought: ‘Maybe it’s time for me to take a break,’ this can be a more socially acceptable way to do that without some of the judgments.”
Benson said the health benefits can be significant.
“Even if you’re doing like a one-month break in drinking, the increase in health benefits can see improved sleep, weight loss, increased mood and energy and liver health as well, and of course mental health.”
With the sober-curious movement promoting a healthy lifestyle, the counsellors share that it’s important to set yourself up for success before embarking on the journey, like sharing your plans with friends and family, bringing along non-alcoholic beverages to social gatherings or reaching out for support if you struggle with addiction.
“No one really sets out to have these maladaptive coping strategies,” Brummelhuis said.
“Things happen in their life or they’re placed in different circumstances and then they cope the best that they know how, and sometimes those coping strategies aren’t the best for them in the long run and so that’s how a lot of people find alcohol.”