Beyond the Bar co-founder embraces Dry January, sees health benefits and business boom
NORTH TEXAS – Now that the holidays are over, many people are considering participating in "Dry January" – going without alcoholic beverages for the next month. That trend is on the rise, with more Americans saying they would try Dry January in 2024 than in 2023.
Julie Robinson loves crafting cocktails for friends. Today she's mixing up a pumpkin spiced old-fashioned. But there's not a single drop of alcohol in this old-fashioned. It's made from an alcohol-free whiskey alternative.
She and her husband, Reid Robinson, are the co-founding partners of Beyond The Bar, an alcohol-free bottle shop in Richardson.
Julie and Reid have been alcohol-free for several years now. Julie stopped drinking three years ago when she attempted a "dry-ish" January.
"I was going in with a plan of still being a mindful drinker, meaning I would have a glass or two of wine a week, that's it. I just started feeling better, my sleep was better, I had more clarity, and I thought I'm gonna just keep going," she said.
Now that it's January, the shop sees a spike in customers looking to reset their drinking habits.
"Dry January is our biggest month, and ironically, in the regular alcohol bar industry, that's their slowest month, but that's our busiest month," said Julie Robinson.
Their shop carries everything from alcohol-free beer and wine to alcohol-free gin and whiskey alternatives. They even serve up alcohol-free cocktails at their dry bar and hold alcohol-free events throughout the year, like Soberoke, or Sober Karaoke.
"The hardest part was just getting through the first couple of weeks, but for me, having a delicious option that you can have that's alcohol-free or zero proof that you can enjoy on your own or with friends, that's what makes the biggest difference," said Julie Robinson.
Shana Faulhaber has been sober for eight years now.
"I always say that my husband and I drank enough the first six months we were dating to last our whole marriage, and in November of 2016, we decided to quit drinking together, and it stuck," said Faulhaber.
Her advice to people thinking of trying Dry January:
"I think building that trust in yourself one day at a time, that you can achieve a month of continuous sobriety, is a great foundation for people to move forward," said Faulhaber.
Beyond The Bar is holding several events this month for folks interested in Dry January, including an alcohol-free cocktail-making class and a collaboration with local artist Jenifer Money Cowley.
