Tips for getting through Dry January

P.E.I. musician Logan Richard has just hit 100 days alcohol-free and like many other folks, he's planning to stay dry through January. 

Dry January and Dry February were introduced about a decade ago and are now simply known as Go Dry. The initiative is becoming a popular way for people to help people rethink their relationship with alcohol while raising money for cancer research.

"I think it is a great excuse or reason to try it out," Richard said. "I think if you do it for a month, maybe you'll want to do it for a second month… just to take a little look on the other side is a beautiful thing."

Richard went alcohol-free through 2023 and then decided to add alcohol back into his life in 2024, but decided in the fall it wasn't serving him. 

Without drinking he sleeps better and has more energy. He said he's better able to show up in relationships, including with a new love interest, he said.

"Dry January, if that's the reason that you put the bottle down for a month, even if you're not a heavy drinker, it's still just good to know that you're able to do it, but also to feel what it's like."

Richard is 25 and said as a musician who plays in bars, drinking is part of the lifestyle. But he said being sober is becoming more popular with young people, and there are more alternative beverages available now.

For the first time, the five Gahan House restaurants in the Maritimes are tapping into the trend and offering Dry January specials, including new beers and wines, and making bespoke alcohol-free cocktails. 

The venue in Charlottetown is also bringing in more entertainment on the weekends in January to celebrate. 

"We think it's important that everyone can have a night out," said manager Caleb MacKinnon. 

"People are really liking the cocktails, or the mocktails. They find it really fun to still be able to come out and have a good time on a Friday night and not feel so limited about their options." 

MacKinnon said catering to non-drinkers is not just a nice thing to do — the bar and restaurant business is tough, and there's money to be made. 

"Non-alcoholic beverages kind of as a whole… are trending up right now," he said. "From a business standpoint, it makes sense to have some of those options. We just wanted to take it a step further and offer as much as we could." 

MacKinnon said the restaurant has been around a long time but wants to adapt "to the changes that are happening both in the market and in people's lives."