The forecast for a dry January looks very wet.
The trend among the Big Apple's down-to-earth curious seems to have died down, with New Yorkers calling the once-popular phenomenon “stupid.”
The Post spoke to more than 100 people Saturday night, and only a handful said they planned to quit bottles next month.
“I'm definitely not going to Dry January. It's not going to happen,” said Celine DeJesus, a 21-year-old Brooklyn resident enjoying a friend's birthday at Verlaine in Manhattan's East Village. said.
Her eight girlfriends were all for it and said, “That's not true!”
Standing nearby, Dimitri Bierre-Rius, 35, a firefighter from Rosedale, Queens, said he wasn't even considering taking a break from drinking.
“I'm not a quitter,” he quipped to the Post.
A lack of motivation to commit to sobriety next month could mean the end of Dry January's heyday. Experts say this rest can improve your sleep quality, contribute to weight loss, and improve your overall mood.
The trend has gained momentum across the country in recent years, with one survey showing that a whopping 25% of Americans over the age of 21 will choose virgin drinks starting in 2024. Research by Civic Science.
The movement is largely led by young people, with about 35% of abstainers falling between the ages of 21 and 24 last year, but Gen Z New Yorkers are now on track to abandon the trend by 2025. It seems so.
“We're all college students. There's no way we can go a month without drinking,” said a young man who was enjoying beers with friends at Niagara, East 7th Street and Avenue A in Manhattan.
The young woman added: So will it go back to normal? ”
Several flies told the Post that life is too stressful to quit drinking, while others said there is nothing better to do during the cold winter months than drinking. Some people pointed out that giving up alcohol eliminates a large aspect of their social life.
For other drinkers, Dry January's popularity elsewhere is enough to deter them.
“I think it's stupid. I don't really want to do it because it's so popular now,” documentary filmmaker Nick Canfield, 39, said inside Cerveceria Habemeyer in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. spoke.
Another bar patron, a city planner who requested anonymity, said he has no plans to give up mezcal.
“I never dry up. I don't drink that much. The only time I didn't drink was when I used hard drugs,” he said.
Justin K., 35, also refuses to join the trend. He said he has already checked out Dry January at least once in his life.
“I did it two years ago to prove I'm not an alcoholic. I realized I don't have a drinking problem at all and that alcohol is my friend,” said Williamsburg's The he said, smoking cigarettes with friends outside the Commodore.
Dry January's departure may be a good thing for local bars, if not bar hoppers.
According to one study, sales at more than 350 Big Apple bars will drop by about 40% as a result of the 2023 trends. New York City Hospitality Alliance Survey.
Ride-hailing app Lyft also talks about the number of passengers Nationwide, bar attendance fell by 10% in January 2024, the largest decline in four years.
“January is generally a slow month for sales,” said Isabella Gmelci, a bartender at Whiskey Town on East Third Street in Manhattan.
To compensate, the casual bar introduced a mocktail in January called Snufflepagus, made with Coca-Cola, grenadine, lemon and grapefruit juice. Staff say non-alcoholic options have generally become more popular throughout the year.
And for many New Yorkers, Dry January isn't exactly dry.
Joe P., who was enjoying a night out at Milan's on Houston Street in Manhattan, said he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to quit drinking completely, but he may be able to cut down on the amount he drinks.
“I'm going to dip my toe in it, you know? I call it 'Wet January,'” he said.
Alan Perez, 25, has been experimenting with Dry January for several years, but had never completed the 31-day period.
“Every year I strive. It doesn't last a month. Let's see how far we can get this year,” Perez said.
One man told the Post that attending Dry January is a frequent topic of conversation among a group of friends who drink together every weekend.
“There's a lot of pressure, both socially and professionally, to drink every weekend,” said the East Village resident and Google employee at dba off First Avenue.
“I know other friends are doing it, too,” said the man, who declined to give his name. “That's probably the main reason I'm considering it. Like, we're all in this together. If all my friends were on the same page, I'd be less judgmental and I'd be able to work together in groups.” Maybe I’ll do something else and not go to the bar on Saturday.”
A group of friends got sober two years ago. As a result of his change of pace, he began exploring other attractions in the Big Apple, such as playing pool, visiting museums, and visiting Central Park.
Dry January could be the perfect excuse for an alcohol break for a man in his 30s who spends 10% of his drinking time 'blacking out'.
“Drinking alcohol helps me forget my worries,” he says.
