“I feel virtuous for about three weeks because by then I have made my point, so I celebrate by getting absolutely off my face.”
Daisy*, 34, is talking about Dry January, something of an institution for anyone who hits the mulled wine a little too hard over Christmas. We wake up on New Year’s Day vowing to banish the booze for a month. It is all part of our delusion that a new year will bring about a new, better us. But every year we seem to overpromise, and under deliver.
So, this year Daisy is trying Damp January, which is, a growing movement that focuses not on sobriety but moderation.
If Dry January is seen as an endurance test, Damp January is a time for reflection. Damp January encourages mindful drinking – being very aware of when, why and how much you are imbibing. Where Dry January is a quick fix, Damp January feels like it is about long-term change.
Clearly, this approach is not suitable for those who struggle with alcoholism. But for many people Damp January might not only be an easier way to come down from December but it will help install good drinking habits for the entire year.
“The damp lifestyle is all about having self-control and a moderation mindset, while not allowing yourself to be influenced by your surroundings,” says Dr Catherine Carney of Private Rehab Clinic, Delamere. “It is about drinking on occasion, but avoiding excessive drinking and going overboard.”
This is the appeal for Daisy.
“I need to have a more measured attitude to booze,” she says. “I am not addicted to it and I don’t have any plans to be a sober person. But I want to be able to enjoy delicious wine or a cocktail and make a sense of occasion rather than just drinking – often to excess – for the sake of it. I also need to get out of the deprivation mindset that always comes with Dry Jan.”
Daisy is far from alone in her concerns or desire to change. Many of us are acutely aware of having complicated relationships with alcohol. On one hand, we do seem to be slowly but surely falling out of love with drinking: since 2004, annual alcohol consumption in the UK has fallen by 15%. But on the other, according to Drinkaware, 15 percent of adults in England report binge drinking in the past week.
In recent years there has been a considerable uptick in those wanting to explore mindful drinking, which is at the heart of Damp January. “Since the pandemic ended, there has been a big shift in drinking behaviour in the UK,” says Dr Carney, citing research showing that 60 percent of people have decided to reduce their alcohol consumption in an effort to improve their health and wellbeing.
This is in line with the ‘sober curious’ movement which, in simple terms, asks that we question our relationship with alcohol. Celebrities including Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have spoken about their move towards a more ‘damp’, mindful place when it comes to drinking.
Over the last few years an increasing number of books about both sobriety and moderate drinking – so called ‘quit lit’ have been cropping up – giving people an insight about what can be gained from going easy on the sauce.
Meanwhile there has been a boom in the low or no alcohol beverage market — with brands like Citizen Spritz, Seedlip and Mother Root creating delicious ‘spirits’ — so if you aren’t drinking you don’t need to feel sorry for yourself with a tepid tap water. There has also been a huge demand for these drinks to be accessible and normalised in pubs, restaurants and bars.
Barrio Soho is just one of many bars in the capital which offer extensive mocktail menus, while sober club nights such as The House of Happiness and Love Is Key (LIK) or sober early morning raves like Morning Gloryville are heaving. Club Soda has opened a Tasting Room in Covent garden filled with 150 booze-free products. Even if you aren’t going the whole hog in terms of sobriety, these spaces are evidence that, contrary to what we have been long been lead to believe – socialising and partying doesn’t begin and end with booze.
The changing culture around alcohol is reflected in the UK alcohol industry itself. Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, the self-regulator for the alcohol industry explains that the organisation’s Code of Practice “has led to marketing campaigns that proactively encourage responsible and moderate drinking habits.”
Moderation, on the face of it, is distinctly unexciting. It lacks both the gravitas of complete sobriety and the merriment associated with party-level drinking. But it is good for us.
Dr Carney cites improved sleep patterns, reduced levels of anxiety and depression and healthier looking skin as just a few of the ways moderate drinking can boost our wellbeing.
It also prevents us from feeling deprived and craving a binge.
Bethan Higson, founder of Mother Root a company specialising in non-alcoholic drinks, believes that one of the best ways to master moderate drinking is making it both a ritual and a treat.
“Taking time and care — whether that’s using your kept-for-best-cut-glass tumbler or topping your drink off with a spoil-yourself garnish — causes you to appreciate the drink that much more,” she says. “It’s the indulgent feeling you get from creating a special drink, that makes you more purposeful about what you’re drinking and so more likely to drink in moderation (and enjoy it).”
It seems like the key to the success of Damp January and beyond is to focus on what you are gaining and not what you are losing. But mainly it’s about being present — simply learning to really enjoy what’s in your glass right now — whether it’s alcoholic or not.
