There were never more options available for those taking part in Dry January. Fans of nonalcoholic beers say you may just consider embracing sobriety throughout the year. Orlando, Florida (tca/dpa) – At the start of 2025, a study by The Beer Institute revealed that 60% of Americans saw nonalcoholic beer as a viable alternative for long-term moderation. But what about just for one month? For many of us, Dry January has begun, though people do it for different reasons. Some see the 30 days as a dependency test to determine just how reliant they are on alcohol to relax. Others link it to their overall new-year health and/or weight loss plans. There are participants who view it as a reset following the weeks of decadent holiday consumption and those who might be dipping a toe into the idea of permanent sobriety without drawing too much attention from their peer group. Truth is, drinking overall — that’s all 12 months — is down. According to an August 2025 Gallup Poll, Americans’ alcohol consumption is at record lows. Gallup has tracked the nation’s drinking behaviors since 1939 . In speaking with local hospitality professionals, that tracks. And though many pin itmostly on the reduced alcohol habits of Gen Z , their interest in fewer, orotherintoxicants (primarily marijuana, now recreationally legal in nearly half the country), wouldn’t be the fuel firing the growth segment for nonalcoholic beer. “I think there are a number of reasons why it’s more popular,” says Jason Campbell , executive chef of Team Market Group , who, alongside colleague Nick Grecco , oversees 10 different venues in the company’s portfolio. “[In Florida], medical marijuana’s growing in use, but I also think people are being a little more responsible.” There’s nonalcoholic beer on most of the Team Market Group menus, he says, though there’s a bit more interest in places like Primrose Lanes (where bowling and burgers make beer a popular third B) andNuri’s Tavern , where tavern pizza and beer go hand-in-hand. “During Dry January that goes up,” says Campbell, whose brands include Stella Artois 0.0 and Heineken 0.0. Over at theVineyard Wine Company in Lake Mary , bartender Big Rick says they stock several NA options, and they’ve steadily grown in popularity. “I purchase O’Doul’s, Michelob ULTRA Zero and Peroni [Nastro Azzuro] 0.0% with regularity,” he says. Sometimes, he notes, people drinking regular beer will switch over the course of an evening. “We have people who want to enjoy themselves, but not take it overboard,” he explains. “They’ll drink a Mexican lager that we carry and then move over to a nonalcoholic beer so that way they can hang out at the bar a little while longer, snack with their friends, enjoy a good night out and be able to drive back home safely.” It should be noted that not all nonalcoholic beer is zero-alcohol. And that can be confusing. U.S. regulations allow up to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to use the “nonalcoholic” designation. Those with lower percentages, as mentioned above, will note it on labels and cans. As Rick suggests, lagers like Corona do a fine job of mimicking the crisp, light body of the real thing. A wedge of lime on the bottle completes the picture, and there’s psychology involved, say the pros, that helps Dry January participants feel more like it’s just a regular night out. “I think that’s why brands like Liquid Death (canned water) really took off,” Rick theorizes. “You can grab a can, drink it like it’s nothing and people don’t think anything about it.” Last year, during my own Dry January run, I’ll admit that holding that bottle made a difference. I tried several nonalcoholic beers, including Stella Artois, Heineken 0.0, Bitburger 0.0, a German brand, and others. My favorite of the lot was Samuel Adams’ Just the Haze IPA, the ABV of which clocks in under 0.5%. Recently, though, I dabbled in the wares of Athletic Brewing Company , the nation’s largest, dedicated nonalcoholic brewer. This is a sentence I never thought I’d write. Less because of my interest in sampling, more because I’d never imagined such a thing: a brewer creating an entire line in a range of flavors — from autumn browns to tropical sours — all below 0.5. “They’re fantastic products,” says Rick. “They even do cocktail-inspired brews. Paloma and Moscow “Mule” are among them. My foray into Athletic’s Run Wild IPA will have me searching for others to sample as the month moves on, just in case I find myself craving the “normalcy” of happy hour. One hospitality pro, a hotel bartender, noted a recent moment during a convention when a patron asked her to pour a nonalcoholic beer into a glass for him. “He still wanted to hang out and network, but didn’t want to drink anymore,” she explained. “Without the label, he blended in.” Campbell says there’s a lot to that, and he’s happy that his and other places offer it. “It’s a safe haven,” he says. “Because sobriety is a thing, even if it’s not Dry January. [Abstention] is a challenge for a lot of people and nonalcoholic beer could be a stepping stone toward larger sobriety.” Bar sales can be down in some places, but Campbell reports that food often goes up. “If people are holding back on drinking, they might get another plate on the table.” The following information is not intended for publication dpa tca arw
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