Dry January is in full effect. From substitutions of wine and other cocktails some use this time of the year to cleanse from all of their holiday eating and drinking. Others use it as a time to reset from life in general. No matter what keep in mind learning to add some dry vibes into your world is a good look. In addition Dry Vibes 2024 collaborated in Philadelphia by Drew Davis of Gem Life Bar and Sarah Pretorius and Kayla Mason of Sip Steady for the biggest Wellness and Non Alcohol event that I had been to. Here is the recap of what I enjoyed the most.
Benefits of Dry January
Again going dry will depend on personal preferences. I personally for what I do will not necessarily go dry but I have limited myself to one alcohol drink at an event and the rest are going to be mocktails. For me the switch is personal and that I am training for some upcoming races. As I get closer into the training I will eliminate all cocktails until the races are completed. Some of the benefits are helping you with calorie intake especially for those who are managing their weight. Being able to add clarity especially for mental health purposes is good too. For those who take medication for their mental health use caution when mixing alcohol together.
You can read some of the benefits in my Dry January blog post.
Dry Vibes Philly Trying Zero Proof Brands
I feel like a newbie when it comes to zero proof. I am familiar with Gem Life Bar by Drew Davis. The first time I tried her brand was at a wellness event. Since then she is all around the city of Philadelphia and New Jersey bringing her zero proof and wellness vibes to everyone. My family loves her brand. Even for the New Year’s we enjoyed zero proof countdown with the kids. Not only that, I too try not to drink as often when I am at home since I attend events during the week. Gem Life Bar is an oasis to get many brands under one location.
This amazingness if from Lizzie’s Love Cakes. The chocolate cherry and vegan and I loved it.Brands that I tried at the Dry Vibes Philly Event
Again a mix of zero proof drinks, speakers, and wellness initiatives. Here are the brands that I loved and why:
Curious Elixirs
Curious Elixirs was made in 2005 its not only zero proof, its gluten free, has no artificial flavors or processed sugars, and made with organic ingredients. There are 7 elixirs to choose from and the first is Curious Elixir No.1 is the Pomegranate Negroni Sbagliato. Next is Curious Elixir No.2 is a Stormy Pineapple Margarita. Curious Elixir No. 3 is a blend of lemon, cucumber, Alpine flowers, herbs, and Ashwagandha to help you destress. Curious Elixir No. 4 is the Sicilian Blood Orange Spritz. The Curious Elizior No.5 is made with a smoked cherry chocolate old fashioned infused with elderberry and ginger for immunity and shatavari to restore balance.
Curious Elixir No. 6 is the Creamy Pineapple Painkiller, and Curious Elixir No. 7 is Champagne cocktail. Here’s why I liked it? They tasted so good and the presentation. I personally get tired of companies marketing mocktails like a children’s drink. We want cocktails that we can dress up well and present them to guests and more. You can get a variety pack or in a 8 or 24 pack. Shout out to Mr. Zero Proof for not only showing me the cocktails but doing an amazing job displaying them. Again zero proof shouldn’t have to be bland and boring.
Good Spirits
I really like this zero proof cocktail. Good Spirits is a mood enhancing zero proof cocktail in a can. They have lavender, black tea, coffee, and B12 along with hemp for balancing. There are 3 flavors. I tried all 3 of them. They are Austin Palmer which taste like an Arnold Palmer. The second flavor is French Exhale which is reminiscent of the French 75. It also has a broad spectrum of CBD for giving that calming effect. The last is the La Paloma which is a zero proof of the same as the name. It also has Valerian root which helps you sleep. Some people use things like winding down with a wine sometimes mostly red. I like the flavors but my favorite is the French Exhale. Good Spirits is also on Instagram.
I had a great time meeting Geoff Earl and Jon Lerner. They made my experience such a good one that I personally place my stamp on them. Purchase them so you can too enjoy it. Please note that although they are zero proof doesn’t mean you should consume them like soda.
No Proof Seltzer
This is non-alcoholic seltzer. It gives a carbonated vibe, tastes like soda and has 50 mg of caffeine, B3, B5, B6, and B12. It has no aspartame and the flavor for now is citrus. It’s life and airy. This is available on Amazon. I really like this one. I am definitely going to drink it for its zero proof quality because in addition, it helps that it gives me a seltzer vibe while drinking it. Try No Proof Selter and let me know how you like it.
There were so many brands to showcase that I will highlight them for the rest of the month. The one thing I missed was going to the services that were provided by Modrn Sanctuary and more.
Speakers at Dry Vibes Philly
Hilary Sheinbaum was present. If you are familiar with Hilary, New York Times writer and the author of the The Dry Challenge. I enjoyed her. She was a celebrity enthusiast who found her life always on the carpets interviewing some of our most beloved celebrities and more. I enjoyed the realness of talking about how much alcohol is apart of our social lives. Holiday parties, get togethers, drinks with co-workers all revolve around drinks. Her mission to encourage bartenders to have more mocktails and have them displayed. This is to help patrons be able to pick out a mocktail without having to go through extra steps to order.
Candace Parker of Touchy Feely Game
I have been a follower of Candace of Fearless Philly. In addition, her game Touchy Feely is a staple for our home especially amongst me and my husband. Since the pandemic we have made Saturday our standard date night. Now that we know (not that we didn’t before) that date nights can be in the home and be fun too, we use Touchy Feely for a communication check in. The questions allow you to open up to whomever: date, love interest, friend and more. It also in my opinion opens the conversations about consent. She talked about the failures in her past relationships. So refreshing because like me I love those who can be honest about flaws.
For more information on the movement of the Dry January movement as well as get your own Dry January kit. Thank you to Gem Life, Sip Steady and all of the brands for having me. Happy Dry January. If it’s not your thing again, add a few zero proof options to your life.
