Why are we still sober shaming during Dry January? It’s not just the memes – bars and restaurants often don’t help
- Dry January and no-alcohol lifestyles are becoming more popular, but the food and drinks industry is lagging and must update itself or risk seeming out of touch
- In Hong Kong, progress is being made at establishments adding low-ABV and zero-proof drinks that have had as much effort put into them as their stronger cousins
A new year has begun and along with the “new me” brigade, many people are attempting to do a “Dry January”.
Like clockwork, the same clichés resurface. First, the endless “clever” jokes – “Yes, I would like a glass of extra brut champagne or sauvignon blanc, thank you very much!” – followed by navel-gazing about alcohol abstinence and, of course, sober shaming.
I have nothing against people who choose to abstain – whether for a month or a lifetime. It’s 2024 and every time a maitre’d smarms “Not even a little drink for you?” I mentally cancel them.
The other day, I came across a photo of a bar in Taipei called Fake Sober. The quote “Being sober is so boring” is splashed across its walls, glassware and merch.
How very quaint. Something tells me that using alcohol as a crutch for your entire personality is going to fall dramatically out of fashion soon.
What alcohol does to your health, and why Dry January isn’t enough
With more emphasis on health and wellness, the dining industry must update its scripts or risk seeming out of touch. Plenty of people are sober, whether for health reasons or just personal preference, but surprisingly few venues give them more than a cursory consideration.
Luckily, it’s becoming increasingly common for restaurants to stock more and better quality non-alcoholic drink options – that golden sparkling tea can just about pass for aged champagne, while Alain Milliat’s range of artisanal fruit juices commonly take the place of merlot or cabernet in a drink pairing.
In Hong Kong, some progress is being made. Some bars are updating their menus with more low-ABV or even zero-proof cocktails.
At The Savory Project, in Hong Kong’s Central business district, almost half the menu’s real estate consists of non-alcoholic elixirs, with the team spending just as much time on their development as their higher-proof cousins. As a reflection of the amount of effort that goes into them, they are even priced equally.
At Roganic in Causeway Bay, guests can choose between a welcome glass of British sparkling wine or a carbonated white tea flavoured with seasonal fruit.
It’s a great indication of hospitality when a wide array of non-alcoholic options is made explicitly available. I’m not saying this is necessarily my thing, but I know that the non-drinkers in my circle always appreciate something other than the same old soft drinks.
At the end of the day, let’s just respect each other’s drink preferences.
