Have
you heard the news? As more and more people commit to a healthier, alcohol-free
lifestyle, (approximately
30% of American adults don’t drink at all, and
another 30% consume less than one drink per week), a new trend has begun to
take the world by storm: dry bars. Non-alcoholic bars, alcohol-free bars, or
better known by their more affectionate name, “dry bars,” are just that: bars
which do not serve alcohol.
What
began as a small trend among a few has grown over the last few years, to become
an increasingly popular trend among adults of all ages. If you’re interested in
living alcohol-free, or if you simply want to step outside your comfort zone
and try something new, here’s everything you need to know about dry bars.
No
matter where you live, chances are dry bars have already begun popping up in
your area. Although dry bars originated as an alternative option for a “night
out” for those recovering from alcohol abuse, they’ve become progressively more
favored among younger generations. According to
Streetbees, as of April 2018, half of
people under the age of 35 changed their drinking habits within the previous
year. Of those,
29% of respondents said they decreased their
alcohol intake.
Why?
Medium
says, “…the main reason is a
healthier lifestyle. These are social drinkers, with most of their consumption
coming when out with friends and family, or on special occasions. More than 1
in 3 don’t keep any alcohol in their home.” With the new wave of wellness and
healthy lifestyles, more people are giving up alcohol in exchange for better
alternatives.
From
this recent shift in consumer behavior, more dry bars have opened their doors
to present a new nightlife experience, sans alcohol. These include bars such as
the
Listen Bar in Brooklyn, New York; The Other Side in Crystal Lake, Illinois; even the Redemption Bar in London, U.K.
Now,
you might think: “That’s great. But what exactly do dry bars even serve?”
Needless to say (but we’ll say it anyways), they serve more than just water. In
fact, dry bars often offer mocktails, wines, spirits and beers similar to what
you might already drink…only this time, without alcohol. Oftentimes, dry bars
can be even
more creative than their
alcoholic counterparts, particularly because they want to demonstrate the
appeal and potential for alcohol-free beverages. No matter what your favorite
drink is, you can feel confident that a dry bar will provide its friendly
alcohol-free alternative for you to try.
Dry
bars also provide an excellent alternative for people who live alcohol-free, or
simply want to try something new on a night out. After a while—whether you
drink alcohol or don’t—the same old regular patterns of going to the same old
regular places can get boring. As someone who doesn’t drink, the founder of The
Other Side bar
stated, “You can only go to the
movie theater and bowling alley so many times.” For people who do regularly
attend alcoholic bars, dry bars provide the opportunity for genuine,
intentional conversations with peers, without the shroud of alcohol. Either
way, the new trends give you something original to try out, and shake up your
regular routine.
With
the shift in consumer patterns and more dry bars popping up into existence,
some people have even suggested that dry bars could be the future for our
culture. In a recent article by
Refinery29, Jess, a 35-year old
architect, states: “I think people are sick of having alcohol being tied to
social life. People want to go out and they want to go places, but they don’t
necessarily want to drink alcohol.”
While
historically, the concept of “not drinking” has been linked to those who
struggle with alcohol abuse, more often nowadays, “not drinking,” simply refers
to a personal health decision. And as more and more people desire the
option of choosing alcohol or not, dry
bars will continue to expand.
If
you want to try going alcohol-free, then give dry bars a chance. Or, see what
other products you can find that correspond with your favorite alcoholic
beverages. You might just be surprised at how much you enjoy life without
alcohol.