American Craft Beer Celebrates ‘Damp January’

, American Craft Beer Celebrates ‘Damp January’

Admit it, we’ve all been there, committed to abstaining from alcohol for the month only to find our Dry January plans too restrictive.

Say hello to Dry January’s more forgiving cousin: ‘Damp January.’

Some researchers have found that an ‘all or nothing’ approach to alcohol consumption is just not sustainable.  A mindful drinking app, Sunnyside, reported that 35% of people aiming to take part in Dry January last year had a drink in the first week. Ouch. And once you slip up, it’s much harder to motivate yourself to continue.

Plus a temporary ban can demonize alcohol and lead Dry January participants to view it as ‘bad’ according to the Drinks Business, and that’s not good…

“Attaching morality to alcohol actually creates a more intense relationship, making it harder to stay ‘good’ when the month is up. Even for those who manage to last the whole month without tasting a drop, February often turns into a month of bingeing to make up for all that self-restraint.”

Which brings us to ‘Damp January,’ which in addition to helping you address your alcohol consumption patterns, doesn’t set you up for failure and the moral recrimination that comes with that.

Damp January means different things to different people. The window for ‘moderate drinking‘ is broad. Experts define moderate drinking as anything up to 14 drinks a week for men, and seven drinks a week for women. But unless you’re in denial (which points to a much larger problem) you know when you’ve been ‘immoderate.’

Essentially, the aim of Damp January is serious moderation.

Maybe you limit your drinking to one night a week or weekends. Or to just one beer when you’re at a gathering before you start leaning on the growing bounty of truly convincing non-alcoholic brews.

Obviously the goal is to make promises you can keep.

Experts have reaffirmed that moderating your intake can have long-term health benefits and lead to a better overall relationship with alcohol. Your 31 day mindful journey may even turn into a lifestyle shift.

So there’s that…

There’s also this…

1 IN 4 ALREADY DONE WITH DRY JANUARY

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