New Year’s Eve has become a precursor to ‘Dry January’ – an annual tradition some take up as an alcohol detox after the holidays. The owner of an alcohol-free bottle shop in Halifax says the growth in the non-alcoholic market has been “wild” from both a consumer’s and a producer’s perspective, driven by events like Dry January, which shine a light on sober lifestyle options. “There’s more and more products coming to market at an exceedingly fast pace,” says Jay Hiltz, the owner of Soberish Mocktail Shop. He says even established breweries and distilleries are seeing a rise in demand for non-alcoholic options. He opened a dry bar in the summer to serve some of the shop’s more popular items. “It’s a fully functioning bar where you sit down, order – craft cocktails are made to order,” Hiltz says. During the Christmas season, Hiltz recommends one of the sparkling wine options. “This time of year, everyone’s looking for something delicious and bubbly to celebrate the holidays and New Year’s.” Hiltz says they carry products from Canada, Spain and New Zealand that all compare to the real thing. “Not tell anyone and they’d be hard-pressed to know,” Hiltz says. Some of the most popular options at Soberish are the “adaptogen beverages,” Hiltz says. They contain safe, functional mushrooms and root extracts with calming properties, he says. “It can help take the edge off without alcohol,” he says. Soberish also sells smaller, single-serving portions to save on waste when drinking or mixing for cocktails. Hiltz highlights Italian Limoncello and Aperol-like products that mix well with bubbly. There are pre-mixed cocktails available at the shop, but mixologists can also buy the “Soberish Dry Bar” recipe book, written by Hiltz and Brent Raddall and filled with 24 “alcohol-free cocktails for a mindful era.” “Simple but yet complex in flavour,” Hiltz says. “You don’t have to run all over the city to find the ingredients. Conveniently, we sell them all in our shop.” For Dry January, Hiltz is launching a sober social club series offering yoga, mocktails, cribbage tournaments, trivia and guest speakers who will talk about their experience with sobriety. “We’ve got a lot of newly sober clientele,” Hiltz said. “We’re building a lineup of events to support and help people getting through Dry January.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
