PARIS, Jan 4 — Your mission, should you choose to accept this Dry January challenge, is to cut down on, if not totally give up alcohol all month long.

This public health campaign, which started in the United Kingdom in 2013, raises awareness about the dangers of the overconsumption of alcohol.

But going dry doesn’t have to take the fizz out of cocktail hour. In fact, it’s the perfect opportunity to try some of these natural alternatives, which are full of flavour and full of surprises!

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Potato milk

Available in Sweden, China and the UK, this intriguing foodstuff has been named the trend of the year for 2022 by the British retailer Waitrose. Contrary to what you might think, this “milk” is not obtained by squeezing the humble spud. It’s actually a recipe based on potato flesh, chicory fiber, rapeseed oil and pea protein. A team of scientists from the University of Lund, Sweden, developed it as an alternative to almond milk. It is marketed by the brand DUG

 

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A post shared by DUG Drinks (@dugdrinks)

 

A mushroom shot

Harness the power of the Japanese mushrooms shiitake, maitake and reishi to boost your energy and start off the year on the right foot. Such is the concept behind the drinks developed by the So Good So You brand. This drink promises to boost immunity at cocktail hour with a probiotic proposed in the form of a shot, and in blueberry and clementine flavour. 

 

 

Coffee-flavoured sparkling water

Sometimes a glass of water — even sparkling — just isn’t enough when it comes to raising a glass during Dry January. For something more original than fruit-flavoured fizzy waters, why not try sparkling drinks with coffee flavours? This is the latest innovation from the S.Pellegrino brand, now launched in the US. Each can contains the equivalent of one third of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee. Containing no sweetener, the range includes caramel, vanilla and cocoa flavours.

Brad Pitt’s sparkling cold brew teas

As well as dabbling in champagne and French rosé wine, Brad Pitt is also a partner in the launch of a range of sparkling organic cold brew teas. The Californian label Enroot, available online (at a cost of US$30 per pack of six bottles), offers concoctions based on various fruits, teas and herbs, all with no added sugar. Interesting flavours include strawberry with rosemary, lavender and tulsi, a relation of basil. There’s also a sparkling tea with raspberry, mint and white peony, a variety of white tea from China.

CBD fizz

Now you can even get carbonated water infused with CBD. For a natural tipple this Dry January, a drink called O’Cool differs from its relations thanks to its higher dose of cannabidiol, with 40 mg per 250 ml can. Available in certain organic stores and online, the drink comes in two flavours: blueberry and hibiscus. It is produced by Les Sources du Pestrins, which also markets the Ventadour and Chantemerle waters in France. — ETX Studio