Support Us Button Widget

How to survive Dry January in Charleston

yomex-owo-D82igKiNzeY-unsplash

Photo via Unsplash

Table of Contents

This is a contributor-submitted Voices piece. Want to join the conversation? We invite you to write for us. Learn how to share your voice here.

Stu Pennebaker is a eater, reader + outfit repeater who is new to town and here to share a newcomer guide on how to make Charleston feel like home.

This is the first year I’ve attempted Dry Januarya short-term farewell to alcohol – and it’s almost the end of the road. It’s been real, it’s been fun... but now I’m bored of drinking water and miss my local dive.

If you’re participating and at the verge of giving up, or are debating attempting it next year, here are a few tips, tricks + alternatives to survive Dry January in Charleston:

Mocktails, mocktails + more mocktails

Screen Shot 2020-01-22 at 2.02.49 PM

Wild Common’s “Brooklyn Calling” mocktail | Photo via @wildcommonchs

Tons of local restaurants + bars are participating in Dry January by offering “mocktails” (aka non-alcoholic cocktails). 🍸 Estadio is offering a nonalcoholic Enero Seco this month, Babas on Cannon’s pomegranate mocktail is a year-round hit, Wild Common has zero-proof wine, and Basic Kitchen is doing a 30 day plant-based challenge with lots and lots of fun mocktails.

Healthy juice alternatives

Screen Shot 2020-01-22 at 1.53.43 PM

Huriyali smoothie | Photo via @hhoney_buns

Sub the alcohol for vitamins + feel-good ingredients. Try building your own 6-pack of Kombucha from Huriyali or Hustle Smoothie Bar, or sipping on one of their delicious smoothies. (Pro tip: the fun cans fit in koozies and are almost as good as the real thing.)

Load up on caffeine

Screen Shot 2020-01-22 at 2.04.59 PM

Harken Cafe cappuccino | Photo via @harkencafe

Meet friends at a new coffee bar like Harken Cafe, or a new-to-you coffee spot (The Rise and 132 Spring are two faves). You can never go wrong with coffee or tea. ☕

Get the calories from food

Screen Shot 2020-01-22 at 2.09.36 PM

Variety of dishes from Fleet Landing | Photo via @fleetlanding

Eliminating drinks means room to splurge on dinner at a local restaurant. 🍴Less money on alcohol = more money for food (and more room in your stomach). My favorite kind of math.

Sub indulging in wine for indulging in dessert

Screen Shot 2020-01-22 at 2.12.15 PM

Vegan Deconstructed Samoa ice cream | Photo via @offtrackicecream

Eat more ice cream.🍦 Off Track Ice Cream + Holy Sticks are great options if you’re looking for a late night treat in a fun atmosphere, and Off Track even offers vegan ice cream + gluten free cones.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say these spots around town make Dry January fun, but ice cream + a mocktail make the month a little less painful. Have fun! Stay hydrated!

Poll

More from CHStoday
This spring, The Cooper, the city’s first luxury waterfront hotel, will open just steps away from Joe Riley Waterfront Park.
The Coastal Carolina Fair returns to Exchange Park with concerts, food, exhibits, and rides — use this guide to prepare for your visit.
Around a dozen new luxurious townhouses in the new The Inlet community are set to debut on Seabrook Island.
The Italian spot on King Street is warming this up this fall with a handful of new dishes that will have you coming back for seconds.
Including gifts for significant others, retirees, holiday parties, young people, and gifts that ship fast.
Hank’s Seafood Restaurant’s new service is rooted in the restaurant’s 25+ years of tradition and focuses on refreshed lunch options.
The series of meetings aims to highlight the need for road projects to improve safety, congestion relief, and infrastructure needs.
Show some love to your fave businesses in Charleston.
Guests will gather to celebrate Scottish heritage at the second-oldest event of its kind in the southeast.
Ever wonder where the “Outer Banks” cast members eat when they’re in town for work? We’ve got the answers.