Dry January. Sober October. This seemingly simple trend continues to balloon, with more than 15% of people in the U.S. (260 million!) committing to practicing dry months, says TIME magazine.
So, when 2023 came to a close, and the new year showed its beautiful shining promise, I made the decision to try my hand at a dry month and all it would encompass: Sundays without champagne. Football games without beer. Dinner parties without a nice glass of wine. Ice fishing without hot toddies. How would it feel? What would the celebration look like?
As someone who loves to celebrate with libations and who started their career in busy restaurant kitchens, where substance use goes hand-in-hand with the job, I knew it would be a tall order—pun intended. But I was up for the challenge. I found that daily consumption of low-dose edibles filled the space that alcohol had left, with some really surprising results.
During the week, I’d opt for a 2.5 mg Maine Berry Punch gummy before dinner and saw how it shifted the time I was spending with my daughter between dinner and bed. Instead of being glued to our phones, we’d play board games, have more in-depth conversations about our days, and even plan some movie-themed dinners we would then cook together. In lieu of having that extra glass of wine to help me sleep or numb, or tuning out my always-racing mind by watching hours of television, I started writing: reflecting on busy work days, or brainstorming ideas for meals and gatherings I wanted to host; working through my thoughts in real time.
On the weekends, I’d eat a 2.5 mg Coconut-Lime gummy or a piece of my personal favorite Pistachio Pudding Chocolate Bar with breakfast and found myself thoughtfully cooking again at home for the first time in a long time, instead of just cooking to eat. I started experiencing food in a different, yet familiar, way that brought me back to my early days as a chef: learning the basics of balanced flavors and proper seasoning in culinary school; being in the weeds on the pastry line at a busy Boston-area restaurant but still taking the time to execute each ticket with care and precision. I began hyperfocusing on the flavor and texture of each component of my dishes at home like I would in a professional setting, beautifully and meticulously plating and presenting food to my family, not rushing for the sake of quickly getting a meal on the table and moving on to the next activity.
Now that I’ve completed the 31-day challenge, I’ve added regular dry weeks into my life. I’ve been able to continue to tap into things that bring me joy, things that I could have lost had I not gone on this journey.
As I find myself thinking and processing differently, I don’t know if it’s as much due to not drinking as it is to a change in mindset, and I can’t help but wonder: Are edibles elevating me?
