Drynuary, Dry(ish)nuary, Damp January - whatever the term, it seems like the practice of taking a month or more off the sauce to kick off the new year (or at least cutting back) has been all the rage in 2024. Unsurprising perhaps, given the steady growth in market share for brands catering to the Sober Curious that we saw in 2022 and 2023.

And according to data from civicscience.com, participation in the dry month was projected to be up this year. Roughly 27% of survey respondents intend to stay sober in January 2024, compared to 24% in 2023. The trend also seems to be more popular amongst the younger generation, with a whopping 75% of Gen Z’ers indicating that they would be doing some version of the Drynuary challenge, and only 31% of those 55 and above having any interest in switching up their habits. (Don’t take booze from a Boomer!)

While the same study indicates a relatively low number of respondents (just 9%) are interested in sampling non-alcoholic beverage options as an alternative, recent DTC sales data paints a somewhat different picture. With just a week to go before we all can choose whether or not to plunge back off the wagon, let’s take a look at some of the hottest non-alcoholic beverage brands riding high this arid season.

Amongst the fastest-growing beverage brands at the moment, we find a variety of new-wave matcha, coffee, and tea brands (hot or iced, take your pick) with wellness goals, milk made from pecans, energy drinks with a twist, cream soda but think retro makeover, even seltzer with a dash of collagen. 

But overwhelmingly this list is populated with trendy alternatives to the cocktail (you know them as mocktails), beers without the ABV, and wine that won’t give you a hangover. 

Coming hot out the gate in 2024 is botanical spirits brand Melati Drinks, who use 21 different plants to bring you the ultimate alternative to high-end liquor. Also leading the pack is the Mocktail Club, serving up canned concoctions like the Bombay Fire and the Capri Spritz. Both brands have seen 30-day increases in sales in the range of several hundred percent, and while units sold are still relatively low compared to some of the other brands on this list, the start of the year has brought them both a nice kickstart in growth. 

Hazlo (pronounced Ahz-low) offers craft beverages developed by James Beard Award-winning mixologists that were designed to bring you back to homeostasis (aka chill). They’ve seen a 130% increase in sales over the past month (160% over the last two!) at an average price of $40. 

Drink Al’s if you’re looking for a classic American (non-alcoholic) beer, or consider plant-based sophisticated sips from Tennyson. Baloo brings you mood-boosting sparkling water. Parched? Try Parch, for non-alcoholic agave cocktails like the Prickly Paloma or the Piñarita Pour. 

The biggest standalone brand on our list of fastest-growing no-ABV brands is Moment, whose range of still and sparkling adaptogen-based beverages has seen a 63% jump in sales over the last 30 days, pretty much all of which is in bundles. Buy one, buy 4!

And the list wouldn’t be complete without Boisson, the Total Wine of non-alcoholic beverage brands, stocking everyone from Katy Perry’s De Soi (who are selling bundles like hotcakes online and are now also available at Target and Sprouts) and small-batch Curious Elixirs. The marketplace, named for the French word for beverage, is now taking down an estimated $20 million a year and saw a 10% increase in sales this Drynuary. 

There seem to be two basic camps of these non-boozy brands. There’s the copycat that will never be as good as the original (IMO), kind of like tofurkey, and then there are the adaptogen or nootropics-based botanical beverages, or what’s become known as the “FUNctional” alternative. They taste great and purport to take the edge off, without the hangover. 

You might note that if you’re looking to save some pennies by cutting back on the booze this January, these might not be the best alternative options for you. We’re seeing an average product price of about $48 across these fastest-growing brands. Perhaps a Spindrift will do? (Their DTC sales are growing too btw, seeing a tidy jump of 16% in seltzer sales over the past 30 days). 

So what’s in your glass this Drynuary? I’m guessing it's a mocktail. 🍸

If you haven’t had a chance to check out our new smart lists powered by AI, take a spin and request a sample. In the meantime, we’ll keep scouring through our data for new and exciting insights in e-comm and share our favorite ShopScoops with you. Follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletter to get updates delivered straight to your inbox!