Don’t be a sheep! Five solid reasons to give Dry January a wide berth

We’re not not trying to encourage you to drink more but… January is the WORST month to give up booze.

January is a strange old month. People who regularly chin a bottle of wine a night decide that they’re going to give themselves the shakes for a month and bang on about how great they feel whilst simultaneously looking like someone has stamped on their every hope and dream.

It seems we are a nation of extremists when it comes to drink. Drink loads and fall over or drink nothing and be smug.

Whatever happened to ‘everything in moderation?’

Don’t be a sheep

According to a YouGov poll commissioned by charity Alcohol Concern, over 3.1 million people are planning to do Dry January and ditch alcohol for a month. Baaaahhhhh!

January is depressing enough

You’re already on a downer post-Christmas and New Year. It’s cold, dark and boring. Booze makes it better. At least for a while.

You’ll just eat more junk food

Of course, a month makes no real difference to your liver. That’s an ongoing maintenance project. These are the same people that sit at their desks at work, eating biscuits and dreaming of the burger and chips they’ll probably have for their tea.

More Manchester bars and restaurants might close

For pubs and restaurants it means further pressure in 2018 on top of the wage and food inflation that has cut profits this year. When we decide that we want to be ‘better’, food and drink normally bears the brunt.

Gym membership soars, restaurant bookings dip, forcing operators into the world of half-price discounts. Which used to be fine when you could upsell people with booze. And just look at all these awesome January dining offers to work your way through!

£2 gin, half price martinis and free wine

There is a great Ginuary Sale going at Atlas Bar, the ultimate gin destination, with more than 300 available. The slowest sellers are all £2 a shot for the month of January so it’s a chance to give them a try. You are sure to be pleasantly surprised.

Dirty Martini famous Happy Hour runs every day and this January they’re extending their Happy Hours across all of their locations. Join the anti-resolution movement and sip on half price martinis, £20 bottles of Prosecco, £12.50 bottles of wine* and £3.50 bottled beer and cider.

New Manchester restaurant Randall & Aubin is serving up free wine in January. Join them for lunch or dinner and you can enjoy a complimentary carafe of house red or white wine, any day of the week.

Don’t get us wrong. We’re not saying ignore Dry January completely.

But instead of giving up the booze altogether for a month, why not just drink less?

Anyone for Less Wet January?