January is the month of the hill that bears its name, of good resolutions and of all kinds of promises to be better. One of the latest fads that has been added to this wish list is 'dry January', a trend in the Anglo-Saxon world promoted by social networks and that promotes abstinence from alcohol during the first month of the year as a way to achieve physical benefits. , mental and, in a way, even saving money. It's 'Dry January', the new event for those addicted to these challenges.
These types of challenges come in most cases from countries that have assumed that their population has problems with alcohol and to try to remedy it they have to implement awareness measures that, if they do not lead to sobriety, at least help make more moderate consumption. However, the first country to come up with something similar was Finland but with a reason that had nothing to do with health. The Helsinki government proposed dry January in the 1940s, in the middle of the World War, for more economic than social reasons. But that was only the beginning. Finland is the prototype of a country that reveals a controversial relationship with alcohol. It has become one of the territories that has applied the most restrictions on the sale of drinks while at the same time it has its own subculture called Kalsarikänni, which consists of locking oneself inside the house in one's underwear to drink.
'Ocsober'
Finland's initiative was imitated by Australia, but this time they created 'Sober november' -sober November- and also 'Ocsober' -sober October- with the same idea of promoting abstinence for a month as a way to raise awareness among the population. of alcohol problems. Subsequently, the measure became a trend and was copied in the United States, where – with the ability of social networks to invent terms – 'sober curious' also emerged. This term postulates the review of the relationship with alcohol, especially among young people, to consciously decide how to consume these drinks and what their relationship with them is. The World Health Organization made a much less ambitious proposal. Instead of a month, he proposed one day, November 15, as World No Alcohol Day.
The benefits
According to the defenders of 'Dry January', the month without alcohol represents an investment in health that generates, among other benefits, sleeping better, having more energy, rejuvenating the skin, increasing concentration, losing weight and saving money. In addition, it reduces blood pressure, the risk of diabetes, and also levels of cholesterol and proteins associated with cancer.
One of the tools that the beverage industry has created to continue doing business even with sober people are non-alcoholic liquors, which are expanding to new products every day. After the success of 0.0 beer, manufacturers have begun to bring this idea to spirits. Right now it is possible to get everything from alcohol-free tequila to gins or whiskey.
Another new trend is 'mindful drinking'. It is supposed to be a method that unites the ability to enjoy the drink as a sommelier would, with the meditation and present-day living techniques known as 'mindfulness'. The goal would be something similar to combining meditation with the ability to determine the vintage of a wine just by the smell of the cork in the bottle.
Three classy proposals for 'Dry January'
Mocktail and virgins
The two terms that help to understand non-alcoholic cocktails are mocktail and virgin. A virgin cocktail is, by definition, a drink that has not known alcohol. Mocktail, comes from mock, joke or parody. It refers to drinks in which the liquor has been replaced by a substitute without alcohol content. Below we detail the classic virgin cocktails.
San Francisco
The San Francisco is the non-alcoholic cocktail par excellence in the world of bartenders and, in some ways, it is almost a children's drink. Its classic ingredients are orange, lemon, pineapple and peach juices. In case you still didn't have enough sugar, the original recipe includes grenadine. All this, mixed and with enough ice. The proportions can be to the consumer's liking.
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple was Hollywood's first child prodigy. In the 1930s, her films were box office hits and at the age of six she already won an Oscar. In her name, this cocktail was invented, an absolutely harmless drink although with a high level of sugar. The Shirley Temple has as ingredients ginger ale, a lemon or lime soda and, again, grenadine. It is decorated with cherries.
Roy Rogers
In the 1940s, Leonard Franklin Slye, better known as Roy Rogers, triumphed as a sugar-coated country singer and actor in cowboy movies aimed at children. It didn't take long for a team to be created in his honor that is a hymn to innocence. The Roy Rogers consists of a cola soft drink and a good splash of grenadine. It is decorated with a maraschino cherry.
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