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Dry January is a time when the world takes a break from alcohol. Here are six stories that might inspire you to have a more mindful relationship with sparkling wine, wine, and cocktails.
Maryna Shulikina, editor of Vogue
As of this writing, I have been sober for 537 days. To be exact, since July 21, 2024. This date is recorded in the Days Since app, which counts the number of days since a point in your life that you decide to mark. For example, the counter called no alcohol also includes quit smoking, no dangerous liaisons, no sugar, and no pastry. True, the last two often reset to zero, but that’s a whole other story.
So, for a year and a half, in fact, there was nothing in my body that contained ethyl alcohol in any form or volume. In short, the reason for giving up alcohol was a simple life wisdom: “you need to know the measure.” If you dig deeper, I lost control and crossed all the limits permissible for me. If you are intrigued, Tom Holland played a secondary (untypical for him) role in this decision.
The circumstances in my life were such that from the end of March 2023 to January 2024, there was not a single day when I did not drink at least 0.3 beers. However, several times a week I allowed myself much more. I drank everything at once. Probably, the amount of alcohol consumed in a month could be measured in buckets. Against the background of a constant feeling of freedom, permissiveness, and even omnipotence that alcoholic intoxication gives, situations began to happen to me that were worthy of several sequels to the movie “The Hangover in Vegas”. It sounds fun and epic – and often it was. If only there were one “but”.
It wasn't just a thirst for adventure, punk and rock 'n' roll, or a wild, rebellious twenty-something year old that led me to this lifestyle. It was extremely difficult, unbearable, hellish events that divided my life into a “before” and an “after.” Does that sound fatal? And it was. Alcohol wasn't just a social must-have, a party accessory, or a cultural dope. Alcohol was an emotional painkiller, a liquid anti-stress, a social lubricant, a stimulant of the courage that was lacking to move on.
In 2024, after a series of epic binges, like many of us, I promised myself I would drink less. And so it happened: I drank much less. However, the gatherings with friends still happened – and the scenario was always the same. I would drink again, lose control again, and regret it the next day. After one of these nights, I simply realized: enough.
I was still hurting. I was still uncomfortable with myself and my life, and I knew it wasn't going to get better anytime soon. But the question then wasn't, “What can I do to feel better?” but rather, how can I stop fueling my own suffering? And it seemed to me that taking back control could be a good solution. And so it did—simply, in the moment, unplanned.
Giving up alcohol was not surprisingly easy, but much easier than it seemed. The most difficult thing was to overcome two factors: social and stressful. For many of us, the typical desire to drink in a moment of extreme tension – regardless of its causes. Stress is a constant in my life, so at first it was difficult to overcome the desire to drink in a moment of internal madness. However, after about a month or two of living in which stress did not become less, but it was no longer drowned out by alcohol, I realized two things. First, I can cope with stress without auxiliary substances. Second, when you face a problem face to face right away, and do not postpone meeting with it until you come to your senses after a hangover, life in a sense becomes a little easier to perceive.
The social factor is insidious. When you find yourself in a company where everyone drinks except you, it seems like you're in the Garden of Eden, and everyone around you is a serpent-tempter. No matter how much you drink, you still remember how nice a gin cocktail, a tart dry red wine, or your favorite beer can be. I had to face all this about a month after giving up alcohol.
We were going on a vacation in the mountains with a large group. I hesitated for a long time whether to go, because I knew that everyone would have fun, drink, I didn't know some of the people, I had to get to know them, and I risked becoming the same “Unbearably Boring Bobby” from the TV series “Friends”. However, it was there – in these circumstances and this company – that I realized that I didn't need alcohol to be open, cheerful, and funny. It was a turning point.
For those two days, I drank kombucha, a fruit-flavored non-alcoholic beer that wasn't the best, but it was good enough (I still don't understand who came up with that misunderstanding), and enjoyed life. Since then, even large work events with hundreds of people, which previously seemed unbearable without a few glasses of sparkling wine, have become quite bearable.
Now about Tom Holland. I love Tom for many obvious reasons. The main one is his performance on Lip Sync Battle with the song Umbrella. It is a masterpiece, a diamond of pop culture and my “Roman Empire”. In the fall of 2024, an additional reason to respect him appeared: Tom launched his own brand of non-alcoholic beer. This prompted me to learn more about why, in a world where celebrities have their own productions of tequila, rum, champagne and wine, he chose this particular niche.
As someone who loves beer and has tried every non-alcoholic beer available since giving up alcohol, I can say that finding something that's truly good and tasty is a challenge. And people who firmly believe in the inviolability of beer as an alcoholic beverage will always claim that there is no such thing as a good 0.0% beer.
However, the main thing in this story is different. Tom also practices sobriety – that is, he is a teetotaler. He had an alcohol addiction, in 2022 he decided to try Dry January and has not drunk since then. I read and watched several interviews where he explains his position, and it resonated deeply with me. This is how Tom finally solidified my belief that alcohol is not needed in life. Absolutely not for anything. Except for hedonists – but to each his own.
You've probably heard this somewhere before, you didn't believe it, but I'll remind you: there is no safe dose of alcohol. Everyone knows about the negative consequences of its use – there are many of them. And you get rid of all this when you give up alcohol. You become healthier.
However, my main achievement is not physical, but mental. I have become more realistic about myself. I have realized that I don’t need strong drinks to feel morally stronger and more confident. I can feel that way if I just dare and want to. I don’t need to drink to relax. I can just let go of the situation and be myself — and that’s it.
I don't need three glasses of wine to say embarrassing nonsense. I can do it sober. I've accepted that I sometimes act like a jerk. And that's what has made me free. And nothing tastes as good as that freedom—without shame and without excuses.
Anastasia Yavorskaya, Vogue editor
I gave up drinking alcohol at the beginning of 2018. I had several reasons for this, and none of them were related to alcohol abuse or problems. Rather, it was purely psychological, including my father’s serious illness. So I can say that it came easy to me. I also want to note that in my case it was more of an asceticism that helped me hold on for a while.
I won't impose my opinion – this is purely my experience and my view, but as for asceticism, it seems to me that it is worth taking on when you want to test your character and will, and grow a little more mentally. For me, giving up alcohol was more like punishing myself. Because I have no problems with willpower, but punishing myself turned out to be my favorite thing. What did I get from my non-alcoholic “diet”? Probably, a lot of health (but I can't prove it), the ability to always be behind the wheel (for a person who lives outside the city, this is important) and, probably, nothing else. Because I can't say that I started to look at everything more soberly – I never drank much before. My maximum is a couple of glasses of wine per evening (not taking into account the parties in my youth). My asceticism lasted until 2025, that is, over seven years, and one session with a psychologist was enough for me to have dinner calmly with a glass of wine again. The psychologist not only somehow “untied” the ascetic knot, but also literally advised me to drink 100 grams of wine with dinner for better sleep. I can share the psychologist's phone number.
Tetyana Taran, founder of Starlit Group (Perricone MD, Medik8, Revitalash, Cosmetics 27, Apeer)
Three years ago, I stopped liking alcohol. And this whole story with sparkling wine, red wine, and cocktails completely lost its meaning. The decision to refuse was made easily – in an instant. But with my surroundings, it was more difficult: they constantly tried to seduce me and lure me “to the dark side.” The culture of alcohol consumption is deeply rooted in us, and sometimes my surroundings can perceive non-alcoholic behavior as a betrayal of friendship, traditions, etc. So while my loved ones were getting used to the fact that I don't drink, I listened to: “you're doing this for no reason,” “it'll be sad and unpleasant.” But nothing, later everyone got used to it.
Meanwhile, everything was going well for me. If before I would get a headache after a glass of wine, now this problem has disappeared. I don’t feel heavy, I don’t have swelling, all my fitness trackers record good recovery indicators. I think even my skin has become better over time, but I’m not sure about that, because I didn’t abuse it too much for the effect to be obvious.
Interestingly, it is sometimes difficult to find a decent non-alcoholic drink, except for non-alcoholic beer (which I also gave up in the second year of my non-alcoholic journey). By the way, an interesting fact: in Ukraine, non-alcoholic wine is much more often found on wine lists than in European countries. Once, with a friend in Dublin, we played a game with the bartender “make a cocktail for me and my friend”: she chose an alcoholic one, I chose a non-alcoholic one. He broke down on Aperol. But in Kyiv – in the same “Italian editorial office” – there is both Bellini and various sauerkrauts. I love to “drink” non-alcoholic in Ukrainian establishments.
For almost three years now I have not planned to return to alcohol. But I do not set any restrictions on myself in principle – it is simply my choice for now. I have a bottle of champagne that Medik8 gave me on the occasion of the brand's fifth anniversary in 2014, and it is possible that I will uncork it someday – for example, on the occasion of the brand's 50th anniversary. But this is not certain.
Valeria Tatarchuk, “Your Support” Foundation
My decision to give up alcohol was not ideological, but purely practical. I began to swell a lot, my weight remained the same regardless of my efforts, and my migraines became more frequent and severe. Over time, it became clear that alcohol — even in minimal doses — was directly worsening my physical condition. At a certain point, it stopped being a “small fee for pleasure” and turned into harm without any real benefit.
Giving up alcohol came relatively easily to me. My own experience was the best motivator. When you clearly know that in the morning, even after a minimal dose, you will wake up with a swollen face, you will be, to put it mildly, not in the best condition, and your head will ache mercilessly, the desire to drink disappears automatically. There is no willpower required here, a cause-and-effect relationship is enough. In addition, I consciously found other, much more effective ways to relax and recover: hot baths, massages, spa treatments – everything that really relieves tension, calms the nervous system and gives a feeling of taking care of yourself, and not a short-term illusion of relaxation.
The benefits turned out to be more than I expected. First, it's trivially cheaper than drinking alcohol. I can always get behind the wheel and go where I need to go — and I really don't like taxis. I like what I see in the mirror. My overall well-being has noticeably improved. My sleep has become deeper and better, and therefore the need for coffee has significantly decreased. Overall, it gives a feeling of concentration and stability that is hard to overestimate.
In fact, the only downside to refusing is social. In companies, sometimes you have to make excuses for not drinking. For many, this still seems strange. So sometimes I just pretend to drink so as not to have to explain myself and waste energy. But overall, it's not a problem for me – I really don't care.
I haven't had a drink for over six months now and I don't see any point in going back to regular drinking. Theoretically, I admit that I might try a microdose of something really tasty when I'm in the mood, but that's more of an exception that only proves the rule. Alcohol is no longer a part of my everyday life — and I'm completely fine with that.
Alena Ponomarenko, Vogue editor
There's nothing easier than quitting drinking – I've quit a hundred times. Actually, three times, but each time it was related to losing weight. In addition to the fact that alcohol is “empty” calories that you can't get enough of, it's also something that dulls your sense of control. And you start reaching for food: a nut, a French fry, a piece of cheese. After all, it's easy to overdo it with calories.
I lived quite comfortably without alcohol, but not without insights. Yes, once at a party I had a terrible craving for beer, which I drink extremely rarely. Then I realized that I was actually craving bread rich in B vitamins (they are also found in beer). One sip solved the problem – then I calmly continued my alcohol-free life. It was more difficult with the environment: it is difficult for people around me to accept your changes – especially those related to shared fun. If it were not for my husband's support, it would have been difficult. But there were also tangible advantages: alcohol is an objectively expensive pleasure. Of course, I did not buy a Prada coat with the money saved on alcohol, unlike Liana Satenstein, who had such an experience. But it freed up funds that could be used for other sensual pleasures: facial massage and French courses.
I “let go” beautifully – on the roof of the Hermès boutique on Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where they served miniature, coin-like, pancakes with black caviar, and excellent champagne to go with them. I don't regret anything. And in general, I think that life is too complicated to create additional discomfort zones for myself – in particular, by refusing a glass of sparkling wine. Although it is worth admitting: any asceticism has a beneficial effect on the psyche, on relationships with oneself, returns a sense of control, and improves health. Especially since it has now been proven that there are no “useful” or “safe” doses.
Yevheniya Kaganovich, 34, co-founder of Public Kitchen, and her partner Dmytro, 43, entrepreneur
Evgenia
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I realized that the lifestyle that I truly like and suit me is almost incompatible with alcohol. It is important for me to wake up with a clear head and a feeling of “resource”. I want to be as effective as possible every day, because I live this life greedily, and for this I need to have strength and energy. And even if I drink a glass or two of wine in the evening, it is difficult to count on energy in the morning.
I've never liked alcohol (especially strong alcohol – in recent years I've been choosing natural wine or nice champagne), so I gave it up very naturally. Plus, it was our shared desire and decision as a couple: we have the same rhythm of life and similar habits with a focus on health.
There were many advantages to quitting: a lot of energy, good sleep and mood, concentration and a sense of control over my condition. Plus, I forgot about the swelling. The only thing is that now at events I have to constantly explain that I am really okay, and that soda water is absolutely enough.
I've stopped counting how long my asceticism has been going on and even deleted the Days Since app. I reserve the right to have a glass of orange with friends over dinner if I feel like it. But for now, I honestly and for a long time don't feel like it.
Dmitry
I haven't drunk for a year and plan to continue in the same spirit. I don't limit myself – I just don't want to and I'm not interested. I've “read” this book from A to Z so many times that it's boring: I won't discover anything new for myself there.
Previously, after parties, the next day I complained about my appearance and lethargy. So it's quite possible that the desire to look better and feel better worked. But, to be honest, I didn't seem to have any convincing reasons to stop drinking alcohol. Somehow I got the urge – it just stopped bringing pleasure. I joke that it was my mother who “coded” me from the photo.
The first changes after giving up alcohol were felt in my sleep: I started sleeping better and waking up easier; it became easier to stick to my morning workout routine, and the workouts themselves started to come easier. Now I can confidently say that alcohol was taking a lot of my energy away. By the way, the topic of sleep was very well discussed in Andrew Huberman's podcast – I recommend everyone to listen to the episodes about alcohol and coffee without exception.
If there were no obvious disadvantages to my decision, then certain inconveniences still appeared. Building a social life became more difficult, because it is often tied to alcohol: it is customary to gather for a cocktail, a glass of wine, etc. At first, you seem to not understand what to do in all these places where you used to be and felt comfortable. The saving grace is that establishments are increasingly actively adding non-alcoholic options to their menus, and in general, over time you adjust.
Another unexpected effect is the marker of relationships with people: you can immediately see who you only had in common with through shared alcohol, not shared interests. Fortunately, this had almost no effect on my circle of close people.
Diana Gloster, singer, influencer
I haven't drunk alcohol for a year, and at this point I'm so used to it that I have no desire or reason to start again.
Exactly a year ago, I realized that none of the phases of alcohol consumption – the taste, the process, and even more so the morning after – bring me pleasure: I did it “for the company” or “for the atmosphere”. Therefore, I drank alcohol less and less. And when I started studying Buddhism, I decided to give it up completely. After all, any substances of chemical or natural origin spoil the clarity of mind and slow down spiritual and mental development. Only when I gave up even a “symbolic” glass at events, I noticed how normal it really is – to accompany any events with alcohol. I am proud that I was able to get out of the system.
The only discomfort I experienced during the process was the reaction of society: people around me perceive giving up alcohol quite emotionally and tactlessly – constant persuasions, jokes about self-affirmation, questions about why and how it happened. You should be prepared for this.
But overall, giving up alcohol has brought me solid benefits. Firstly, I saw my weak spot – my inability to relax – and started to really work on it: yoga, spa, meditation. Secondly, I no longer linger in companies where I am not interested, or at events that used to take up much more time precisely because of alcohol. Thirdly, I now never have a hangover, which is also nice.
Even though I didn't drink much alcohol and relatively infrequently, I still noticed that I became more physically resilient and my gastrointestinal tract worked better – which is surprisingly pleasant, because I consume less sugar, and therefore have less swelling and rashes.
I really like the feeling of freedom from a habit that “smoothed out” and supposedly filled in the gaps of reality, although in reality it simply distorted it.
Now I don't like the sharp smell of any alcohol, and when the clock struck midnight I raised a glass of non-alcoholic champagne – so the issue with the atmosphere is solved. So the issue with creating a certain atmosphere is also solved. I am very proud of myself and consider giving up alcohol one of the best solutions for physical and mental health.