With alcohol sales plummeting and small producers looking forward to a dismal January, we need to change the narrative in the alcohol space. January has been taken over as Dry January, where people are motivated to abstain from alcohol for the whole month. With almost 1 in 2 of the youth switching to cannabis during this month, I don’t know how health conscious this movement really is. As always moderate and tempered alcohol use is positive whereas overindulgence is harmful to one’s health

But now is time for a different movement called Try January. A movement to support our craft industry.

Instead of faux abstaining, consumers should instead of drinking their regular brands or the most readily available, should try a craft brand within their community or order something new online. Now I will caveat this that thanks to the wholesalers, accessing craft products and ordering anything online except wine is very difficult.

But as a consumer go out and give these small businesses a try. The place a mile down the road you passed a thousand times, go in and give them a try. You may just stumble into something new that will become your favorite. Even if you return once a month it could have a positive impact on a craft producer.

Several craft producers I talked with decided to close during January because the economics are not worth it. So, they are foregoing a month’s worth of sales right off the bat, which is not an economic model that is very healthy, and one could see why they are losing out.

Last year, an estimated 400 craft breweries closed,[1]the number of craft distillers dropped 25% throughout the country,[2] and although wineries are not closing at alarmingly rates, the wine industry is far from happy days. Wine production dropped 15%.

By trying and giving support to a local business, the consumer is helping an ailing industry during their toughest time. So let’s turn January from a dry to a prosperous month for craft producers and maybe we can stem the flow of closings.

And let’s turn this around from Dry January to the opportunistic Try January.

[1] https://vinepair.com/articles/hop-take-craft-brewing-rationalization-period/

[2] https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2025/10/us-craft-distillery-numbers-drop-25/