NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — People are trading in their cosmopolitan, glass of wine and beer for an alcohol-free version for Dry January.
Those taking the challenge choose not to drink alcohol for the first 31 days of the year.
Stephanie Styll founded Killjoy. The stocked shop in Nashville's Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood became the city's first booze-free beverage business last year.
"I started reading about alcohol alternatives, and then I started trying to find them, and in Nashville, you had to go to a liquor store which isn't a great place to go if you're trying to avoid alcohol," Styll said.
Styll quit drinking in 2020. She tried Dry January a few times. She said it helped her see sober living isn't a total buzzkill.
"People used to think I can't have fun anymore and my life is over because I quit drinking. But it's not that way at all," Styll said.
Moving to mocktails, alcohol-removed wine or non-alcoholic beer can lead to better sleep, heart health and mental clarity. Some drinks at Killjoy even have unique ingredients like mushrooms.
"Things that are going to support your overall health and help you adapt to stress a little better and feel better every day," she said.
Killjoy is located off Wedgewood Avenue inside The Loading Dock.
There are tastings every day at the business, and events just about every week, including "Non-Alcoholic 101" on Wednesday, Jan. 3 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
According to Vanderbilt University Medical Health Center, these are some signs that taking a break from alcohol is something to consider.
- Hiding your drinking or lying about it to loved ones
- Memory loss or blacking out regularly
- Having trouble in your relationships
- Putting off or forgetting about responsibilities
- Having trouble stopping when you drink
- Grabbing a drink when you start to feel depressed or anxious
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms around six hours after your last drink.
Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don't have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
- Lelan Statom
