Nearly one-quarter (23%) of U.S. consumers who drink alcohol are actively moderating or abstaining from alcohol in January through participation in either “Dry January” or “Damp January,” according to new research from Curion, one of the largest product and consumer insights companies in the United States.
The findings, drawn from a comprehensive survey of 1,869 U.S. adults, reveal that the annual ritual of alcohol reduction has evolved beyond simple abstinence into a nuanced wellness movement with distinct consumer motivations, behaviors and alternative beverage preferences.
Moving Away from an All-or-Nothing Approach
The “Damp January” phenomenon represents a fundamental shift from all-or-nothing approaches to sustainable wellness strategies. Consumers choosing moderation over total abstinence are more motivated by health, fitness and mental clarity.
“Dry January is evolving past taking a month off alcohol,” said Katie Fellows, senior vice president of strategic insights at Curion. “Consumers are renegotiating control and feeling better without feeling deprived. The rise of Damp January and strong interest in sophisticated non-alcoholic alternatives signal that consumers want intentionality and enjoyment, not sacrifice.”
Damp January Is a Wellness-Led Strategy, Not a Compromise
Damp participants are significantly more motivated by physical health (+8.6 percentage points), weight/fitness (+8.9 pp) and mental clarity (+6.6 pp) than Dry participants, showing that moderation is often a deliberate, sustainable approach to self-optimization rather than a less committed version of Dry January.
Survey respondents cited an average of 2.63 reasons for participating, with physical health leading at 56.3%, followed by mental clarity/mood (44.1%), resetting habits (42.7%), weight/fitness (38.3%) and saving money (32.4%).
Consumers Seek Products to Maintain Social Rituals
Only 16.4% of participants say they are joining Dry/Damp January to “evaluate my relationship with alcohol,” yet this group is more than twice as likely to choose non-alcoholic spirits, wine and mocktails, revealing strong demand for ritual-preserving alternatives that maintain social and sensory experiences without alcohol.
This “identity shift” segment represents a critical opportunity for the non-alcoholic beverage category, as these consumers are actively seeking products that allow them to maintain their social rituals and identities while eliminating alcohol from the equation.
Age Changes What Dry January Is For
Participation in Dry/Damp January declines with age, and the “why” shifts significantly.
• Younger participants (18-34) are experimenting with alternatives and replacing rituals, with nearly half (47.9-50%) choosing at least one non-alcoholic beer, wine, spirits or mocktail option
• Older participants (55-64) are simplifying and reducing, with only 28.2% selecting alcohol-like alternatives
Women More Likely to Frame Participation as Self-Care
Women and men participate at similar rates among drinkers, but women are far more likely to cite weight/fitness goals (+11.5 pp) and to select alcohol-like replacements such as mocktails and non-alocholic options, framing January moderation as holistic self-care rather than a simple challenge.
Among Dry/Damp participants, the data shows:
• Weight/fitness as a reason: 42.3% women vs. 30.8% men (+11.5 pp)
• Choosing an alcohol-like alternative: 40.5% women vs. 34.2% men (+6.3 pp)
Curion surveyed 1,869 U.S. adults from its proprietary consumer database, asking detailed questions about alcohol consumption habits, January intentions and alternative beverage preferences. The research was conducted in late December 2025.
