Dry January: Being teetotal means I know the best spots in Yorkshire to enjoy without a drink
While alcohol-free beers and spirits are big business, many people are opting for other exciting drinks such as Kombucha on the tap, bubble tea, and chai tea during Dry January.
Our reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin tried Dry January in 2021 and has found herself teetotal for life.
If you’re new to a booze-free lifestyle, here’s some great ways she has discovered to socialise without a stiff drink.
There’s a lot of pressure for us to drink alcohol with our peers; particularly for those of us who have endured fresher week engagements as a student.
Thankfully, universities such as Bradford University are leading the way. They have replaced their bar with a cafe called Brew and Co Kitchen.
Bradford also has a range of chai tea places, but it's known for its dessert bars including The Sweet Centre. You can get an amazing breakfast here too.
If you enjoy bubble tea - which is milk tea containing tapioca balls - Gong Cha in Leeds comes highly recommended.
While there's a lot of social pressure to ‘go for a drink,’ perhaps suggest somewhere with an activity too. Bars like Sixes in Headingley, Boom Battle, and Electric Shuffle bars where you can play games in Yorkshire are great if you've got a party of people with some still drinking.
Thanks to social media people are more enthusiastic to try experiences such as pottery throwing, life drawing workshops, and jewellery making. I personally find pottery painting a great relaxed activity to catch up with friends or for something fun and lively. I love TagX in Batley, Ninja Warrior in Sheffield, or GoKarting at Xscape.
Better still, going for a walk in the countryside is not only free, it's great exercise and a much more rewarding feeling afterward than a night out drinking.
I haven't lost friends, only fat, since giving up alcohol.
I have more fun, more energy, and more memories than regrets.