BUFFALO, N.Y. — Grabbing a drink and being merry is almost a cornerstone of the holiday season.

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a quarter of all spirits sales come between Thanksgiving and New Year. Now that those holidays are over, a lot of people are going on a bit of a detox.

“December is usually a very, very busy month for us,” said Matt Kahn, Big Ditch president and co-founder. “We just had the busiest day we've ever had in our entire history this past New Year's Eve.”

According to American Addiction Centers, 40% of women and 47% of men say they took part in binge-drinking during the winter holidays.

However, there is interest growing when it comes to non-alcoholic options. According to market researcher Civic Science, adults who were sober-curious or reflecting on their alcohol consumption was up to 42% in 2024, a jump from 33% in 2022.

A project over two years in the making, which came with plenty of trial and error, Big Ditch is hopping on that trend.

“This is actually the first non-alcoholic beer canned in Buffalo since Prohibition,” said Kahn.

Their NA-Burner, a hazy non-alcoholic India pale ale, was released in November.

“It seems many, many years ago [NA options were] almost a little bit like a joke," he added. "But in talking with others, people were very, very serious about non-alcoholic beer and flavorful options.”

With people cutting back on spending, or taking part in things like Dry January, they expect this, along with their NA mocktails, will help with any dip in business.

“This year, we're a little more optimistic about how January is going to go for us,” Kahn said.

Perhaps it'll make cutting back a bit easier, too.

“Anyone can come here and have a good time, even if they're not interested in beer or even alcohol," Kahn explained. "I think NA-burner is just an extension of that.”

With plans for discounts for Dry January, and even an NA beer pong tournament, not drinking doesn’t mean missing out.

“That's one of the messages that we're trying to share, and we're confident sharing, is that Dry January can be fun," said Kahn. "Hopefully we're successful at that.”

According to a study in Harm Reduction Journal, Dry January can help with better sleep, weight loss and your overall energy, but if you’re dealing with addiction, Dry January might not be the right choice for you.

Those who have more than four or five drinks a day could experience severe withdrawal. In those cases, it's recommended you contact your local substance abuse resources.