Dry January has become a popular New Year’s reset, with research showing benefits like better sleep, improved mood, weight loss, and increased energy. But in the heart of wine country, the trend raises questions about how a month without alcohol affects local businesses.
San Luis Obispo County is home to 1,085 active ABC retail licenses, including bars, wineries, hotels, and liquor stores, and business owners say January can bring noticeable shifts in traffic.
At Rava Wines in Paso Robles, owner Lauren Rava says January is typically slower as people recover from the holidays.
“January naturally slows down because everybody is done with the excess of the holidays, lots of parties, lots of eating and drinking,” Rava said. “So we definitely see a decline in visitors, which translates to a decline in sales.”
The slowdown comes as the local wine industry faces broader challenges, with San Luis Obispo County’s most recent crop report showing wine grape sales were nearly 40 percent lower in 2024 compared to 2023.
Rava says the timing adds concern for wineries still recovering from recent years.
“Especially coming off of 2020, things have never been the same,” she said. “Having that extra hit in January definitely is a concern.”
She says Rava Wines has beautiful scenery for photos, food offerings, and fun events, like the dueling pianos group Felix and Fingers, to help get people out and socializing this month... regardless of whether they are drinking or not.
The hospitality industry also sees a seasonal dip after the holidays. Matthew Kleefisch, general manager of the AVA Hotel in Paso Robles, says travel often slows as people reset for the new year.
“I think people hit the reset and start planning for the year, what their dreams and hopes are,” Kleefisch said. “So you see a little less travel after the holidays.”
Still, Kleefisch says Dry January doesn’t mean Paso Robles lacks options, pointing to the area’s growing food and wellness scene.
“There’s still plenty of things to enjoy in Paso Robles,” he said. “The culinary scene continues to be elevated.”
The AVA Hotel and its restaurants are leaning into entertainment options like live music and more to cater to everyone.
Further south, some business owners report stability, and even slight increases, during January.
Bill Hales, whose group owns Bull's Tavern, McCarthy’s, Shell Beach Brewhouse and other businesses across San Luis Obispo County, says recent January numbers have been stronger than expected.
“I went back and looked at the last few Januaries, and oddly enough, it’s slowly kind of ticked up the last few years at most of our places,” Hales said. He credits college students with helping offset the impact of New Year’s resolutions.
Health experts say the benefits of taking a break from alcohol are supported by research. Studies from Brown University’s School of Public Health show people who take a month off from drinking often report improved mood, more energy, fewer cravings, better concentration, and, in some cases, weight loss.
Doctors also say cutting back gives the liver time to recover, can help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve sleep quality.
Dr. Terry Simpson, a culinary medicine specialist at St. John’s, says many people overestimate how well alcohol helps them sleep.
“If we actually do sleep studies on people, even with one alcohol drink, they don’t sleep as well as they think they do and they actually have a more restless sleep,” Simpson said. “Drying out or trying a Dry January is probably not a bad idea.”
Dr. Simpson recommends simple steps for cutting back, including starting social events with water or non-alcoholic drinks, offering to be the designated driver, or setting a time to stop drinking to avoid overdoing it.
As Dry January continues, Central Coast businesses are adjusting, showing that even in wine country, the new year can still bring fun events for anyone!
