Yes, you can have an alcohol-free New Year. It’ll be a blast, and you won’t start 2024 with a headache.
As the “sober curious” movement gains steam, many of us are looking forward to celebrating our first New Year without alcohol.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of our top 15 celebratory activities to do instead of drinking, plus where to stock up on cannabis before the big night!
Top 15 Alcohol-Free Party Activities
How Can I Celebrate the New Year Without Alcohol?
Of course, you can have fun without alcohol on New Year’s Eve. So, whether you’re avoiding a booze-soaked party or you’re planning alcohol-free activities, we’ve got the perfect suggestions. So, let’s dive in.
1. Break Out the Dance Moves
For social drinkers, it can be hard to imagine hitting the dance floor booze-free! But not only will your moves be much more coordinated, but dancing also provides a lovely endorphin high that’s certified hangover free.
2. Attend an Alcohol-Free Event
If the idea of being the only non-drinker at a party stresses you out, seek an alcohol-free hangout. Check Meetup or your local sober living Facebook group for leads.
3. Karaoke
There are few better things than belting out Total Eclipse of The Heart to a room full of friends and strangers. And without alcohol, you might be organized enough to hit those high notes while staying on beat.
4. Try a Midnight Meditation
A midnight meditation is a fantastic way to come into 2024 centered, relaxed, and activated. Join an existing event, or invite your friends to join you in following a pre recorded guided meditation.
5. Hit the Rink
Roller skating is back in a big way, and you’ve gotta be sober on skates! So hit up your local roller rink for an old school skating party, complete with nostalgic jams and that one weird, overly patterned carpet they all have for some reason.
6. Host Game Night
Whether in person or online, game nights are an excellent way to bond with friends booze-free. So bring your games to a party to set up an alternative hang-out zone for the cannabis-consuming folks.
7. Watch Movies
Get your friends together for a slumber party style movie night! Break out the streaming passwords and pass the popcorn for an alcohol-free night that’s sure to delight.
Pro Tip: We have many flower strains perfect for a chill puff, puff, pass New Year’s movie marathon. Click here to order online.
8. Have a Dinner Party
Ring in the new year with a bountiful feast with friends. Try a buffet of good luck new year’s dishes from around the world, or prepare a comfort food bonanza for everyone to tuck into as they try not to fall asleep before midnight.
Pro Tip: Hit our Instagram page and navigate our how-to cooking series videos with Denver cannabis chef Dave Hadley.
9. Sip a Mocktail
Just because you’re sober doesn’t mean you can’t have a cocktail in hand! An alcohol-free mocktail brings the same fancy fun as a boozier alternative without the risk of overindulging. And unless you choose to share, no one has to know what’s in your cup.
10. Have an Art Party
Get in touch with your creative side by hosting an art party. Paint, draw, or sculpt with friends to create meaningful mementos you can cherish for the next year and beyond. By the way, if you haven’t made pottery while high, you’re missing out on an excellent sensory experience.
11. Indulge in Cannabis
Cannabis is becoming an increasingly popular alternative for those avoiding alcohol. Cannabis fans love how it offers a healthier-feeling, hangover-free experience while still creating a transportive effect. You can even sip a cannabis-infused drink or add a THC tincture to your mocktail!
Pro Tip: Try Stillwater’s Ripple! It’s a flavorless THC powder that you can dissolve in any liquid for an elevated mocktail.
12. Take a Trip
Sometimes you just need to get away from it all and reset. Taking a new years trip is a great way to remove yourself from the potential pressure of the big night while making new traditions of your own.
13. Do a New Year’s Hike
You don’t have to climb to the top of the highest local peak, but a new years hike is an amazing way to kick off 2024 feeling energized and in touch with your body. Take a mindful walk with friends, or venture out for a centering solo stroll.
14. Try a Non-Alcoholic Champagne Toast
There’s nothing quite like the magic of a champagne toast at midnight, and thanks to a growing number of booze-free champagne alternatives on the market, you won’t have to miss out if you’re staying sober this year.
You can toast with a blunt or a Made in Xiaolin Cannagar, too, just saying.
15. Be the Sober Friend
Last but not least, let’s not forget the party saving power of the sober friend. Like the superhero you are, you’ll be there to save your drinking friends’ days–from acting as the designated driver to convincing them that, no, they really don’t need to call their ex right now. We promise they’ll be thanking you all year long.
What Can I Do Instead of Drinking at a Party?
If you want to attend a party without drinking, it’s best to come prepared. Here are some of our favorite mocktails and cocktail alternatives for celebrating with friends.
Which is the Best Mocktail?
First off–what is a mocktail? It’s a portmanteau of mock and cocktail–basically a booze-free fancy drink.
But what are the best mocktails? And how to make mocktail concoctions your friends will enjoy? Let’s go over some classics:
Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
Easy to find in fancy grocery stores, sparkling strawberry lemonade is sweet, tasty, and very festive. Add in a sprig of mint if you’re feeling fancy!
Sparkling Cranberry Punch
Cranberry is the perfect holiday flavor, an excellent way to ring out the festive season and welcome the New Year.
Sparkling Ginger Lemon Mocktail
Sipped from a champagne coupe, a sparkling ginger lemon mocktail makes the perfect visual swap for alcoholic sparkling wine.
Hot Mulled Cider
Keep things cozy with a pot of homemade hot mulled cider bubbling on the stove. Drinkers can spike the brew with their booze of choice, while the sober can enjoy it alcohol-free.
Non-Alcoholic Champagne
Thanks to the sober curious movement, there’s a growing number of alcohol-free champagne alternatives on the market that make perfect new years eve virgin drinks. Move over Martineli’s!
St Regis Sparkling Brut Non Alcoholic Wine
Fresh, crisp, and fruity, this chardonnay-based non-alcoholic drink is as sophisticated as the real deal.
Chateau De Fleur Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine
This sparkling wine is like apple cider’s more sophisticated cousin with a refreshing flavor profile of apples and peaches.
Sutter Home Fre Brut Non-Alcoholic Champagne Wine
Easy to find in most stores, this faux champagne boasts pear, strawberry, and crisp green apple notes.
Cannabis
Cannabis or alcohol? It’s an endless choice, but one you won’t have to make this year! Here are some of our favorite ways to consume cannabis on alcohol free evenings:
Edibles (cookies, brownies, or candy)
The perfect festive party food, cannabis edibles are delicious and fun to consume. Pick up a box of premade treats from your local dispensary, or DIY it with some homemade cannabutter.
Vape
Take a break from the party to enjoy your weed while stargazing, or help boost the alcohol free party energy by sharing the bounty with friends.
Gummies
There’s nothing more fun than a gummy, which provides a dose of targeted, perfectly calibrated cannabis relief. So bring gummies with you when you venture out into the night for an extra canna boost to your sober evening.
Tincture
A cannabis tincture is the perfect companion to any mocktail. Drop in a dose or two to take your non drinking experience to the next level.
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