Dry January appears to help mocktail companies, as well as reform old drinking habits

An increasing number of Americans are participating in "dry January" this year, and it's sparking business for companies that are creating non-alcoholic beverages.

"Right now the estimate is 35% of Americans will participate in dry January which is amazing and what people are looking for now are alternatives," says Daniel Stiller, CEO of Better Rhodes.

Local businesses are making these alternatives readily available to customers.

"Just provides us an opportunity to have mixed drinks without the alcohol because there's a lot of people in the vegan community or just in general that prefer to have nonalcoholic drinks but like the taste of mixed drinks," says Robert Matthew, co-owner of BYOV, a new restaurant in Chandler specializing in vegan food and mocktails.

MORE: Beyond Dry January: The rise of non-alcoholic drinks in the adult beverage market

Two years ago Stiller co-founded an online marketplace for alcohol-free beverages with his best friend, selling alcohol-free wine, beer and spirits.

"Business has been fantastic. We started off two years ago and grew the business from nothing to $3 million in sales in 2022," Stiller said.

Dry January is viewed as a temporary test of willpower followed by a return to old drinking habits when the month is over.

However, research says that's not what always happens.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine says people who participate in dry January experience lasting benefits like drinking less in the long run or making changes to their drinking habits.