Is anyone else stumbling into 2024 wringing out your liver while pledging to put holiday indulgence behind you? 

If you’ve vowed to give Dry January the ol’ college try, visiting Bend can sound daunting. We’re the land of the legendary Bend Ale Trail and home to a killer cocktail and culinary scene. But fear not! Bellying up to the bar isn’t required for an epic Bend vacation.

Here are six tips for keeping your Dry January New Year’s resolution in Bend, Oregon.

Chug booze-free beers

In the past couple years, Bend’s non-alcoholic beer scene has exploded. That’s no surprise in the place known nationwide for creative craft beers on the Bend Ale Trail.

Crux Fermentation Project boasts some of the best n/a brews in the country, including No Mo. It’s a refreshingly hoppy near-beer with citra and mosaic hops, and you’ll swear it tastes like the real deal. There’s also a hazy version, plus a Strata Gold that’s more in the style of a golden ale.

If dark beers are more your jam, you’ll appreciate the magic required to make an alcohol-free version of their mouthwatering Black Butte Porter. It’s every bit as malty and belly-warming as the original, minus the hangover when you drink three of them because it’s so freakin’ tasty.

Other awesome local breweries crafting killer non-alcoholic beers include 10 Barrel with their N/A IPA, No Wake Zone from Bridge 99, Hop Water from Sunriver Brewing, and one of my personal favorites, Hop Quencher from Worthy Brewing (a tasty potion containing Xantholumol, which is purported to offer anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-obesity metabolic effects).

Did someone say mocktails?

It wasn’t long ago that you’d walk into a Bend bar requesting an alcohol-free cocktail and get served a funny look, along with a glass of soda. But times have changed, and tons of Bend restaurants and bars are hopping on the mocktail bandwagon.

Mocktails abound on the menus of many Asian-inspired restaurants in particular. Sen has one of my all-time favorite mocktails in the Happy Baby, which boasts a zingy blend of carrot syrup, coconut milk, pineapple, and lemon. I swear it’s not as carroty as you’re imagining, but if that’s still not your thing, try the Elephant Pants with its mouthwatering mix of passionfruit, mint, lime, and soda.

Newcomer JIA boasts scrumptious street food-style cuisine from kitchens around Thailand, China, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Their impressive mocktail menu is a bit on the sweet side, but delicious and a big hit with kids. Try the Tiki Panda, which is served in an adorable panda vessel filled with pomegranate, pineapple, and lemon juice with sparkling water and dehydrated fruit. The Ube Lavender Sparkler is a bit simpler and not so sweet with a bright blend of lavender and ube zero-proof shrub, plus sparkling water and dehydrated lemon.

San Simon and Flamingo Room (operated by the same owner) always have two or three mocktails on the menu, plus their talented mixologists are terrific at creating something special for you, based on flavor preferences and what’s fresh behind the bar.

Perhaps the best mocktail menu in Bend belongs to Lady Bird Cultural Society, with a menu boasting both non-alcohol and low-alcohol concoctions. These are serious craft cocktails using quality dealcoholized spirits, fresh juices, and other top-drawer ingredients. Fins Up features n/a mezcal, pineapple, coconut, lime, and Luxardo for a smoky, delicious combo that’ll leave you swooning. The Blind Serpent boasts citrus-cardamom syrup (yum!), Wilderton Lustre, cucumber, basil, and tonic for a taste so amazing you won’t miss booze one bit. Bottoms up!

Embrace the booch

Whenever the spouse and I take a booze break, our go-to drink of choice is kombucha. This effervescent fermented tea claims to have gobs of health benefits, but even if it didn’t, I could swill it all day because it tastes amazing and magically fills my tastebuds’ craving for fermented goodness.

Lucky for you, Bend is home to several awesome kombucha breweries, and you’ll find this fermented elixir on the menu at any Bend taphouse or growler fill stop. It’s rare to encounter a Bend restaurant without at least one variety of ‘booch in a cooler, so sample your way through town to find your faves. 

Some of Bend’s top kombucha brewers include Compassion Kombucha (I love their elderberry blend in particular) and Humm Kombucha, which boasts a zillion incredible flavors and a Bend tasting room where you can order a sample tray of your top picks. Bonus: They’re canning many flavors of sugar-free kombucha that are shelf stable and don’t require refrigeration. Did someone say trail drink?

Craft brews without booze

Craving something different from mocktails, n/a beer, or kombucha? Enter what I’m calling “alternative virgin craft beverages.” There’s probably a better name, but I kinda like the ring of that for covering things like CBD-infused drinks and other Bend-brewed beverages made without alcohol, but with plenty of flavor.

If you’re seeking some chill, check out Elixir from Boneyard Brewing. Touted as a “wellness beverage,” it contains nothing but natural ingredients and hemp-derived cannabidiol. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll confess that I’ve never found CBD to have any particularly calming effects in beverage form, though plenty of pals disagree with me. But I will say Elixir is one of the tastiest booze alternatives in town, and their zero-calorie “Tropical” flavor gives it an edge over many sugar-packed options on the market.

Altitude Beverages offer another awesome alternative to cocktails and boozy canned drinks. From oat milk lattes to canned mocktails in creative combos like grapefruit basil and spicy ginger & lime, these guys knock it out of the park for flavor.

Is sustainability a top priority? Don’t miss Bend-based Riff with their sparkling energy drinks made with fruit purees, real fruit juices, and cascara berry (also known as coffee fruit). They tout themselves as “the nation’s most sustainable energy drink,” and between their climate pledge certifications and carbon-neutral standing, they’re not messing around with greenwashing.

If you’re going “California sober” (a term I learned from a teammate who eschews alcohol but embraces cannabis) check out Downshift’s unique array of beverages. They infuse sparkling water with a blend of terpenes, CBD, and a hint of hemp-derived THC, offering a natural way to unwind at the end of the day. In their words, “it’s not about escaping but enhancing reality.” I’ll drink to that!

Find liquid-free forms of fun

Not to get too geeky about it, but one reason many of us find ourselves hitting the bottle is for the dopamine. Need healthier sources of this pleasure-boosting neurotransmitter?

Hit a Bend day spa for a facial or massage, or check out Easy Float for a bliss-inducing soak in saltwater tanks kept at perfect body temperature for the ultimate sensory experience.

If adrenaline’s more your jam, try Unofficial Logging Company for an afternoon of axe throwing or plan a snowmobiling adventure with the fam (a much safer endeavor, now that you’re laying off the sauce). Ditto that for rock climbing, which can be especially nice in winter months when the sun’s not scorching Smith Rock State Park. 

Even a simple Bend hike can be enough to flood your body with joyful pleasure vibes. My personal happy spots in January include the Suttle Lake loop, Sawyer Park, Riley Ranch, a trek up Pilot Butte, or the Flatiron Rock Trail in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness.

Get your warm fuzzies someplace else 

Some folks find bliss in the self-care activities I outlined above. But if you’re the sort who finds pleasure in helping others, there’s plenty of that to go around.

Hit Playful Paws Cat Cafe to spend a smile-inducing hour interacting with rescue kitties. You can even adopt one for the world’s most loving souvenir. 

Want to support pals who aren’t doing Dry January? Volunteer to be a designated driver on the Bend Ale Trail. You’ll even get a special Hydro Flask prize for your efforts.

If tending the environment is a top priority, read up on Leave No Trace practices, then deploy those skills the next time you play outside around Bend.

Even something as simple as smiling at strangers can bring welcome warm fuzzies to your Bend vacation.

Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to healthier habits for all of us.