Every year, some people, in a fit of trying to atone for their holiday-season sins, or trying to kickstart a diet that won’t live to see February, or trying to “cleanse” their bodies, give up beer for the month of January. It seems like a noble effort on paper; giving up something that you love (a new age Lent, perhaps?) is a challenge that can help you feel better about yourself for the year ahead.
We’re here to tell you that you should stop feeling so great about giving beer up for a month. Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t give it up.
Your body doesn’t need a month to detox.
Doctors recommend that a three-day abstinence from alcohol each week is all you need to avoid liver injury and help your liver recover from the poison you’ve given it over a weekend. Why not take Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off from beer every week, instead of torturing yourself for another 28 days straight? It’s really what you should be doing, anyway.
Your local bar owners, bartenders, and retailers need the business.
Historically, January is by far the slowest month for alcohol sales, when “resolutioners” and general winter malaise set in. Do you want to make it worse for the people who sell you beer the other 11 months of the year? Picture your favorite bartender working a mid-January shift, sulking in the corner of an empty bar knowing he’s barely going to make a dime that night. Beer is a business, and it deserves your business twelve months a year.
You can make up the calories elsewhere.
In a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet, there have to be some foods with less nutritional value than beer that you could cut out to have a beer or two every couple days. A typical 150-calorie beer contains 2g of protein, plus potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. And if you’re really worried about those empty alcohol calories, choose a lower-alcohol beer like a Irish Stout or a Session IPA. It’s still rewarding and it won’t undo the work you did at the gym.
You’re going to miss out on some great beer events.
January looks like a relatively quiet month on our events calendar, but there are some can’t-miss gems on there, too. Rattle-N-Hum (14 E. 33rd St., at 5th Ave., Midtown)hosts Dark Beer Night with brews like Great Divide Oak-Aged Yeti and Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch on January 6th. On the 14th, Proletariat (102 St. Marks Pl., at 1st Ave., East Village) partners with Remarkable Liquids and Shelton Brothers importers for BLACK BEER Night, featuring selections from Dark Horse, Prairie, Perennial, and more. Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) plans to celebrate homebrew pioneer Charlie Papazian’s birthday January 23rd-25th with a slew of homebrew-related events. And on the 28th, Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker St., at Jones St., West Village) hosts their annual Borough Beer Fest, a tap takeover featuring beers from all five boroughs.
So, have some beer in January, and save the resolutions for more important things, like your debt or your affection for fried food. And yes, take a short breather from beer this month if it makes you feel better… but like everything, do it in moderation.