How Dry January Led to The Green Door

I didn’t set out to quit drinking.

I didn’t make a big announcement.

I didn’t label myself anything at all.

I just… stopped.

At the end of 2020, my husband and I decided to try Dry January after the New Year.

Like a lot of people, we were exhausted. Emotionally, mentally, physically. We had spent the last year nurturing Kentucky Botanical Co., our very new business that had just been put to the ultimate small business test--can you survive without being able to open your doors to people? The world felt heavy, uncertain, loud. We had jokingly had Beers with Beshear and Wine with Dewine, trying to just hang on.

I had started to pay more attention to the incredible inflammatory response to alcohol that my body was experiencing--a glass of wine and my rings were too tight for my fingers, puffy face in the morning, aching joints. For someone who lived in a holistic space, I knew that this wasn't good for me.

I wanted quiet. I wanted clarity. I wanted to feel like myself again...whatever that even meant.

Dry January felt harmless. Temporary. A reset button I fully intended to press just for the month.

But February came and went. And I didn’t feel like going back.

When “Just a Break” Turned Into Something More

What surprised me wasn’t willpower, it was how good I felt.

I slept better. My anxiety softened. My mornings felt calmer. My intuition felt louder.

Socially, things got interesting. I started noticing how deeply alcohol was woven into everything: celebrations, grief, boredom, connection, stress relief. And once I stepped outside of it, I could see clearly just how much space it took up.

I didn’t feel deprived. I felt awake.

So I kept going and the months quickly turned into years.

Watching the World Catch Up

In 2021, choosing not to drink still felt…awkward. People had questions. Mocktails were an afterthought. Alcohol-free nightlife basically didn’t exist, especially not in a way that felt fun. I'm not going to lie...I missed patio beers, I missed Sunday chats over Bloody Mary's. There is something wonderfully, inherently social about sipping a tasting drink and sharing conversation with someone. It wasn't the drink that was missing, though, it was the ritual of it.

Year by year, something shifted.

More people started questioning their relationship with alcohol. More menus included zero-proof options. More conversations centered on mental health, nervous system regulation, and intentional living.

What started as a personal choice was clearly becoming a cultural one that I noticed more and more as I guided people at my Kentucky Botanical Co. stores. We were seeing the shift in real time there, as folks tried THC or Functional beverages to replace their weekend wind down drinks.

But, I kept thinking the same thing:

Why does choosing not to drink mean opting out of nightlife altogether?

The Absence That Sparked an Idea

I didn’t want a juice bar. I didn’t want a lecture. I didn’t want a place that felt like punishment for not drinking.

I wanted a place where you could:

• Get dressed up

• Meet friends

• Listen to good music

• Feel a buzz, just not that kind

• Go home clear-headed and wake up feeling good

I wanted nightlife without the pressure.

And I realized…it didn’t exist. Not here. Not in Covington. Not in Greater Cincinnati.

So we built it.

Opening The Green Door

The Green Door was born directly out of Dry January 2021 and the five years that have followed.

From day one, we made one thing very clear: We are always non-alcoholic.

Not just in January. Not just as a trend. Always.

Because when alcohol is removed entirely, something interesting happens. The energy shifts. People soften. Conversations linger. Music hits differently. Community becomes the focus, not consumption. You feel a buzz, maybe from the plants, but I think it is something more…innately human. When we create spaces rooted in safety, beauty, and feeling, the body remembers how to generate its own pleasure. We activate the same reward pathways we once outsourced to substances, but in a way that feels grounded and real.

Our menu is built around kava, adaptogens, botanicals, and elevated zero-proof cocktails. Our events center on music, art, movement, and connection. Our space is designed to feel intimate, welcoming and, I hope, a little magical.

We chose 5 East 8th Street, a tiny space for an idea that felt much bigger. We weren't sure if anyone else would think so, but what we have seen is that what happens inside The Door goes far beyond an address.

Dry January, Five Years Later

I never set out to be “five years alcohol-free.” I just kept choosing what felt better.

Now, this January, I get to watch guests walk through The Door saying the same thing I once did:

“I’m just doing Dry January.”

Some might stay for the month. Some stay for the year. Some stay for the vibe.

But, all are welcome.

The Green Door exists for the sober-curious, the alcohol-free, the wellness-minded, the burned out, the socially anxious, the spiritually curious, and the people who simply want to go out without waking up with regret.

An Invitation

If you’re exploring Dry January for the first time...or the fifth, know this:

You don’t have to opt out of life to opt out of alcohol.

You can still dance, sing, and celebrate. You can still belong.

That realization started for me in January 2021 and it led, very directly, to The Green Door.

And every time you walk through it, you’re part of that story too.

High Vibes | Zero Proof

Always open to the curious,

- Christain