People worldwide are counting the hours to enjoy a few Friday night beers or a cheeky glass of guilt-free mid-week vino.
Dry January is a campaign by Alcohol Change UK that encourages people to stop drinking alcohol for the entire month of January each year. Many of us are happy to accept the challenge.
We are nearing the end of January and look forward to a bright new year. So we decided to reflect on the changing role of alcohol in weekend celebrations and share some fun, alcohol-free Stag activities for you.
What is Dry January
Frank Posillico, a prominent businessman, decided to give up alcohol for a month in January 2008. He then celebrated his numerous successes with weight loss, cost-savings, and overall well-being. Many journalists noticed the idea, and it slowly gained momentum until Elizabeth Robinson joined Alcohol Change UK to formalize Dry January. Elizabeth had quit the sauce to train for half-marathons and gave up alcohol. It was 4,000 people who signed up for the Dry January campaign in its inaugural year. Since 2013, interest has increased yearly, with over 130,000 people signing up for 2022. This is not counting the thousands of people observing the month without registering.
Alcohol Change UK teamed up with University of Sussex behavior change specialists to explore the science behind the initiative. The studies showed that even a cessation of alcohol consumption for a few weeks could have immediate health benefits. There was also a pattern that lasted for six months, with seven out of ten participants drinking less riskily than before and 25% of participants who had previously been drinking at dangerous levels shifting into a lower-risk category. Public Health England officially approved the initiative in 2015. The rest, as they say, is history based on this research.
Social narratives are changing
We are gradually becoming more conscious of our health thanks to Stoptober, Veganuary, and Dry January. Veganism is not a sneering hippy fad. Smoking twenty cigarettes a day does not make you Danny-Zuko, and men can tell their friends that they are sticking to soft drinks for the time being without fear of being punished with six Jaegerbombs.
The younger generation is starting to distance themselves from the alcohol-soaked 90’s crew (of whom I was proudly a member!). The Stag Company believes we have to offer more options for our customers. Stag groups are now seeking alcohol-free options and inclusive ways to have fun with friends.
Boozy Stag dos
Many of our stag events still include alcohol. These include interactive Cocktail-Making Classes, Nightclub Booths with bottles on the tables, cocktail-making classes where you can make your cocktails, whisky tasting, beer tasting, gin tasting, and city center bar crawl. These activities are great fun and get rave reviews. They are also organized responsibly by trusted partners who share our mission of creating memorable weekends for our customers.
The events industry thrives on warm memories, cheeky antics, and general merriment created by group celebrations. We could write a very funny-but-slightly-inappropriate book about some of our customers’ hilarious, booze-fuelled stag antics over the years. We can all remember many amusing stories of drunken nights out. It’s okay to get your friends together and drink a few beers.
However, we have noticed a shift in groups’ desire to book evening entertainment and daytime activities that won’t lead to Kev vomiting into his lap on the ride home.
Stag parties are not limited to a few
To begin with, many of our Stag activities require that everyone be sober to participate. Attending a session at Axe-Throwing, Rifle Shooting is unacceptable while even a little drunk!
Many lads out there don’t want their weekends to be spent feeling miserable and have decided that cheating is not an option. These groups would prefer to organize a beautiful ride through the countryside to celebrate their prenuptial and then go out for a six-course tasting menu at the newest pop-up restaurant.
You may have some hardened drinkers among your guests, but society increasingly realizes that not everyone wants to drink excessively. Don’t worry! You can cater to both preferences if you choose the suitable activities – that’s where we come into play.
Stag parties without alcohol – UK destinations
Escape rooms are one of our most popular activities. They offer unique interactive experiences in some of the best locations in the UK. Pier Pressure in our hometown of Brighton is a popular choice. It offers themed games and provides the perfect way for different groups to bond while solving puzzles against time.
It’s A Knockout is a popular outdoor activity that always stays in style. This action-packed assault course features authentic props, costumes, and inflatables from the TV series. It’s available in many UK locations. The wacky challenges are unrivaled for their hilarious humor. This is a great way to get memorable stories you can tell for years.
Go-karting has been the Stag do tradition that keeps on giving. Team Sport has been our long-standing partner and has built multi-level indoor tracks in Brighton and Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, and Liverpool (to name a few). They’ve also recently invested in high-end electric karts to please guests and the planet.
Clay-Pigeon Shooting and Mud Buggies are other activities that have received positive customer feedback. You can enjoy quad biking, Rifle-Shooting, Clay-Pigeon Shooting, and Mud Buggies. And, of course, there’s Footgolf. With all these options, we can guarantee lots of laughter, healthy banter, and plenty of competitive jostling.
You can also explore the UK’s beautiful Welsh countryside by visiting Bounce Below in Snowdonia. There you will find caving and Zip World Velocity, which allows you to zip through the longest zip wire in Northern Hemisphere. You can also challenge your boys in Brighton to the Walk i360 adventure – walk across the famous glass viewing pod at 138m above the ground and take in the stunning views while you brave the elements.