What Dry January looks like in the wine town of Walla Walla

The Thief, a bottle shop in Walla Walla, often hosts tastings. 

But this week’s was unique, because the rosé, the white and even the espresso martini were alcohol free.

Thanks to Dry January — and the Surgeon General’s latest advisory linking alcohol and cancer risk — giving up booze is all the buzz. Between 2023 and 2024, nonalcoholic drink sales rose by 31% in the U.S., according to Nielsen IQ, a marketing research firm.

The movement has even taken hold in Walla Walla, a town that’s most famous for its wine. 

At The Thief’s recent tasting, Cia Cortinas Rood sat at the bar with some friends. She’s a third grade teacher who used to work in the wine industry. 

In 2021, Cortinas Rood was turning away from drinking. To hold herself accountable, she started a blog called Zero Proof Walla Walla, which she’s since turned into pages on Facebook and Instagram. Back then, Cortinas Rood said only a handful of local restaurants and wineries had mocktails or nonalcoholic wine or beer.

Six nonalcoholic drinks were available at a recent tasting at The Thief in Walla Walla. (Credit: Susan Shain / NWPB)

As she built a community around the alcohol-free lifestyle, she asked her industry friends to start carrying more zero-proof choices. 

“I’ve been blown away by the growth — I mean, it exploded,” Cortinas Rood said. “If you don’t have elevated alcohol-free options, you’re kind of the person on the outside now.” 

That proliferation reflects the nation as a whole. IWSR, a global beverage analytics company, found that 13% of U.S. drinkers consumed both full strength and alcohol-free products in April 2024, nearly double the percentage from a year earlier. 

Nadine Stecklein, who lives in College Place, is one of those people. When she’s out to dinner, she’ll sometimes order zero-proof drinks if she doesn’t want to feel the effects of alcohol the next day. She attended The Thief’s N/A tasting to support Cortinas Rood, a friend of hers — and also to find more beverages to serve at her upcoming Super Bowl party. 

“It’s fun to have fun drinks,” Stecklein said. “ And I want everyone to have fun.” 

The Thief started carrying alcohol-free beers and wines around five years ago, according to employee Matt Munneke. It now has a dedicated N/A section with dozens of products.  

Though Munneke said the shop’s nonalcoholic drinks are most popular in January, he’s seen some people return throughout the year to buy N/A options mid-week and alcoholic options on the weekends.

“We’ve really started to embrace it more,”  Munneke said. “It’s certainly a nice thing to add to the community.”

The Thief’s N/A section has grown in recent years. (Credit: Susan Shain / NWPB)

Within the first hour of The Thief’s N/A tasting, roughly a dozen people paid $15 to try six different drinks. 

It was the first time Patti Magers, of Walla Walla, had been to an alcohol-free tasting. “I sometimes order a ginger beer when I go to a restaurant,” said Magers, who drinks alcohol too. “I’m just trying to explore what some of the options might be.” 

While it might be surprising that a wine town is so open to zero-proof drinks, Cortinas Rood thinks the movement is actually a boon to the industry. She pointed out that sober drivers, for example, can now feel included when they visit a winery — as can pregnant people, or people who just want a break after several tastings in a row. 

“ I don’t think one has to be at the expense of another,” she said. “There is room for everyone to be able to go out and have a great time when people have options.”