According to surveys and Google Trends, "Dry January" – a commitment to not drink alcohol for the month – has unprecedented participation in 2025. Brooke Shawver, the general manager of Canni Hemp Co., 610 S. 5th St., says she's seen a rise in popularity since after the Covid shutdown.
"Dry January has always been big for us, but in recent years it's become even bigger," says Shawver.
Shawver attributes this to a recent cultural shift in Wisconsin that has made abstaining from alcohol more socially acceptable. Especially now that there are so many other options for mildly altering beverages at places like Canni (pronounced: "Can-I.")
"A lot more people are sober curious. They don't want to necessarily give up alcohol, they just want to be more mindful of it or assure themselves they don't need it," says Shawver. "At the end of the day, we all know alcohol is not good for us."
Canni has a liquor license, so full-octane drinks are available. Cafe/bar manager Moonie Swaser designed all of the concoctions to be versatile, meaning they can be ordered with alcohol, zero-proof alcohol, no alcohol and/or infused with botanicals like hemp-derived THC, full-spectrum CBD, kana, kava or functional mushrooms. For example, a customer can order the "OJ & Kush" that comes standard with orange juice, vanilla and seltzer, but can add booze or an infusion if they want to.
Other available winter drinks include a Dupey Loopy (stone fruit, lemonade, cranberry, Bourbon/NA Bourbon), Mr. Milwaukee Margarita (pomegranate, lime, mint, Tequila or Mezcal optional), Royale (lavender, lemon, gin/NA gin), Cowboy Latte (praline, white chocolate, cinnamon, caramel, whiskey/NA whiskey), Elderberry Hot Chocolate (elderberry, dark chocolate, milk of choice) and many more. Swaser will soon add special drinks for Valentine's Day and is in the process of creating a spring/summer menu.
"Our best-selling cocktail is the Desert Dream, made with prickly pear, lemon-lime soda and lemonade," says Swaser. "It's delicious as is, but also very good with spirits. Our whiskey coffee can be made with NA whiskey and, either way, it really warms up the chest."
Colin Plant opened Canni in 2018 and, at the time, it was the only specialty hemp shop in Milwaukee. Canni is a place to shop, hang out, celebrate and work, as many were doing when we stopped in on a recent Wednesday afternoon.
Aside from the bar and cafe, Canni sells a wide range of legal cannabis, fungi and other plant-based products including tinctures/oils, smokables, vaping products, edibles, cold brew coffee, health and beauty products, apparel and more.
Canni hosts live music, trivia and experience nights like the popular "Paint & Smoke." This Saturday, Jan. 25, "Zero Proof: A Dry January Groove" will take place from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. DJs Abstract, Megadon and Plant will keep the party going.
"Canni provides healthier options so people can still feel good, have fun and elevate in their own way," says Shawver.
Canni is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. Follow Canni on Instagram and Facebook to stay apprised of events.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
