Finish Dry January Strong with these Delicious Drinks and a Game of Pickleball

Yes, you can have fun out with friends without drinking alcohol, and you can stay fit too! Join the rest of the country in playing the fastest-growing sport in the nation, pickleball, instead of going out to a bar and spending another weekend day recovering from the night before.

CityPickle, along with the sport, is growing in popularity all across the city. With its Long Island City location home to New York City’s first indoor pickleball court, you can now play pickleball all yearlong and beat the snowy and cold outdoors. CityPickle’s LIC location offers brand new, state-of-the-art nets, paddles and equipment– and sure looks way better than any tennis court or gym we’ve been. A cute “CityPickle” in subway-mosaic tile lettering adorns a large wall that catches your eye as soon as you walk in– just as there’s a bar in the back that serves up all of the non-alcoholic (and also alcoholic for those who do want to drink!) cocktails you can ask for.

The Knockturnal recently visited the LIC flagship (a very short bike ride from the author’s native Astoria home) to celebrate CityPickle and pickleball as a perfect accompaniment to people taking on the Dry January challenge.

As the new year unfolds, many people seek out a fresh start and healthier lifestyle choices. And Dry January is no stranger to that movement, gaining much popularity as a month-long challenge that prompts poeple to reconsider their relationship with alcohol. It offers numerous health benefits, including improved sleep, enhanced mental clarity, and increased energy levels. And people love it, saying the break from alcohol gives them a reset buttton to start the year off with a clear mind.

You probably have a few friends who are attempting the challenge or you may be yourself! And oftentimes the challenge always comes down to one question: how do I hang out with friends without alcohol?

That’s a question Hilary Sheinbaum, author of The Dry Challenge and her newest book, A Journal for Bad Days, has answered countless times before, and she has plenty of advice: literally anything else.

Pickleball counts as one of those things. The Knockturnal joined Sheinbaum and several others interested in the sober-curious movement at CityPickle to play the nation’s fastest-growing sport and to have fun, all sans alcohol– and boy did we have fun.

Sheinbaum gave a speech about joining in on the Dry January challenge over four years ago, saying she and her friend were curious about it and wanted to challenge themselves– and each other. While her friend gave in during the month, Sheinbaum didn’t, and ended up participating in the Dry January again and again.

With CityPickle co-founders Mary Cannon and Erica Desai expressing their gratitude for everyone trying out pickleball, and with a hands-on training on how to play and best tips, we took to the courts. A few swings later, we were professionals and ready to tackle any pickleball that passed through our court.

And seriously, let this author be a pickleball convert because it is so much fun. Having grown up going to public school in Queens where our school trips involved trips to the U.S. Open because it was just a stone’s throw away, I thought tennis was where it’s at, and wow am I so wrong.

One of the most remarkable aspects of pickleball is its inclusivity. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a beginner looking for a new hobby, pickleball caters to all skill levels. The rules are straightforward, and the learning curve is gentle, making it easy for anyone to pick up a paddle and enjoy the game.

Often described as a fusion of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, pickleball offers a unique blend of fun, fitness, and social interaction– and that last part is what makes me consider giving up drinking for good if it means I get to play a quick game of pickleball. You won’t see me talking much during a tennis or ping pong game (not to mention the countless sports bars in the city with inadequate ping pong tables– rest assured CityPickle has all the space you need not to feel clustered), but you will see me chatting away between points in pickleball– probably about how much of a pickleball convert I’ve become.

It’s played in doubles and has a pretty low impact on the knees and joints– or if you’re a bit more competitive like me and the team I’ve played with, still a pretty low impact on the knees. It was super quick to learn, and that’s completely in part thanks to the great team at CityPickle walking us through the rules and making sure we understood why the rules were what they were. Most of all, it was super stress-free and relieving: it didn’t feel like I was playing a sport to get points or had too many rules to follow; instead, it was a sport I picked up quickly and enjoyed playing all night.

To keep us satiated during the gameplay, vegan dips, sliders and tacos were served as we served up aces on the court. Players could choose from a spicy guacamole, lemon and garlic hummus and a beet ricotta dip, and for something more filling, a falafel slider with a beyond perfectly acidic pickled red pepper jam, and crunchy fried cauliflower tacos.

Although we were bummed to call our games for the night, we walked out with one of the most well-designed and appealing totes I’ve seen, featuring the CityPickle logo before the strings of a paddle. In the tote was Sheinbaum’s newest book as well as a bottle of Gaia Herbs Elderberry Syrup, and Curious Elixir’s booze-free cocktails, including the cocounut pineapple painkiller and a spicy- stormy pineapple margarita. You might recognize the elderberry syrup as part of Gisele Bündchen’s favorite and new smoothie flavor that launched at Erewhon this week.

If you want to join in on the pickleball craze, have no fear since there are plenty of options to choose from. CityPickle’s other locations include a pop-up at Industry City, as well as its outdoor locations at Dilworth Park, Wollman Rink, Hudson Yards and Union Square as well as the TWA Hotel if you’re a fan of playing outdoors when the weather gets better.