The idea that problematic drinking can be assessed on a curve is more than an observation, it’s medical science. Alcohol use disorder encompasses a spectrum ranging from mild to severe, explains Dr George Koob, director of the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Yet given the intensity of her own struggle to get sober, McKowen can’t help but feel skeptical of influencer accounts that make quitting alcohol “seem like an Instagram filter”. Delage was a young, beautiful, Parisian Instagram it-girl with more than 100,000 followers at her peak, continually posting photos of herself at rooftop parties or aboard yachts in late summer, hair tousled, and always, always, with a drink in hand. This story has been updated to clarify details of Nymphaea’s business operation and to correct a misinterpretation of a study regarding alcohol and the gender gap.
The rise of new social spaces
Image-conscious young professionals want zero-proof drinks that can be consumed at happy hours or workplace gatherings without looking like subpar experiences. Heineken chose to keep its traditional green bottle and label to show the 0.0 drink was the same taste as the full-strength beer. O’Doul’s took a different approach and redesigned its packaging from the 1990s version to feature a graphic by a millennial artist. The highly Instagrammable label brought renewed attention to the brand, which some previously considered passé, according to a report by Fast Company. In both cases, the manufacturers made a product that consumers would want to be seen experiencing. What makes the sober curious movement so unique — and effective — is the fact that people simply go off of how they feel, rather than putting themselves in a restrictive box.
Here’s Why So Many Women Are Identifying As “Sober Curious”
Podcasts and meetups have also emerged, allowing the sober curious to tune in if their areas don’t offer events or to locate conscious gathering spots nearby. Alcohol plays a dominating role in American social, political, and economic life — particularly for urban professionals, getting drinks can be as important a form of social currency as it was in college. But the odds are getting higher that liquor stores, bars, and restaurants will start to offer something different — nonalcoholic custom cocktails and brand-name beverages. The gap in drinking behavior between men and women has practically disappeared, according to a study in the journal BMJ Open.
The rise of the sober curious: having it all, without alcohol
Whether it’s to see in the weekend or to unwind after work, a couple of drinks at the end of a hard day is the norm for many of us. Alcohol is very much part and parcel of a night out and, while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, the slippery slope where a glass or two transitions into a bottle or more can easily become a routine occurrence. Switching onto autopilot when it comes to alcohol is common and can throw mind, body and budget out of balance. However, a new mindful drinking movement that’s picking up pace looks set to turn age-old drinking habits on their head.
Warrington said sober curiosity surprisingly didn’t come at a social or physical loss, though. She said in the years since her last drink, she’s felt healthier than ever, with better sleep, acute focus at work and deeper intimacy in all her relationships. Good described herself as a party girl who’d never gone to a wedding sober. Now, she still enjoys and drinks wine sometimes, but she’s also trying out new yoga studios sober curious and dinner dates with friends, choosing which new restaurants to visit based on their zero-proof beverage menus. In the case of Heineken and O’Doul’s, the focus was on the appearance of drinking a zero-proof product.
- The same study found the ratio of men to women consuming alcohol, drinking in a way that’s problematic and potentially experiencing alcohol-related harm decreased significantly by the late 1900s.
- Imagine a crowd gathered on the floor for events with titles like “Sobriety and Entrepreneurship” or “Psychedelics and Sobriety.” These are set in trendy hotels, WeWorks, and restaurants, and some come at no cost.
- The cost of fancy elixirs and spirit-frees far outstrips that of a bottle of three-buck Chuck a group can share while watching reality television.
- As more people apply a wellness-oriented mindset to more parts of their lives, alcohol consumption is also changing — and businesses are reacting.
So if you’ve been feeling pretty “blah” thanks to all that alcohol you don’t need — and might not event want — consider giving the sober curious movement a try. Abstaining from drinking may be trendy for some, but for the one in eight Americans who have alcoholism, it can mean life or death. Most trends turn over quickly, but drinking – from mimosas at brunch to post-work beers – has always been portrayed as the ultimate way to have a good time . Delage may have been a fabrication, but the fact that the campaign was so successful (it won 17 Lions at Cannes in 2017) had much to do with just how closely she resembled the real influencers whose cocktail-filled lives many follow and covet.
A Few Questions To Ask Yourself The Next Time You Want A Drink
As more people apply a wellness-oriented mindset to more parts of their lives, alcohol consumption is also changing — and businesses are reacting. According a report by Bon Appétit, the market for low- to zero-alcohol beverages is expected to grow by 32 percent between 2018 and 2022. This means you’re likely to hear a lot more about sober curiosity from roommates, friends, and alcohol brands.
- Liquor licenses in Chicago, for example, cost more than $5,000, and in California, a license costs more than $13,000.
- Interestingly also, the mindfulness group saw significantly bigger benefits compared to the group that were just given relaxation techniques to help them feel calmer and more in control of the situation.
- Sober influencers and projects like sober curious will never be alternatives to seeking medical help for addiction.
- In her recent book, Sober Curious, Warrington says reduced alcohol intake“is the next logical step in the wellness revolution”, underscoring the absurdity of a day filled with yoga and greens being followed by a night of pummeling one’s liver at the bar.
- But the movement is attempting to create new social spaces rather than closing them off.
- From cutting back periodically to complete alcohol abstinence, there are varying degrees, but the common threads are an interest to embrace sobriety in one form or another and a thirst to question not just how much we drink, but why.
The bright pink drink contains spiced clementine, Seedlip Spice 94 (a distilled nonalcoholic spirit), pineapple, ginger beer, and Sober living home lemon with an edible orchid garnish. Given that one ounce of Seedlip costs $1, Mor said the price reflects the quality of ingredients incorporated in the drink. Like an elixir, spirit-free drinks are meant to maintain, rather than dilute, the brain and body’s performance. Businesses like Cindy’s, which have alcoholic and nonalcoholic menus, can reach even more patrons with fewer marginal costs.
Wellness also isn’t the same as sobriety, which is a real, difficult, lifelong choice that people with addiction make every day. Warrington echoed this sentiment, noting that sober curiosity is not for people with alcoholism, who should seek treatment through therapy and rehabilitation. For frequent drinkers, she added, cutting out alcohol cold turkey can also increase feelings of vulnerability in social situations. Being sober curious isn’t a recovery method, and experts actually discourage people in rehab from drinking nonalcoholic beers. “If sobriety turns into a trend where people are more sober than not, our health costs in this country will also go down dramatically, so that will be a good thing,” she adds.