My Complicated Relationship with Alcohol
I’ve never been much of a drinker, so Dry January doesn’t mean much to me. But it does get me thinking about why I drink at all. Truthfully, my story with alcohol starts like many others – with religious roots. I grew up in an evangelical Christian home where alcohol was never seen as sinful, but my parents simply didn’t drink. Being the rule-follower that I am, I didn’t touch a drop until I was 20 years old… in Europe, that is.
Once I hit 21 in the US, I started drinking responsibly. But I also realized I was drinking intentionally – to push back against the broader religious norms about alcohol. For many of us, our views on alcohol are deeply rooted in our faith. While most Muslims don’t drink, and evangelical Christians often consider it morally wrong, other Christian denominations use wine in their religious services. Heck, even Jesus turned water into wine at a Jewish wedding!
So in a way, my drinking was a deliberate , albeit subconscious, statement. I wanted to show the world that Christians aren’t all hard-noses about alcohol, and I wanted to prove to other Christians that you can follow Jesus and still enjoy a gin and tonic with dinner.
The High (and Low) Costs of Drinking
As I’ve gotten older, though, I find myself drinking less and less. The once-a-week glass of wine has become once a month… or once every couple of months, if I’m being honest. And this Dry January, I’m really reflecting on why.
The first reason is simply that alcohol is expensive. In 2022, Americans spent an average of $204 per person on drinks in bars and restaurants, and another $113 and $104 per person on wine and beer at home, respectively. That’s a lot of dough! And when you factor in student loan debt, the crippling housing market, and the overall financial hardship facing younger generations, those bar tabs start to feel like a luxury we can’t really afford.
A personal essay I read showed that the author saved $350 during her Dry January, and a friend of hers saved more than $16,500 in the first two years of going completely sober. Frankly, life is expensive enough without alcohol – maybe it’s time to reconsider that next happy hour.
But the cost of drinking goes beyond just our wallets. Alcohol is also really bad for us. It has direct and indirect negative impacts on our health, from hurting our livers and hearts to increasing the risk of many cancers. It’s also just empty calories. And indirectly, it can lead to injuries, violence, and relational conflicts through cognitive impairment and drunken driving.
Perhaps Americans who misuse alcohol should lose the license to drink. Just a thought.
Dry January participants report significant health benefits like weight loss, better sleep, and increased productivity. And a University of Sussex study found that more than three-quarters of participants also noted a better relationship with alcohol overall. So there seem to be real, tangible benefits to cutting back – or cutting it out entirely.
Alcohol’s Stranglehold on American Culture
The last thing I wrestle with is how ingrained alcohol is in American society. We commit to Dry January to prove we can do it, that we don’t need alcohol… but then we go right back to it on February 1st. It’s a habit. Over 60% of Americans drink, with high earners and college graduates drinking the most. And let’s not forget about “mommy wine culture” – it pushes the narrative that women can’t survive motherhood without a glass (or bottle) of chardonnay.
We drink to feel good and to fit in. It’s the American way of having a good time. We toast the new year with a glass of bubbly, we spike around the Super Bowl, and we use alcohol as social glue. But what’s concerning is that we know how dependency works. Alcohol can easily be abused, leading to addiction and alcoholism. Maybe we need to add a few drops of caution to that cocktail shaker.
The Rise of Sober Curious and Alcohol-Free Mixology
Thankfully, drinking less is having a moment. Terms like “sober curious” are catching on, and the mocktail scene is hotter than ever. There are now alcohol-free bars and liquor stores, and brands of non-alcoholic spirits are even getting celebrity endorsements.
Vogue Singapore calls it the “undisputed fashion authority that empowers and inspires through elevated imagery and intelligent stories to drive change for good.” And Make It Grateful reports that the sobriety movement has taken hold in Singapore and around the world, prompting one writer to re-examine her relationship with her favorite poison and open a door to the limitless world of alcohol-free cocktails.
Look no further than The Up and Under Pub, where they proudly showcase their zero-proof menu alongside their full-proof and half-proof cocktails. Their beverage director, Mario la Pietra, says: “Our zero-proof drinks go through the same creative process as the rest of our cocktails – they must truly stand out to earn a spot on our menu. There’s no rocket science behind them; we simply aim to create a tasty beverage that, when possible, replicates the flavor profile of a classic alcoholic cocktail.”
One of their bestsellers is called No Kaze, a non-alcoholic tipple made with Lyre’s London dry spirit, blood orange, and elderflower tonic water. “It’s like alcohol-free gin,” la Pietra says. And they don’t hide their alcohol-free creations at the bottom of the menu – they list them proudly alongside the rest.
Sober Celebs Leading the Charge
But The Up and Under Pub isn’t the only one embracing the sober curious movement. In Hong Kong, Coa – which has held its position as Asia’s best bar for three years running – is owned and operated by a teetotaler bartender named Jay Khan.
“A bartender who doesn’t drink? The jokes write themselves,” Khan laughs. But his reasons for remaining alcohol-free are compelling. As he reflected on his drinking habits during the pandemic, he realized cutting out alcohol was an easy and effective way to move towards a healthier lifestyle. And as he got older and had a family of his own, his priorities shifted.
“I derive more joy out of deep conversations, and I don’t need to have fun just by drinking,” he explains. “When I’m at work, isn’t it better that I stay sober so that I can be fully aware of what’s happening in my bar?”
Khan’s new bar, The Savoury Project, even has a focus on using ingredients like meat and fungi to create complex, earthy and umami-forward cocktails – both with and without alcohol. “We put an equal emphasis on non-alcoholic cocktails at The Savoury Project. I’m thinking about people like me who don’t drink. They still want to go out, socialize with their friends, and have fun. We are doing what we can to enhance that experience for them.”
And Khan isn’t the only celebrity leading the sober curious charge. Models like Bella Hadid have been open about their struggles with alcohol-induced anxiety, and have found sobriety to be liberating. Hadid is even the co-founder of a line of non-alcoholic beverages called Kin Euphorics, infused with adaptogens and nootropics for “general wellness enhancements.”
The Future of Alcohol-Free Mixology
The temperance trend has caught on in the fine-dining space too, where wine pairings and top-shelf spirits are often seen as necessary accompaniments to a stellar meal. As curiosity and acceptance around the sobriety movement grow, chefs and mixologists have begun to embrace non-alcoholic beverage programs crafted with the same thought and complexity as regular wine pairings.
Take Marguerite, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Singapore, for example. Their unique temperance menu features fermented jun teas and clarified juices. If you were to opt for a non-alcoholic pairing in place of chardonnay, you’d get a “deliciously zesty concoction made from caramelized Gala apples and verjuice cooked with celeriac, then clarified and infused with oak.” A far cry from the stereotypical mocktail, this is a drink that reflects the complexity of wine.
So whether you’re a celebrity struggling with the pitfalls of alcohol or simply a curious imbiber looking to cut back, the world of alcohol-free mixology has never been more exciting. The ritual of going out and having a good time with a delicious drink in hand is a sacred thing – and now, sober folk can indulge in that experience too. Cheers to that!
