Your sober-curious starter kit
Ready to rethink your relationship with alcohol? Explore this collection of resources to guide you through Sober(ish) October and beyond!
Okay I have to come clean right away: I was never sober-curious. I drank, then I stopped drinking, and that was about it. During the twenty years I spent drinking, it never occurred to me to moderate, or even consider giving up alcohol - aside from a couple of Dry January “challenges” I did with friends. I believed the only reason to quit drinking was if you were a full-blown addict who’d hit rock bottom and needed to attend AA meetings in a brightly lit church basement to atone for your sins. Even though drinking certainly caused me some problems, I never considered it to be a problem.
However, over the last two years since quitting drinking and immersing myself in the non-alc industry and sober-curious space, I’ve been incredibly excited about the abundance of resources available for people that are re-evaluating their relationship with alcohol, whether they simply want to be more mindful drinkers or quit entirely.
As we head into Sober(ish) October, I’m excited to share some of my favorite resources with you, whether it’s books, podcasts, apps, drinks, or recommendations for great zero-proof options in NYC. I tried to limit each section to just a handful of options to make the choice less overwhelming, but if you browse my Substack and Instagram you’ll likely find even more recommendations.
Books & podcasts
Books
Going Dry by Hilary Sheinbaum: Just like Hilary’s first book, The Dry Challenge, Going Dry is a wonderful hands-on workbook featuring six chapters of exercises and activities around cutting back on alcohol while having fun.
Dry Humping by Tawny Lara: A lighthearted and inclusive book about navigating dating and relationships without the “liquid courage”.
Quit Like A Woman by Holly Withaker: One of the most popular “quit lit” books tells the author’s personal story while highlighting how society and marketing play into our relationship with alcohol.
Sober Curious by Ruby Warrington: The book that coined the term “sober curious” is a well researched and relatable guide to, well, being sober curious!
Podcasts
no proof: I truly love Josh Gandee’s no proof podcast. It’s a thoughtful crossover between personal stories and insights into the industry from non-alc and hospitality professionals.
A Sober Girls Guide: A podcast that’s a great mix of personal stories and interviews, covering everything from “hot mess stories” to how alcohol affects your hormones.
The Sober Butterfly: Nadine aka “The Sober Butterfly” is one of the sharpest people I know. Her podcast interviews are carefully researched and offer empathetic insights into both her own and her guests' sobriety journeys.
More Than Sobriety: I really appreciate Meg’s thoughtful approach to her conversations about her own sobriety from alcohol, and her journey to saying goodbye to THC.
Social media, apps & online communities
Social media
@positivedamageinc: Derek Brown is one of the coolest people I know. He’s a hospitality professional, mixologist, cocktail book author, sober sommelier, and podcaster with a nuanced approach to mindful drinking.
@drbrookescheller: Dr Brooke is a great resource for all things health, nutrition, and alcohol related. Her advice for dealing with sugar cravings helped me through the first few months after I quit drinking.
@noboozebabes: Shea is a lovely NYC based actor and content creator who openly talks about her sobriety and offers glimpses into her fun, alcohol-free life.
@tawnymlara: Multi-talented author and entrepreneur Tawny aka The Sober Sexpert shares a ton of content about sobriety, dating, and her newest venture, an alcohol-free botanical beverage.
@zeroproofnation: Laura is the go-to resource for all things non-alc. Follow her for drink recommendations, brand highlights, and events nationwide!
@youdonthavetodrink: Just like with her podcast, I really enjoy Meg’s balanced approach to talking about sobriety.
Online communities
Sober Black Girl’s Club: One of the OG sobriety communities, SBGC hosts several weekly Zoom meetings, welcoming all Black folks practicing sobriety, in recovery or contemplating it.
Ben’s Friends: This community is aimed specifically at hospitality industry professionals. They host daily support meetings via Zoom as well as in-person meetings in NYC and other major cities.
The Phoenix: The Phoenix is a “sober active community” with chapters all over the US offering virtual and in-person events. Check out their events page and filter for “Livestream” to find online events.
Hypegirl Healing: Hypegirl Jamie is based in San Diego and hosts free weekly online meet-ups as well as a subscription-based chat community.
Apps
Sunnyside: Sunnyside is a “mindful drinking app” that goes way beyond counting days. It lets you set drinking goals for the week, sends you regular text message check-ins, and even offers support through in-person chats. On top of that, there’s a whole community behind it of people sharing their experience and cheering each other on.
Reframe: Similar to Sunnyside, Reframe is a mobile app that lets you track your drink intake and offers courses and challenge to work on your mindset.
Loosid: This app focuses specifically on the community aspect of mindful drinking by curating various chat and support groups designed to give you a sense of community. (Side note, their Sobriety and Addiction Mentor, a premium feature, is nicknamed SAM).
Non-alcoholic drinks
Check out this article about my go-to drink orders at bars when the non-alcoholic menu falls short.
Wine lover or beer fan? There’s some great non-alcoholic wines and beers out there that I wrote about!
Anyone looking to make their own zero-proof cocktails at home can use my non-alcoholic cocktail starter kit as a handy guide for simple mixed drinks!
Curious about what functional non-alcoholic drinks can do for you? Check out my post about functional NA beverages here.
If you’re wondering where to buy these drinks, check out Zero Proof Nation’s global map of NA businesses and bottle shops!
And if you’re based in NYC, make sure to stop by at Spirited Away in Soho or Minus Moonshine in Prospect Heights to stock up on your favorite non-alcoholic drinks at these fully non-alcoholic bottle shops. See more info about the shops in the NYC section below!
NYC recommendations
Want to hang out or meet friends in an alcohol-free environment? Stop by at one of New York City’s four completely non-alcoholic bars (and anti-bars)!
Bar-hop in the West Village and discover some of my favorite spots for zero-proof cocktails.
Or maybe check out this list of my favorite date spots for non-alcoholic drinks across different neighborhoods in the city.
If you’re in the mood for something more low key, here’s an article about some lovely tea houses that are open late.
Make sure to stop by at Spirited Away in Soho or Minus Moonshine in Prospect Heights to stock up on your favorite non-alcoholic drinks at these fully non-alcoholic bottle shops. Both shops also offer local same-day delivery, and Minus Moonshine even ships nationwide! They usually have free tastings on the weekend too, so you can sip on some samples while chatting with the owners of some excellent non-alcoholic drinks brands.
As mentioned above, The Phoenix and Ben’s Friends are welcoming communities with chapters and regular meetings in NYC. The NYC chapter of The Phoenix is a lovely and supportive group of folks that host free activity-based events such as workouts, runs, climbing, breath work, and social events - all free, the only requirement is 48 hours of sobriety (honor system).
ANTI HANGOVER DRINKING CLUB is a newsletter & blog by Sam Bail, the founder of Third Place Bar NYC. I host regular alcohol-free social events and share my favorite zero-proof recommendations with you.
Great resource!
Yes resources!!!!