Sober-curious movement: Non-alcoholic drink options grow
ctvnews.ca
ctvnews.ca
At this point, I greatly prefer conversing over tea than over beer. It doesn't necessarily have to be about the tea, but people will naturally be curious. I couldn't recommend it more. It does require some knowledge of buying and serving high quality tea, both of which are pretty unknown in the West. I'm working on starting a importing/retailing business to share the love for that very reason.
I've been a long time tea drinker but had never thought about some alternate universe where everyone was up late in a different sort of setting. It was a small difference that turned out to not actually be small at all after all.
Obviously if people are drinking these because they just like the taste, that's fine, but I think most people have these because it lets them look like they are drinking.
It seems to me people who do drink, even if only occasionally, have a harder time justifying to themselves why they shouldn’t drink when the opportunity presents itself.
That says nothing about why they have trouble abstaining.
One element of it: teasing, judgement. Sometimes you fear those reactions to your decision so you pick the easy path and avoid that type of interaction. I know it sounds silly.
And you may also fear the broader possibilities when someone asks you why you are abstaining. Lots of people do.
I think a lot of it has to do with how you turn down a drink. I usually say, “No thanks,” or “I’m good, thanks,” and it rarely goes beyond that. When I hear people respond with, “I don’t drink,” or “I’m not drinking right now/tonight/this month,” that seems to invite discussion.
Everyone’s experiences are different though and I’m painting with a broad brush.
Otherwise - to your question, very circumstantial. Unsurprisingly, the more bro-like the setting, the higher the chance. I don’t surround myself with that environment constantly but it’s there from time to time.
My point is that it's not a big deal socially in my experience.
Singling yourself out in a group can be uncomfortable.
This idea partially drives the demand for "Death Water" where they're not really selling water, but rather, an aesthetic.
https://hoplark.com/collections/shop-all/products/green-tea-...
Bars sell a lot of $7 beer and $10 cocktails. Can you make money with tea or another replacement? If bars diminish... will there be another establishment that people go to? or, more likely I fear, everyone will just stay home.
Guinness NA is one that I legitimately savor and enjoy as much as the original.
The problem with both is when it’s time to settle up. My dumb addict brain wonders why I spent all that money for an oat soda with no buzz. Anyway, what a time to have alternatives.
This drives me insane. There are no sin taxes on nonalcoholic beer yet they charge the same or more at the retail point. There’s just more profit, which is ridiculous. If they want people to switch they shouldn’t gouge them for doing so.
Good shout though, not sure how widely known that is.
I do like the taste of some alcoholic drinks, but between the heartburn, losing my mind and the high amount of calories, that's very low appeal. I'll happily eat something tasty in exchange
My Mother recommended the rum or campari without alcohol, she loves them because they make you awake, and you can easily drink them during the day.
My setup is two corny kegs and a 5lb CO2 tank w/ regulator, in a chest freezer with a temp controller set to 1°C. I put everything in the basement under the kitchen and ran a line up.
I like an aggressive carbonation, so I set the regulator to 35 PSI. It takes a few days to carbonate, so I swap back and forth between the two kegs. It's a bit overkill, but its the only way I know to get chilled seltzer at the tap.
Other options:
- Buy a 5lb CO2 tank and a sodastream adapter. - Buy a 5lb CO2 tank, regulator, and a soda bottle adapter. You can carbonate 2-liter bottles and store them in the fridge. - Buy a homebrew kegging kit and just fill it with water.
Before you buy a CO2 tank, figure out where/how to get it refilled. I get mine at a welding supply store, and they only swap tanks, so I would be upset if I bought a nice new bottle and had to trade it for a beater.
I also use the CO2 for apple preservation, which can eat up a fair amount.
Also, in some places and times, moderate consumption of e.g. wine was/is believed to be healthful.
I've always wondered how this is a thing. Aren't most people sober more often than intoxicated? Shouldn't most people know what being sober is like, at least from their childhood? Maybe the terminology is just odd to me.
This probably depends on your location, but that it very much not most people in the UK. Drinking alcohol almost everyday would be considered normal here. And a lot of socialising is organised around pubs where it is customary to drink alcohol. So for many people, it may have been a long time since they have gone weeks without drinking alcohol. And they may be curious about what it is like.
Of course, not everyone drinks this much (or at all), but perhaps it gives you an idea of the sort of context in which being "sober curious" make sense as a concept.