The Rise of Sober Curiosity: Holistic Alternatives to Alcohol
We live in a world where addiction is normalized. We wake up and go straight for the coffee, not yet ready to start our day until we’ve been adequately caffeinated. Then, we work tirelessly to be the best employee or make the most money. To cope with the stresses of work and life, we head to happy hour, drinking until the stress is drowned out and the negative emotions are numbed. Drinking to excess has become a silent addiction in the lives of many individuals.
Alcohol is something that is constantly marketed towards us, brainwashing society into believing it isn’t harmful to our minds and bodies. Television, social media, and other advertising platforms are often overrun with ads that portray alcohol as a necessity to having a good time. Such a large part of socializing includes a ritual of drinking alcohol to ease nerves and social anxieties. In college-aged people, we see excessive patterns of binge drinking culture.
However, younger generations tend to be more and more progressive. With an ever-expanding mindset comes the realization that alcohol is not as good for us, or as necessary as its marketing would have us believe. Additionally, advertisements for supplements preventing a hangover, or compression headbands for relieving a hangover further encourages drinking culture and abusing alcohol. Rather than continuing to ingest harmful substances and fall for yet another marketing tactic, people are waking up to the realization that it may be better to stop drinking altogether.
But why stop there when we could also put better things in our bodies?
Sober curiosity is a concept that is gaining popularity within mindfulness as well as holistic communities. It’s defined as anything from questioning one's relationship with alcohol, replacing alcohol from time to time with better alternatives, or even wanting to cut it out completely. This curiosity typically stems from realizing how harmful alcohol can be. Many individuals on the wave of sober curiosity are leaning towards holistic alternatives to further better themselves rather than simply just eliminating alcohol.
An adaptogen is a natural substance that can benefit both body and mind, and tend to eliminate stress and boost mood. Some common examples of adaptogens are Ashwagandha, Lion’s Mane, and Rhodiola Rosea. Often paired with adaptogens are Nootropics, otherwise known as cognitive enhancers. One of the most common nootropics is L-Theanine (an amino acid derived from tea leaves). Not only do these substances do wonders for the mind, but they are also known to offer physical support such as strengthening the immune system.
Rather than simply cutting out alcohol or replacing it with a mocktail, many are opting for holistic alternatives like adaptogens and nootropics. These holistic alternatives are usually offered as beverages. Because drinking in social situations is so ritualistic, this can be a great way to still have that ritual take place.
With the concept of a sober or semi-sober lifestyle becoming more popular, we are seeing more retailers pop up that are providing these holistic alternatives. One of these retailers is Boisson, a non-alcoholic specialty shop with locations across New York City. As someone who is interested in a semi-sober lifestyle myself, I remember being so excited to stumble across Boisson.
The first time I discovered Boission was when I was walking through the Upper West Side, where the specialty shop caught my eye. Though I have an interest in a semi-alcohol free lifestyle, the main event to me is replacing alcohol with substances that are good for me. Boisson is where I discovered these.
As I stepped into the booze-free shop, I was met with Frank, the general manager. Frank was an energetic beam of light who was eager to guide me into the world of functional beverages. At this point in time I had only tried Kin Euphorics, a brand I was fond of for their adaptogenic beverages containing substances such as L-Theanine, 5-HTP, GABA, and so much more. When I had previously tried Kin in the past, I fell in love with the naturally euphoric feeling without crashing down into a hangover the next day. So when I came across Boisson, I was excited to delve into this world even further as this store was the first of its kind that I had discovered.
With Frank as my guide, I learned that the most common ingredients in functional beverages are ashwagandha and valerian root, both known for their calming effects that can soothe stress and do wonders in situations that may induce social anxiety.
Frank revealed that only 30% of the customers shopping at the zero-proof spirits shop have fully cut out alcohol. The majority of the clientele (70%) still consume alcohol. “I think everyone needs a way to cope with life, and the most common vice is alcohol. It’s still ingrained in our society even if people see the downsides and want to change,” Frank comments. “It will take a while for people to fully commit.”
While many people aren’t fully ready to commit, they are still choosing to take a step in the right direction. The majority of clientele are on the younger side (35 and below) and are mainly focused on self improvement.
“I've noticed that the young people coming into the shop are talking more about how they want to better themselves, but when I was young we just wanted to get wasted,” he says. “Social standards are changing and young people are different these days.”
Wellness culture has become so big nowadays; people are always looking for a way to better themselves, especially with alcohol. Whether someone needs to quit drinking for good or just wants to lighten their intake, adaptogen drinks are the way to go. With shops like Boisson, functional beverages are becoming more and more available. As sober-curiosity continues to spread there will also be many more non-alcoholic bars opening up.
Regardless of your own vices, wellness culture is here to stay, and so is sober-curiosity.