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Mindful Drinking Goes Mainstream

The rise of the “sober-curious” movement, where folks actively explore reduced alcohol or teetotalism, is evident. Gen Zers spearhead this evolution, steering the conversation from cocktails to mocktails, as highlighted in the 2023 NCSolutions Consumer Sentiment Survey of 1,000 Americans. The embrace of this movement is palpable—25 percent of Americans are tuned into the sober curious wave. This surge in interest is more than a passing trend.

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 How to Practice Mindful Drinking

A term often attributed to author Rosamund Dean, who published a book of the same name in 2017, mindful drinking, unlike sobriety, does not call for the absence of alcohol entirely. Nor is it just about drinking less. (While, yes, fewer drinks usually go hand in hand with mindful drinking, a set numerical number doesn’t need to be involved.)Instead, it’s about finding a healthier relationship with alcohol. “It is a self-led strategy to drink or not drink alcohol in relation to your goals, health, or otherwise,” says Derek Brown, a bartender turned mindful drinking expert who is the author of Mindful Mixology and a NASM-certified wellness coach.

Articles of Interest

What is Mindful Drinking?

From Sober Curious to Mindful Drinking, it can all get a bit confusing if you're reducing or eliminating drinking alcohol––I designed a course on it, let me explain.

A Beginners Guide To Mindful Drinking

Drinking – or specifically not drinking – has experienced a real shift in recent years. Headline upon headline has declared the growing sobriety of millennials, who have been named "Generation Sober" and blamed for dragging down beer sales and even the demise of the pub. Official statistics show that in the UK, those aged 16-24 are less likely to drink than any other age group (although it is also noted that they are the most likely to binge), and teetotalism continues to rise.

Australians are embracing ‘mindful drinking’ — and the alcohol industry is also getting sober curious

Drinking or not drinking was once seen as binary: you were a drinker, or you were sober. But recent years has seen a rise of the “sober curious”, or the “mindful drinking” movement. This might mean pausing to consider your need to drink, or how much you will drink. Maybe replacing your midweek glass of wine or beers with a non-alcoholic alternative. It’s about stopping to ask yourself why you want to have a drink, and if each and every drink needs to be alcoholic.

Becoming a “mindful drinker” changed my life

The controversial term may be new, but the goal is the same: Drink less. And I do.

Forget the hangover, under-25s turn to mindful drinking

Forget pub crawls – increasing numbers of young people are replacing beer and wine with “mindful drinking” – where abstinence, not alcohol, is all the rage.

How To Be a Mindful Drinker

Perhaps the most visible indicator that people are looking to change their drinking habits is the popularity of dry January, a challenge where people abstain from drinking for the month.

How to Cut Down on Alcohol, Even If You Don’t Want to Quit Drinking

For many social drinkers like Jake, going sober isn’t necessarily what they want to do immediately – drinking occasionally might be a fun part of hanging out with their mates. But they also don’t want to get absolutely black-out or end up destroying their health. So is it possible to reach a happy medium? Probably not if you consider yourself an alcoholic – in which case going sober is probably your best course of action. But for everyone else? Here are some tips on cutting down.

I Tried ‘Mindful Drinking’ to See If I Can Have Fun Sober

“I do feel a sense of freedom from not drinking anymore, because it took up so much brain space,” said Laura Willoughby at London’s Mindful Drinking Festival, an event founded to suggest that you don’t need to be paralytic to have a good time. “It’s been the best decision of my life.”

Mindful Drinking Is the Ultimate Hangover Cure

Mindful drinking isn’t an entirely new concept. Last year, journalist Rosamund Dean wrote a book advocating a more thoughtful approach to alcohol consumption and low-to-no-alcohol movement Club Soda put on two Mindful Drinking festivals last year, due to high demand. There has also been a rise in teetotal bars across the UK, including Redemption in London, Brink Bar in Liverpool, and Nottingham’s Sobar.

So You Loved Dry January. Here’s How to Be Mindful About Drinking Year-Round

Whether you’re focused on moderation or full-on sobriety, these tips can help.

The ‘half-and-half method’ is the new way to try mindful drinking

Sober curiosity is undoubtedly on the rise, but for some people, giving up drinking alcohol completely isn't their goal – ‘mindful drinking’ is. In case you're unfamiliar, mindful drinking is the notion of being more aware of your alcohol consumption, and mindfully engaging with it rather than just drinking out of habit – or because of certain social pressures.

Trying to cut back on alcohol? Here’s what works

With everything going on over the past couple of years, many people have changed their drinking habits. We’ve seen an increased demand for support, suggesting more people are trying to cut back or quit. There are so many options for cutting back or quitting alcohol it’s hard to know what will be most effective.

What is mindful drinking and is it right for me?

You might have heard about mindful drinking, but what exactly does that mean? For those of you who choose to drink, we're sharing our top three tips to help you get to grips with more mindful drinking.

Why Gen Z Is Drinking Less

“It is becoming clear that, for whatever reasons, today’s younger generations are just less interested in alcohol and are more likely than older generations to see it as risky for their health and to participate in periods of abstinence like Dry January,” said National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism George F. Koob in a statement. There isn’t one clear reason for alcohol’s decline among Gen Z, but experts point to a variety of factors.

Why Is Everyone ‘Sober-ish’ All of a Sudden?

More people are entering the holidays with a mindful relationship with alcohol. It turns out this isn’t a total drag.

‘Mindful Drinking’ Is the Latest Health Craze. Here’s What It Is

These days, a chasm is widening in American culture: Binge drinking and alcohol dependency rates are higher than they’ve ever been, but, on the flip side, a growing number of individuals are drinking less, at least some of the time. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that the percentage of Americans who said they had used alcohol within the past month took a small but statistically significant decline between 2014 and 2015, the most recent year with available data.

‘Sober Curious’? How to Embrace Mindful Drinking

A growing moderation movement harnesses strategies from meditation to cut back on alcohol.

Resources

3 Steps to Start ‘Mindful Drinking’

First came “Dry January.” Now, it’s “Sober October.” If you want to participate without going alcohol-free, you might try “mindful drinking,” which means thinking deliberately about the alcohol you consume.

The Mindful Drinking Co.

Many people are trying to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink, recognizing the lasting effects it may have on our health, and seeking alternatives. Our goal is to empower you with good choices and provide you with a community where you can learn to be a mindful drinker. We want to ensure that you enjoy social occasions and feel comfortable in any setting regardless of what’s in your glass.