What is "Sober-curious"?

After trying a few zero and low-alcohol beers at the beginning of 2024, something I had previously said I would never do, I became interested in the growing sober-curious movement.

“Sober curious” describes the decision to question your relationship with alcohol rather than automatically drinking because it is Friday night, because everyone else is having one, or simply because that is what you have always done. It does not necessarily mean giving up alcohol permanently, and it is not the same as being in recovery from alcohol dependence. For many people, it is about becoming more deliberate: drinking when they genuinely want to, drinking less often, choosing lower-strength options, or taking regular breaks.

Not a bad approach to alcohol consumption at all. 

As somebody who reviews beer, I used to drink alcohol on most days, largely because there was always another beer waiting to be reviewed. Beer is not only something I drink; it is also a hobby. I enjoy the flavours, the different styles and the simple pleasure of finding something new. Giving it up altogether was never really my aim, but concerns around my weight and sleep made me curious about what would happen if I drank less often.

I realised that my weight had got out of hand while my wife and I were away for New Year’s Eve. The moment that really brought it home was discovering that I needed one of those little button extenders on my jeans. It was difficult to ignore after that. I tried Dry January, experimented with alcohol-free beers and later completed another two-week period without alcohol. That was enough to make me think more carefully about why people become sober curious, even when they have no intention of becoming permanently teetotal.

Wanting better sleep

Sleep is one of the most common reasons people decide to reduce their alcohol intake. A drink can make you feel sleepy at first, but that does not always mean you will sleep well. Some people wake during the night, feel restless, snore more heavily or start the next day feeling as though they have not properly recovered.

Sleep was certainly part of my own motivation. Apparently, I snore more after a few drinks, although I am relying on my wife’s evidence for that one! Even when I have not drunk enough to feel hungover, I can sometimes tell the difference the next morning. That is the sort of small, everyday effect that sober curiosity encourages people to notice.

Trying to manage weight

Weight loss was another reason I became curious, but it is important not to oversimplify this. Stopping drinking alcohol does not automatically make somebody lose weight. Weight loss still depends on consuming fewer calories than the body uses over time.

I generally stay within a sensible daily calorie target even when I have a beer or two. If somebody can include beer within a calorie deficit, they can still lose weight. Equally, a person could stop drinking but replace those calories with sweets, takeaways or larger meals and see little change.

Alcohol can, however, make weight management more difficult in less obvious ways. It lowers inhibitions, so the sensible plan to have one drink and no snacks can quickly become two drinks, crisps, nuts and whatever else is within reach. The beer itself may fit within the day’s calories, but the food eaten alongside it might not. For some people, drinking less removes both the alcohol calories and the temptation to raid the cupboard later.

Wanting more energy and clearer mornings

Not everybody who drinks regularly suffers dramatic hangovers. I have had evenings when I have had quite a lot to drink and could still get up early the next morning to see to the dog and get on with the usual chores. Sometimes the effect is subtler: a slower start, reduced concentration, less enthusiasm for exercise or a general feeling of being slightly below your best.

A week or two without drinking gives people something to compare against. They may feel sharper and more productive, or they may find the difference is smaller than expected. Either result is useful because it is based on their own experience rather than somebody else’s rules.

Breaking an automatic habit

For many people, drinking is linked to routine rather than a conscious decision. They open a bottle while cooking, pour a glass of wine after work or buy beer for the weekend without really asking whether they fancy it.

Sober curiosity interrupts that pattern. Instead of asking, “What am I drinking tonight?”, the question becomes, “Do I actually want a drink tonight?” That is a small change, but probably one of the most useful parts of the movement.

I found this especially interesting as a beer reviewer. There is always another beer waiting to be tried, and it would be easy for reviewing to turn every evening into a drinking occasion. I would rather drink a beer because I am interested in it than because it happens to be sitting in the fridge.

I accidentally broke my own cycle of drinking every day while I was on holiday. I had forgotten to take my microphone with me and, after an initial moment of disappointment, felt strangely released from the idea that I needed to drink and review a beer every evening. Instead, I simply had a cold beer when I genuinely fancied one.

That two-week holiday was enough to break the “need to review and drink every day” habit. As a general rule, I now drink and review beers over the weekend rather than treating every day as another opportunity to produce a review.

Curiosity about alcohol-free and lower-strength beer

The improvement in alcohol-free beer has made sober curiosity easier. People no longer have to choose between an alcoholic drink and something that feels completely unrelated to the occasion. There are now alcohol-free lagers, pale ales, stouts, wheat beers and IPAs, with wildly varying levels of success.

I still prefer the taste and feel of a well-made alcoholic beer. Alcohol contributes body, warmth and flavour, and some alcohol-free beers can seem thin or slightly sweet by comparison. I do not see the point in pretending otherwise. However, lower-strength and alcohol-free options can be useful when I want the ritual and flavour of a beer without necessarily wanting the alcohol.

Changing attitudes towards social drinking

Some people become sober curious because they are tired of alcohol being the default at every social occasion. A meal, football match, holiday, barbecue or evening out can all seem to come with an expectation that everybody will drink.

Choosing not to drink can feel awkward at first, but fewer people question it than you might expect. You do not owe anybody a detailed explanation. Saying you are driving, taking a break or simply do not fancy one is usually enough, and often no explanation is needed.

Finding a balance that actually lasts

The part of sober curiosity I find most appealing is that it does not have to be all or nothing. Somebody might stop drinking during the week, alternate alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks, choose beers below 4% ABV or take a month off after Christmas. The aim is not perfect behaviour; it is to find a pattern that makes life better.

For me, complete abstinence is not the answer. I enjoy beer too much, not simply for the effect of alcohol but for the taste, variety and experience of trying something different. However, experimenting with sober periods has made me more aware of when I am drinking, why I am drinking and whether I genuinely want that beer.

That, to me, is the real value of being sober curious. It is not about declaring alcohol good or bad. It is about taking an honest look at the role it plays in your life, then making a conscious choice rather than continuing on autopilot.