What do you think you'd miss?
If they told you that you could never drink again or if you choose to give it up, for whatever reasons you have. What would you miss the most about craft beer in particular? Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling the alcohol gives you, what things do you think would disappear from your life that would leave a gap where your happy place used to be.
I have given this a lot of thought since September, obviously my own circumstance and subsequent sober(ish) life caused me to make some radical lifestyle changes that remain ongoing and with various degrees of success. I haven't really been an active participant in a lot of beer events or even going out for a beer with someone in a couple of years, but I did begin to wonder what it would be like for someone who was more involved, more socially connected to the community and all it entails.
When I first came back to social media in December, I was overwhelmed with comments and messages, much like when I talked about my experience as my heart went haywire in the late fall, so many folks reached out and I felt good knowing I still had a place to feel part of. Because I have been a solo drinker for the last couple of years, I didn't feel I was missing out on Beer fests, taprooms or sharing pints with friends. My situation was what it was and as I've got my legs under me, I've mostly been back to where I was before, albeit with 80% non-alcoholic beers and only a sprinkling of real pints every week.
What hit me this week was how would this affect a newly sober person who was an active member of the craft beer community, someone who did events, went to festivals and met up with other folks for beers. How would it affect someone who had a weekly meet up with pals to share beers or did road trips to breweries for fun and to meet online friends in real life. There would be a loss of community no matter the kind words and well wishes of their friends, in real life or online. The very real truth is that life does go on without us, even for the best of reasons, when you step back from something that was such a large part of who you are, it hits you a little different when everyone else moves on without you.
I was not sure I wanted to write this whole thing, lest it be taken in the wrong way. There is no fault here, only the truth that whether we have to step back voluntarily or by a healthy choice, part of that means not being part of what was any more. I am incredibly lucky that I still can maintain an online community, despite my switch to mostly non alcoholic options, people in craft beer can be very kind when the road gets bumpy for one of our own and this helps a whole lot. But if I was one who went out and was deeply involved, I wonder how I'd be feeling every weekend when my new normal didn't include those aforementioned activities. It would be a little overwhelming and would only add to an already stressful time I would imagine. It's part of why it's so difficult to go sober, to separate yourself from the good times that feel warm and boozy because you can't be that person anymore. Change isn't easy, but letting go of alcohol seems particularly difficult, addiction or not. We've formed friendships with a basis of craft beer that have developed into something greater than the pint glass. We've built a spirit of being part of something bigger than ourselves and that is difficult to find in this world that is increasingly isolating and inward looking.
Part of what I try to do with getting after all these non alcoholic beers and spirits is to help normalize and spread the word that there are more options than most people know about, even if that trip is filled with more duds than I was used to in my regular beer drinking days. While it isn't always something available at every taproom or event, I hope we can make it easier to access and be seen as part of the community rather than a weird or special thing hidden on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Making good non alcoholic beer isn't easy, but from my experience and the sheer amount of people sending me messages about their own life changes and the difficulties contained therein, I know the market is growing and where the money goes, so goes the beer.
As a (somewhat) reformed drunk, I hope to help other folks on their own sober trips, whatever that may entail for them, to find a way to stay in touch and involved. I do also understand that there are some who cannot be around any kind of alcohol at all and stepping away entirely for their own mental or physical health is their only choice. Can there be sober beer events? An NA beer fest, more places that give space to such ideas and options, places where your choice of beverage isn't the odd one, but a way to find a new community to share experiences and friendships with? Does this exist and if not, do we have the collective will and more importantly, the buying power, to make it happen? I know there are folks out there more motivated and smarter than me working on finding such solutions. There is a lot of money to be made as a certain age of beer drinker begins to feel the years and needs something a little healthier while still wanting to feel like they belong.
It's right there, just waiting to become reality...
Take care of yourselves, you're the only you we got.
Polk
02/10/2025
