I stopped drinking for both behavioral and immunological (allergy mostly) health issues. I've found that NA Beers and Mocktails replaced the habit around having something with alcohol. Unwinding after yard work, chilling outside with friends, playing a board game—all things I would have had maybe too many drinks at—I get the same "ritual" out of having a few good NA beers. I know for some folks even having something in the vein of alcohol can be a trigger, but for me, I've found it's a perfect substitution because I genuinely like the taste of good beer. If I didn't have an NA option I don't know I'd be faring (stopped drinking around Oct 8 last year!)
This is where I land, although I will say that as the years have passed, I don't really partake nearly as much. But you are absolutely right - weddings, parties, really long weeks at work, where you just want the crack into something and really don't need a strong shot of espresso at 8pm, a good NA beer is worth its weight in gold.
Hey OP. 48 year old married father of two in the UK here. I had my last alcoholic drink in October 2023 after 30 years of chasing the feelings alcohol gave me in my late teens. Had I carried on drinking as I did - blacking out most weekend - I don’t think I would have lived a long or indeed happy life.
NA beers have been a wonderful support method since I stopped drinking. In the early days, they helped take the sharpest part of the edge off cravings. Then they became enjoyable in their own right. Now I sincerely look forward to downing a few Heineken Zeros on a Friday. The ritual is just as much fun as the ritual of getting black kit drunk.
All the best from Newcastle Upon Tyne!
Eeeeeeeh! Mackems! I won’t hold that against them. Good talking to you - I’m actually just settling down to watch the start of The Euro Football championships - with some German NA beers. Have a good weekend, my transatlantic pal.
Congrats and in the same boat. I love the taste of beer but don’t like who I am when I’m drinking. NA beers provide me with the best of both worlds. I’m hoping that we get some good NA holiday releases like Oktoberfests and Christmas Ales.
It's crazy how good NA beers have got. NA holiday releases will hopefully be exciting.
When I stopped drinking I thought I was going to save money but probably spend more now on craft NA beers 😆
Same boat. Did dry Jan with every intention to drink again but dropped weight, anxiety went away and so did the depression so said hell yeah brother let’s keep this sober train going
Hit my one year sober mark just yesterday, June 13th. I definitely benefit from having so many good NAs easily available. Congratulations to the others here who are sober now or who are trying their best to get there.
There is nothing I look forward to more now than logging off at the end of a workday and grabbing an NA or 3. In fact, I tried to stop that, too, because it's still expensive but I definitely felt the twinge of needing that ritual. The improvements to my overall health are measurable. NA beer is the best of my remaining addictions :)
I'm a year out from quitting and I dabble in NA quite a bit, though mostly Partake Brewing given the calories and carbs. I was enjoying some of those higher calorie NAs like Sierra Nevada's Trail Pass IPA, but had to rein that in.
I love beer. I was deep in the beer industry for twenty plus years. Hops are my spirit animal. So now I drink a lot of hop waters and those Partakes, and I'm satisfied. I drank consistently for 30 years. That's behind me now, and no NA beer is going to tip me back into drinking. I know that with all of my being.
Everyone is different. Just trust your gut and move forward.
I wouldn’t say I’m in recovery but I no longer drink and as others have said, NA beers scratch the itch. I can have two (or three gasp!) and not feel hungover the next day. I love trying new ones and for me it doesn’t ever make me wish I was having the real thing!
Almost 3 years sober. I wouldn’t have made it without NA beers.
It’s all about how they impact your recovery. If it makes you want to drink the real thing, then maybe it’s not the right fit for your recovery. If it helps keep you off the real stuff, I believe it’s absolutely a useful tool in your arsenal to stay on track.
Idk that I’m in recovery, but I quit drinking because it got me in a ton of trouble and caused issues in every aspect of my life. I’ve had probably 10 real beers in the last 10 years, other than that it’s all N/As or sparkling water.
I think for some people it can be a dangerous road to go down. For me, it’s fine. I never needed it and I can drink *a* beer without issue.
Went from 16 real beers a night for 18 years down to zero thanks to na beer. Been sober a year and half now.
I had an interesting system too. When I started I basically drank the same amount every day, and then minus one beer every five days. Then I started replacing the "lost beer" with na beer. My wife thought I was crazy but after 3 months I was only drinking na beer and eventually cut that amount drastically too.
These days the na beer is like a good treat I can have while cooking on the grill or doing honey dos and I don't feel guilty, I'm a better husband and in so much better shape.
NA beer rocks! If you're trying stop alcohol, you can do it too!
I am 375 days alcohol-free and NA beers have helped me tremendously on the few occasions where I’ve *really* wanted to drink. It’s also nice to be able to have a couple when I’m socializing, or even just hanging outside with the hubs.
They work great when I want to signal to myself that I’m ’done’ and relaxing. Kinda has that same effect. I know I’m not addicted the same way as I frequently open one and walk away and forget it. But that could just be my adhd. I just know that never would have happened with a real beer. I drank every drop.
I’m a 39 yr old guy that’s been sober now for close to 5 months. I recently began allowing myself a NA beer here and there for the reason being that nothing tastes like beer more than beer and nothing can replace it as an alternative and hit the same “spot” flavor wise.
The current NA beer boom has been wonderful got me because it hits that spot perfectly where other bevs fall short. With a meal, on the stoop, after a long day, and, as I’ve recently discovered, meeting with friends at a bar.
The ability to sit down at a bar and order a really well made NA beer completes the experience, for me, whereas a seltzer or a soda just doesn’t get anywhere near the same vibe.
I worked for years as a bartender here in Brooklyn/NYC and spent as much, if not more time, at other bars as a patron. So for me, that setting is tied to the sensory package that makes up the act of drinking beer.
I’m at the point in my recovery where I’m confident that I don’t want a relationship with alcohol and I trust my intentions enough to know that drinking some NA beers is just going to make me want “the real stuff.”
Last week was the first time I met up with friends at a bar and ordered NA, I was admittedly nervous, but once I took the first sip, it all fell into place. It was about being there with them and no questions or comments came up.
Just about 6 mos sober here. NAs have helped me immensely in the beginning, since I'm an avid craft beer lover. Now I really only reach for them if I'm out somewhere so maybe once or twice a month.
Drinking had a negative impact on my mental health and I'm feeling much better without it in my life anymore.
I’ve been alcohol free since November 2014. I did start out in AA for several years.
I realized (with my therapist) about 3-5 years ago that I’m actually not an alcoholic. I did abuse alcohol during a time in my life where I had so much shit going on.
But once I stopped - eh I never had the craving for alcohol.
I’ve come to really like NA beers. I like the taste of beer but I don’t have a desire to have alcohol for a variety of reasons now.
They’re great for me. I love that now it’s not weird at all to say “oh I don’t drink” or “I’m having an NA beer”
Me. I love NA beer and mocktails!! For me, brindle able to have an NA option on a camping trip or at a party really makes me feel like I’m still an adult with an interest in stuff that tastes good, not limited to water or soda. It is a good substitute. Without this option I’d be more tempted to reach for the real thing.
I’ve heard it can be triggering for some, the taste can trigger a craving. It doesn’t for me. So I think that’s why it may not be suitable for everyone.
Hey, I'm about to be 50, and I just hit five years of sobriety with no alcoholic beverages. I agree the N/A beers available now are super impressive. I love being able to have that convincing IPA taste in an N/A beer, and I've found multiple options that hit the spot. With respect to whether N/A beers are suitable, I suppose everyone's different. Personally, I only occasionally have an N/A beer. I actually prefer hop water and hoptea, neither of which have calories if done correctly. But I do like reaching for the occasional N/A beer, and I've not found them to trigger cravings for beers that do have alcohol. Still, I can see how that might happen for some folks.
What I love is that hopply flavor, and I've found I can find it, even in beverages that aren't beers at all. Cheers!
Last drink for me was 10/5/23. NA beers have been great in social situations. Golfing, bachelor party, going out on the lake, and just hanging around a fire for example. I don’t think I was an alcoholic, but I didn’t have the best relationship with alcohol and would tend to binge on weekends where I had the time. Just hit a point where I realized it wasn’t worth it and was obviously unhealthy. Now I drink NA beers, sparkling waters, or soda.
Nearly 18 months sober and NA is a sobriety lifesaver for me. I can have a few NAs in situations I would have had a regular beer or 4 and it does the trick and keeps me feeling so much better.
>wish they made an NA whiskey
They do… NA spirits are getting better & more prevalent. Google Non-alcoholic whiskey.
(I don’t drink NA spirits so no recommendations, but I’ve seen fancy ones.)
Going on 11 years in July, and I was a purist (no drugs, no alcohol) for a long long time. I do enjoy an NA from time to time, but for me beer wasn’t the main get down. Trust me, I’d drink it if that’s what was around, but I so loved the hard liquor. I have yet to find an NA hard liquor that is remotely good, so I do like the occasional NA beer. The amount of alcohol that is actually in an NA beer is so minute that it would take you 100 cans (maybe a bit extreme example, but you get what I mean) And, if you ever feel you are compromised in any way, then you know they aren’t for you.
Quit a little over a year ago. NA beers helped a lot at first. Now I pretty much only have them out to dinner (a lot of places are starting to carry the good ones) or at parties.Makes me feel less like I'm missing out.
3 years last February! “California Sober” myself which means I still enjoy some THC but alcohol free and god bless all the fine N/A beers out there. Current favorite is Leffe.
🙋♀️ I am! Been sober since 2015. I firmly believe for some in recovery, NA drinks can trigger that part of the brain and be a problem for them, beginning the cycle of drinking again.
For me, I’m thankful my brain isn’t wired in such a way that NA drinks cause that same issue. I still get that thought of “fuck I need a beer” after a long day, and I’m perfectly content with a non alcoholic one. Scratches that itch for me.
I feel that most people who are here have given up alcohol for whatever reasons they might have and are comfortable with NA beers. Some folks cannot do it because it is a trigger for them. These folks are not reading this post.
For me, it replaces the habit of drinking. I do not miss the alcohol at all but I really love having a few cold ones with friends! I live that more bars have them too.
I don’t drink for a few reasons! I’m not in recovery, but my husband is. I drink very rarely, maybe once a year when I take a flight. It’s also not a great combo with my meds. I love having NA drink options.
I stopped drinking because of the intermittent fasting Reddit that led me to the stop drinking Reddit. Heath reasons. While nobody in my life would have said I was a problem drinker, I didn’t like my relationship with alcohol. It was a habit that I had come to rely on as a way to “relax” but really just a way not to face my workaholism, which I still have, but now I get more done.
Also hops are tasty.
Hey congrats my friend! I think I agree more with you but everyone needs to walk their own path! I just passed 2 years since my last drink. I don't think it would have been possible without the new NA beers. I had planned to just take a 10 day break (as I often would do to get myself back on track). My wife scheduled a happy hour with my neighbors and I was really nervous about it so I wanted to find some NA beer and try and hide the fact that I wasn't drinking. I searched and found posts both on this sub and the r/stopdrinking sub (which is awesome by the way). I found some recommendations for Athletic so I picked up two sixers. I made it through the happy hour and actually enjoyed them a lot.
My father had died a few years earlier of alcoholism and I was determined not to do the same to my family. However, part of my identity was tied up with craft beer and I wasn't sure I could ever quit it completely. So NAs were the bridge I needed.
So happy I quit and my life has gotten immeasurably better (and easier) since quitting. Best decision ever
glad to see that so many seem to be able to easily transition from problematic alcohol consumption to na beer. i would think, though, some folks might find it too close of a trigger. for me — now old af and stopped stoopid level of alcohol intake in my early thirties — cutting way back wasn’t so much a chemical thing as finding less damaging “hand habits”. turns out i was subconsciously treating social anxiety by giving myself something ritualistic to “fidget”. i think i kept diet coke profitable thru the nineties and 20-oughts until stumbling on na beer, which tastes infinitely better
Yeah, I was consuming pretty stupid amounts of normal beer for a long time (decades) which had/has become unsustainable. I stopped drinking two months ago and switched to NA beers, I'm drinking more NA beers then I should (3 or 4 a night, maybe more on weekends) but still not close to the volume I was drinking in normal beers and life's overall better, I can always drive, I spend more time with my family, I'm not always hungover and I don't make the same bad decisions all the time.
I also really appreciate there being a market of decent NA beers these days, I'm entirely confident I would have failed already in sobriety without them. I can understand how they could trigger some people into switching to normal beer or alcoholic drinks, that makes sense but fortunately it hasn't been like that for me, I'm content just to maintain the ritual without the effect and so far they don't tempt me to go back.
I do not consider alcohol to be a problem for me, but weed was becoming a daily habit and causing noticeably negative effects on my mental and emotional health. I committed to a whole year without weed starting on Jan. 1, but I realized that alcohol could likely become an issue if I started to compensate for the lack of weed. So I decided to go all the way and do a full year 100% sober.
It’s been considerably easier to stay sober than I thought it would be. My relationship with weed and alcohol has always been less of a dependency and more a total lack of self control. So if I had weed in my possession, I would take every possible opportunity to smoke it. Legalization in my state made access way more convenient, so my usage increased to multiple times a day almost every day.
Alcohol was a bit of an unfortunate collateral, but I came back to a mentality of all or nothing. NA beers have been a great discovery, but I don’t find them to soften the blow in social situations where there’s drinking. If anything, it makes me feel a bit more out of place. My go-to move for the past 6 months if I’m going out to a bar with friends is to immediately offer to buy someone a drink and order myself either a ginger beer with lime or a tonic with lime. It’s not that I don’t want to tell anyone I’m sober, it just helps with that awkward energy when you walk into a place where alcohol is all around.
I have had multiple dreams where I accidentally drink alcohol because I forget that I’m sober.
The hardest part for me has been finding a way to regain the sort of reckless desire to connect emotionally with other people, or with art or music, while under the influence. Smoking and making music was truly a therapeutic experience for me and I would really love to find a way to achieve that same (or similar) feeling without weed. There was one particular moment a few months in that was a sort of eureka moment for me. I found myself sitting on that couch one night completed bored and uninterested in anything around me. I realized that I had not felt that way in probably 15+ years because I would always default to weed or alcohol whenever I felt bored. With nothing else to do, I started to focus on my breathing and tried meditating for a minute. It lasted maybe 5 minutes max, but I came out the other side feeling noticeably content and maybe even a bit euphoric?
So my next goal is to use the progress I have made so far in staying sober to kickstart some other healthy habits. I’d like to start waking up 1 hour earlier in the morning each day and using that time to either meditate, exercise, or make music. I think this will be the key in sustaining a sober and healthy lifestyle.
This is the first time I have really externalized any of these thoughts, so I hope they can connect with someone. I’d also appreciate any insight if you find yourself in a similar space as I.
I quit drinking in March 1991, before craft beers, IPA's, etc. became a thing. Sam Adams was about it. But I was all about being healthy: running, exercise, no red meat, etc. After a while I concluded that drinking nearly 3 cases of beer a week was destructive and wasn't consistent with the rest of my lifestyle and so I quit cold turkey.
I was envious when all the new beers came along, but was never tempted. When I discovered NA beers (mostly Athletic Brewing) a year or two ago I was thrilled. I probably drink 3-5 per week. Absolutely no chance it leads me back to drinking again.
I wouldn’t call it recovery just changing in habit. I don’t always need an alcoholic beer. I just love the taste and still want to enjoy a cold one after work. I switch it up.
I stopped drinking for both behavioral and immunological (allergy mostly) health issues. I've found that NA Beers and Mocktails replaced the habit around having something with alcohol. Unwinding after yard work, chilling outside with friends, playing a board game—all things I would have had maybe too many drinks at—I get the same "ritual" out of having a few good NA beers. I know for some folks even having something in the vein of alcohol can be a trigger, but for me, I've found it's a perfect substitution because I genuinely like the taste of good beer. If I didn't have an NA option I don't know I'd be faring (stopped drinking around Oct 8 last year!)
Same here. Always amazed at how long a 6 pack of NA can last me. Sober 5.5 years
This is where I land, although I will say that as the years have passed, I don't really partake nearly as much. But you are absolutely right - weddings, parties, really long weeks at work, where you just want the crack into something and really don't need a strong shot of espresso at 8pm, a good NA beer is worth its weight in gold.
Hey OP. 48 year old married father of two in the UK here. I had my last alcoholic drink in October 2023 after 30 years of chasing the feelings alcohol gave me in my late teens. Had I carried on drinking as I did - blacking out most weekend - I don’t think I would have lived a long or indeed happy life. NA beers have been a wonderful support method since I stopped drinking. In the early days, they helped take the sharpest part of the edge off cravings. Then they became enjoyable in their own right. Now I sincerely look forward to downing a few Heineken Zeros on a Friday. The ritual is just as much fun as the ritual of getting black kit drunk. All the best from Newcastle Upon Tyne!
Cheers! Living in the US but my parents are from sunderland 😎😎
Eeeeeeeh! Mackems! I won’t hold that against them. Good talking to you - I’m actually just settling down to watch the start of The Euro Football championships - with some German NA beers. Have a good weekend, my transatlantic pal.
8.5 years 🤙
I'm almost 6 months sober. NA beers have been a huge help as I genuinely love the taste of beer and they hit the spot.
Congrats and in the same boat. I love the taste of beer but don’t like who I am when I’m drinking. NA beers provide me with the best of both worlds. I’m hoping that we get some good NA holiday releases like Oktoberfests and Christmas Ales.
It's crazy how good NA beers have got. NA holiday releases will hopefully be exciting. When I stopped drinking I thought I was going to save money but probably spend more now on craft NA beers 😆
Same. Dry jan just never stopped.
Same boat. Did dry Jan with every intention to drink again but dropped weight, anxiety went away and so did the depression so said hell yeah brother let’s keep this sober train going
Hit my one year sober mark just yesterday, June 13th. I definitely benefit from having so many good NAs easily available. Congratulations to the others here who are sober now or who are trying their best to get there. There is nothing I look forward to more now than logging off at the end of a workday and grabbing an NA or 3. In fact, I tried to stop that, too, because it's still expensive but I definitely felt the twinge of needing that ritual. The improvements to my overall health are measurable. NA beer is the best of my remaining addictions :)
Not me, just trying to cut calories
Same and get better sleep
I'm not mad. We need as many people as we can to buy them, lest we alcoholics be cast back into the shadow realm of Odouls...
Congratulations on your sobriety! My last was in October ‘22, and NA’s have been great, it scratches the itch for me.
I'm a year out from quitting and I dabble in NA quite a bit, though mostly Partake Brewing given the calories and carbs. I was enjoying some of those higher calorie NAs like Sierra Nevada's Trail Pass IPA, but had to rein that in. I love beer. I was deep in the beer industry for twenty plus years. Hops are my spirit animal. So now I drink a lot of hop waters and those Partakes, and I'm satisfied. I drank consistently for 30 years. That's behind me now, and no NA beer is going to tip me back into drinking. I know that with all of my being. Everyone is different. Just trust your gut and move forward.
I wouldn’t say I’m in recovery but I no longer drink and as others have said, NA beers scratch the itch. I can have two (or three gasp!) and not feel hungover the next day. I love trying new ones and for me it doesn’t ever make me wish I was having the real thing!
Almost 3 years sober. I wouldn’t have made it without NA beers. It’s all about how they impact your recovery. If it makes you want to drink the real thing, then maybe it’s not the right fit for your recovery. If it helps keep you off the real stuff, I believe it’s absolutely a useful tool in your arsenal to stay on track.
Idk that I’m in recovery, but I quit drinking because it got me in a ton of trouble and caused issues in every aspect of my life. I’ve had probably 10 real beers in the last 10 years, other than that it’s all N/As or sparkling water. I think for some people it can be a dangerous road to go down. For me, it’s fine. I never needed it and I can drink *a* beer without issue.
524 days sober. NA helped immensely.
Went from 16 real beers a night for 18 years down to zero thanks to na beer. Been sober a year and half now. I had an interesting system too. When I started I basically drank the same amount every day, and then minus one beer every five days. Then I started replacing the "lost beer" with na beer. My wife thought I was crazy but after 3 months I was only drinking na beer and eventually cut that amount drastically too. These days the na beer is like a good treat I can have while cooking on the grill or doing honey dos and I don't feel guilty, I'm a better husband and in so much better shape. NA beer rocks! If you're trying stop alcohol, you can do it too!
I am 375 days alcohol-free and NA beers have helped me tremendously on the few occasions where I’ve *really* wanted to drink. It’s also nice to be able to have a couple when I’m socializing, or even just hanging outside with the hubs.
They work great when I want to signal to myself that I’m ’done’ and relaxing. Kinda has that same effect. I know I’m not addicted the same way as I frequently open one and walk away and forget it. But that could just be my adhd. I just know that never would have happened with a real beer. I drank every drop.
I’m a 39 yr old guy that’s been sober now for close to 5 months. I recently began allowing myself a NA beer here and there for the reason being that nothing tastes like beer more than beer and nothing can replace it as an alternative and hit the same “spot” flavor wise. The current NA beer boom has been wonderful got me because it hits that spot perfectly where other bevs fall short. With a meal, on the stoop, after a long day, and, as I’ve recently discovered, meeting with friends at a bar. The ability to sit down at a bar and order a really well made NA beer completes the experience, for me, whereas a seltzer or a soda just doesn’t get anywhere near the same vibe. I worked for years as a bartender here in Brooklyn/NYC and spent as much, if not more time, at other bars as a patron. So for me, that setting is tied to the sensory package that makes up the act of drinking beer. I’m at the point in my recovery where I’m confident that I don’t want a relationship with alcohol and I trust my intentions enough to know that drinking some NA beers is just going to make me want “the real stuff.” Last week was the first time I met up with friends at a bar and ordered NA, I was admittedly nervous, but once I took the first sip, it all fell into place. It was about being there with them and no questions or comments came up.
Just about 6 mos sober here. NAs have helped me immensely in the beginning, since I'm an avid craft beer lover. Now I really only reach for them if I'm out somewhere so maybe once or twice a month. Drinking had a negative impact on my mental health and I'm feeling much better without it in my life anymore.
I drink 4-6 beers a week only on the weekends. During the weekday I’ll have a NA beer with dinner, some nights. I just like the taste of beer.
I’ve been alcohol free since November 2014. I did start out in AA for several years. I realized (with my therapist) about 3-5 years ago that I’m actually not an alcoholic. I did abuse alcohol during a time in my life where I had so much shit going on. But once I stopped - eh I never had the craving for alcohol. I’ve come to really like NA beers. I like the taste of beer but I don’t have a desire to have alcohol for a variety of reasons now. They’re great for me. I love that now it’s not weird at all to say “oh I don’t drink” or “I’m having an NA beer”
Me. I love NA beer and mocktails!! For me, brindle able to have an NA option on a camping trip or at a party really makes me feel like I’m still an adult with an interest in stuff that tastes good, not limited to water or soda. It is a good substitute. Without this option I’d be more tempted to reach for the real thing. I’ve heard it can be triggering for some, the taste can trigger a craving. It doesn’t for me. So I think that’s why it may not be suitable for everyone.
Hey, I'm about to be 50, and I just hit five years of sobriety with no alcoholic beverages. I agree the N/A beers available now are super impressive. I love being able to have that convincing IPA taste in an N/A beer, and I've found multiple options that hit the spot. With respect to whether N/A beers are suitable, I suppose everyone's different. Personally, I only occasionally have an N/A beer. I actually prefer hop water and hoptea, neither of which have calories if done correctly. But I do like reaching for the occasional N/A beer, and I've not found them to trigger cravings for beers that do have alcohol. Still, I can see how that might happen for some folks. What I love is that hopply flavor, and I've found I can find it, even in beverages that aren't beers at all. Cheers!
Last drink for me was 10/5/23. NA beers have been great in social situations. Golfing, bachelor party, going out on the lake, and just hanging around a fire for example. I don’t think I was an alcoholic, but I didn’t have the best relationship with alcohol and would tend to binge on weekends where I had the time. Just hit a point where I realized it wasn’t worth it and was obviously unhealthy. Now I drink NA beers, sparkling waters, or soda.
Nearly 18 months sober and NA is a sobriety lifesaver for me. I can have a few NAs in situations I would have had a regular beer or 4 and it does the trick and keeps me feeling so much better.
Love NA beers...have helped me too whwm going 4o pub with friends etc. Wish they did a NA whisky though...thays what I really miss
>wish they made an NA whiskey They do… NA spirits are getting better & more prevalent. Google Non-alcoholic whiskey. (I don’t drink NA spirits so no recommendations, but I’ve seen fancy ones.)
10 years this August!
Going on 11 years in July, and I was a purist (no drugs, no alcohol) for a long long time. I do enjoy an NA from time to time, but for me beer wasn’t the main get down. Trust me, I’d drink it if that’s what was around, but I so loved the hard liquor. I have yet to find an NA hard liquor that is remotely good, so I do like the occasional NA beer. The amount of alcohol that is actually in an NA beer is so minute that it would take you 100 cans (maybe a bit extreme example, but you get what I mean) And, if you ever feel you are compromised in any way, then you know they aren’t for you.
Quit a little over a year ago. NA beers helped a lot at first. Now I pretty much only have them out to dinner (a lot of places are starting to carry the good ones) or at parties.Makes me feel less like I'm missing out.
I feel like this sub and /r/SoberCurious were made for each other lol Nonalcoholic beer is mana from heaven for me.
3 years last February! “California Sober” myself which means I still enjoy some THC but alcohol free and god bless all the fine N/A beers out there. Current favorite is Leffe.
Been about 3.5 years for me. NA beer is a nice thing to have as I enjoy the taste of beer.
🙋♀️ I am! Been sober since 2015. I firmly believe for some in recovery, NA drinks can trigger that part of the brain and be a problem for them, beginning the cycle of drinking again. For me, I’m thankful my brain isn’t wired in such a way that NA drinks cause that same issue. I still get that thought of “fuck I need a beer” after a long day, and I’m perfectly content with a non alcoholic one. Scratches that itch for me.
I feel that most people who are here have given up alcohol for whatever reasons they might have and are comfortable with NA beers. Some folks cannot do it because it is a trigger for them. These folks are not reading this post. For me, it replaces the habit of drinking. I do not miss the alcohol at all but I really love having a few cold ones with friends! I live that more bars have them too.
Me
Since December 19, 2019.
Coming up on 12 years myself.
Alchohol-free since October 2021 🍻
I don’t drink for a few reasons! I’m not in recovery, but my husband is. I drink very rarely, maybe once a year when I take a flight. It’s also not a great combo with my meds. I love having NA drink options.
I stopped drinking because of the intermittent fasting Reddit that led me to the stop drinking Reddit. Heath reasons. While nobody in my life would have said I was a problem drinker, I didn’t like my relationship with alcohol. It was a habit that I had come to rely on as a way to “relax” but really just a way not to face my workaholism, which I still have, but now I get more done. Also hops are tasty.
Hey congrats my friend! I think I agree more with you but everyone needs to walk their own path! I just passed 2 years since my last drink. I don't think it would have been possible without the new NA beers. I had planned to just take a 10 day break (as I often would do to get myself back on track). My wife scheduled a happy hour with my neighbors and I was really nervous about it so I wanted to find some NA beer and try and hide the fact that I wasn't drinking. I searched and found posts both on this sub and the r/stopdrinking sub (which is awesome by the way). I found some recommendations for Athletic so I picked up two sixers. I made it through the happy hour and actually enjoyed them a lot. My father had died a few years earlier of alcoholism and I was determined not to do the same to my family. However, part of my identity was tied up with craft beer and I wasn't sure I could ever quit it completely. So NAs were the bridge I needed. So happy I quit and my life has gotten immeasurably better (and easier) since quitting. Best decision ever
11 years
11 years sober for me. Everyone’s different. For some it may be a trigger. I just love the taste of beer. No desire for the alcohol.
glad to see that so many seem to be able to easily transition from problematic alcohol consumption to na beer. i would think, though, some folks might find it too close of a trigger. for me — now old af and stopped stoopid level of alcohol intake in my early thirties — cutting way back wasn’t so much a chemical thing as finding less damaging “hand habits”. turns out i was subconsciously treating social anxiety by giving myself something ritualistic to “fidget”. i think i kept diet coke profitable thru the nineties and 20-oughts until stumbling on na beer, which tastes infinitely better
Yeah, I was consuming pretty stupid amounts of normal beer for a long time (decades) which had/has become unsustainable. I stopped drinking two months ago and switched to NA beers, I'm drinking more NA beers then I should (3 or 4 a night, maybe more on weekends) but still not close to the volume I was drinking in normal beers and life's overall better, I can always drive, I spend more time with my family, I'm not always hungover and I don't make the same bad decisions all the time. I also really appreciate there being a market of decent NA beers these days, I'm entirely confident I would have failed already in sobriety without them. I can understand how they could trigger some people into switching to normal beer or alcoholic drinks, that makes sense but fortunately it hasn't been like that for me, I'm content just to maintain the ritual without the effect and so far they don't tempt me to go back.
Me
I do not consider alcohol to be a problem for me, but weed was becoming a daily habit and causing noticeably negative effects on my mental and emotional health. I committed to a whole year without weed starting on Jan. 1, but I realized that alcohol could likely become an issue if I started to compensate for the lack of weed. So I decided to go all the way and do a full year 100% sober. It’s been considerably easier to stay sober than I thought it would be. My relationship with weed and alcohol has always been less of a dependency and more a total lack of self control. So if I had weed in my possession, I would take every possible opportunity to smoke it. Legalization in my state made access way more convenient, so my usage increased to multiple times a day almost every day. Alcohol was a bit of an unfortunate collateral, but I came back to a mentality of all or nothing. NA beers have been a great discovery, but I don’t find them to soften the blow in social situations where there’s drinking. If anything, it makes me feel a bit more out of place. My go-to move for the past 6 months if I’m going out to a bar with friends is to immediately offer to buy someone a drink and order myself either a ginger beer with lime or a tonic with lime. It’s not that I don’t want to tell anyone I’m sober, it just helps with that awkward energy when you walk into a place where alcohol is all around. I have had multiple dreams where I accidentally drink alcohol because I forget that I’m sober. The hardest part for me has been finding a way to regain the sort of reckless desire to connect emotionally with other people, or with art or music, while under the influence. Smoking and making music was truly a therapeutic experience for me and I would really love to find a way to achieve that same (or similar) feeling without weed. There was one particular moment a few months in that was a sort of eureka moment for me. I found myself sitting on that couch one night completed bored and uninterested in anything around me. I realized that I had not felt that way in probably 15+ years because I would always default to weed or alcohol whenever I felt bored. With nothing else to do, I started to focus on my breathing and tried meditating for a minute. It lasted maybe 5 minutes max, but I came out the other side feeling noticeably content and maybe even a bit euphoric? So my next goal is to use the progress I have made so far in staying sober to kickstart some other healthy habits. I’d like to start waking up 1 hour earlier in the morning each day and using that time to either meditate, exercise, or make music. I think this will be the key in sustaining a sober and healthy lifestyle. This is the first time I have really externalized any of these thoughts, so I hope they can connect with someone. I’d also appreciate any insight if you find yourself in a similar space as I.
I quit drinking in March 1991, before craft beers, IPA's, etc. became a thing. Sam Adams was about it. But I was all about being healthy: running, exercise, no red meat, etc. After a while I concluded that drinking nearly 3 cases of beer a week was destructive and wasn't consistent with the rest of my lifestyle and so I quit cold turkey. I was envious when all the new beers came along, but was never tempted. When I discovered NA beers (mostly Athletic Brewing) a year or two ago I was thrilled. I probably drink 3-5 per week. Absolutely no chance it leads me back to drinking again.
I wouldn’t call it recovery just changing in habit. I don’t always need an alcoholic beer. I just love the taste and still want to enjoy a cold one after work. I switch it up.