Four Tips for a Successful Sober October

Four Tips for a Successful Sober October

Much like Dry January, Sober October is a month dedicated to going non-alcoholic, that is. There’s no magic bullet and the rules are simple: don’t drink alcohol for 31 days. That’s it! 

But that can be easier said than done. Giving up alcohol for any period of time can be tough. Here are four tips for making it a little easier.

Know your triggers. Maybe it’s the ritual of sipping a glass of wine while you cook dinner, or kicking back with a cocktail at 5 o’clock on the dot every Friday. Maybe it’s a way to deal with stress, or to smooth out the edges of a really rough day. Whatever the case may be, understanding why you reach for a drink is an important first step in curbing or cutting back your drinking. 

Have a game plan. Halloween haunts, fall football games and the return of bonfires-sweaters-and-s’mores weather: there are lots of opportunities to indulge. Whatever the celebration, make sure you have a game plan for what you won’t be drinking. Offer to make a mocktail for the next tailgate or gift your host/hostess with a bottle of your favorite non-alcoholic spirit. (Our two-pack lets you give one and get one!) Knowing what you’ll have in your hand can eliminate your social anxiety. 

Make mocktails more appealing. Stock up on snazzy seltzers, beautiful bitters, fancy fruits and other exotic elixirs to make not drinking a little more fun. Need a little more inspiration? Our recipes page features more than 30 recipes, many of them completely Spiritless.

Don’t go it alone. In Untoxicating Drinks for Sober October, which originally appeared in the Scratch column from the New York Times, Apryl Electra Storms says, “It’s so hard to meet people outside the world of alcohol … It can feel really lonely when you’re the only one [not drinking].” Wow; powerful words, right? Rather than struggling through on your own, recruit a friend to the Sober October challenge with you.