The sober-curious trend, where sobriety isn’t suggested but instead the concept of mindful drinking, has grown legs over the past few years. The sober-curious movement has exploded across the nation, and New York, a city packed with thousands of bars, are experitmenting with mocktail bars and similar booze-free options.
As seen in Gothamist, New York’s bar scene was examined by one of its reporters, who focused on “sober bars” in No More Cafe and Mockingbird. In our quick perusal of the websites, both spaces are all-day cafes that transform into bars in the evening hours, a concept that has been in play for several establishments that serve alcohol.
Also in the Gothamist piece, the Zero Proof NY party is highlighted, which gives teetotalers in the city the option of hearing music and socializing without the influence of alchohol.
In Washington, the annual Mindful Drinking Festival focuses on the concept of drinking less but still showing up to gather with friends and loved ones under the hum of good music and food.
Several reports have gone wide, taking note that alchohol sales have dropped significantly since the gold rush period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, younger imbibers are sharing in several instances in our travels that going out and having drinks adds up financially.
This isn’t to say that mindful drinking and diving into the sober-curious trend is inherently affordable, as some mocktails cost just as much as their boozy counterparts. That said, for individuals looking to curb their drinking or find spaces to connect without the haze of alchohol, these options are growing in rapid number.
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