Never a big drinker, I enjoy ales socially and love supporting local breweries. The buzz after three 6.5% IPA draughts at a bar with friends is a golden moment peak. It’s been a mainstay session.
“Strong Beer / Strong Coffee” lived in my Instagram profile for years. Seasonal beers were irresistible unicorns to behold. Trips to Big Top Beverage led to lengthy stays in the aisles, examining the elaborate case and label designs. Liquor and wine meant nothing to me.
Beer was a social pillar for me since I first cracked open my first Milwaukee’s “Beast” in college. Recently, I wanted to explore what a long period of time would feel like, for my mind and body, with zero booze. I went on and off for a couple years. The longest I went without a sip was 6 months. Big whoop, I know. Here’s some observations:
Better Sleep
Sleep become more even-keeled, deeper, and uninterrupted. Even just 6 hours of sleeps did the trick.
When drunk, the reduced REM sleep and deep sleeps are unattainable. I’d often wake up at 3am and have to watch TV to fall back asleep, or just stare at the ceiling for hours. And then the next day, hungover, I’d be exhausted.
Tightened Stomach?
This was just a bonus, but belly fat reduced rather quickly. What changed? Well, with even a modest buzz, I’d engage in a midnight 4th meal of the day and then feel that I deserved a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from a heated lamp at Wawa the next day, just to take the edge of. Without this intake, and without the calories of double-IPAs, weight loss just happened.
Fitness Focused
I don’t go to a gym. Swaying free weights in the basement, doing planks and yoga in the family room, and biking around town are enough for me. But while drinking, the next day created those “off” sensations where you couldn’t do anything but watch streaming shows under a blanket. Without the booze, my fitness routine was always welcoming, unhindered.
Work Day Focus
Whether working from home or in the office, the focus throughout the day became better maintained. Any “brain fog” or dire 3pm crashes were no longer there. With sleep quality strengthened, work day attentiveness didn’t drag.
Money Savings
Cases of locally crafted IPAs are expensive. This was a monthly budget line item that I could remove. Whatever your liquor or beer choices are, you’ll save money without having to restock your supply. You’ll also never have to use Uber or Lyft and deal with having to retrieve your car from a vacant parking lot the following day.
Hobbies Accomplished
More attuned all day, I had more dedicated time for hobbies and projects that I was working on around the house. The passions in my life outside of marketing became easily reached and more was accomplished.
Energy & Emotions
The days-long hangover malaise and alcohol-induced mood disruption were not missed. They weren’t there to destroy my energy or alter my emotions. Having Gilbert Syndrome, my hangovers were often devastating.
If you Google the benefits that your organs experience from abstaining from alcohol, it’s nothing but good news. For brain health alone, decisions making is improved, anxiety is reduced, mood swings are lessened, cognitive function is improved. These all felt achieved. But are the enzymes level of my liver increased? No idea.
Face Time
The typical old man bags under my eyes are never going away, but the extended bags, combined with bloodshot blue eyes, were never present. My skin seemed to look a bit healthier as well, but maybe it’s just that gifted shea butter I received? Not sure.
Bar Scene
My initial concern was that I’d be given a hard time for being a teetotaler sipping on a virgin Moscow Mule. But, out and about, nobody cared. Most didn’t even ask what I was drinking. Whether I was out watching the Phillies, at an industry conference, or at my own 50th birthday party, nobody was concerned at what I was drinking or what level of drunkenness I was at. It’s all about being present and having fun together, which leads me to…
Necessary Good Times Elixir?
With so many “crazy nights” tagged over the years, I wondered if alcohol was a necessary component of socializing in a boisterous, crowded bar. Did I need it to be witty and fun? Absolutely not. And I never have issues talking with strangers filter-free, so that 7.8% ABV lubricant isn’t needed. I didn’t require 2 drinks just to calm down or loosen up.
NA Options
I’ve never dabbled with non-alcoholic beers aside from Heineken 0.0 and O’Doul’s Premium, both of which taste awful to me. Athletic Brewing Company, from Connecticut, which you’ll find in big box stores and more often at bars, has two IPAs that actually taste great. I realized that I missed the aromatic smattering of hops such as Citra, Simcoe and Chinook, and these beers allowed me to enjoy the taste and fragrance. My favorite NA beers are from Illinois-based Go Brewing, which boast bold, unique can design.
Local to the Philly area, there is a store in Ardmore, PA called Wallace Dry Goods that holds NA events, such as zero-proof cocktail workshops. They also sell glassware and gift sets, along with NA spirits, beer, cider and wine. This Hosting Essentials mix six-pack lets you try six different brands.
Shame Free
The awful shame of being hungover around my kids no longer existed. And the late night act of coffee and a cake based dessert at a restaurant to help “sober up”, in the hopes of driving home safely, was obviously no longer there either.
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