ATLANTA — 2024 seems to be the year when more people are re-evaluating their relationship with alcohol.
Many are choosing to explore what it means to be sober, or alcohol-free.
Dry January and Sober October are spilling over onto the rest of the calendar for a whole community of people who may have started with a touch of “Sober Curiosity,” only to find themselves moving completely into alcohol-free living.
“Sober is only relative to alcohol, so in order to be sober is to be alcohol-free,” said Aja Wolfe, a bartender at The Sober Social in Southwest Atlanta.
Wolfe told Channel 2′s Wendy Corona that for two years, she has designed a social scene around a bar where cocktails are handcrafted with skill and intention.
They may like a martini and tastes like one, but the martinis Wolfe is serving up are minus the alcohol.
“People just need to relax. They need help with focus, but not alcohol, not something that’s actually going to hurt you in the long run,” Wolfe said.
And she is onto something, as more adults are exploring what it means to be sober. They’re cutting alcohol consumption, feeling better and in the process stirring up a movement.
“Some drinks I will taste it and I’ll be like, hmmm. What’s in here? Like, you sure this doesn’t have any alcohol in it?” Sober drinker Brittany Holder said.
At Soberish in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood, Mehrnush Saadat offers every kind of variation of beer, wine and spirits but with no alcohol.
“I think more and more people are interested in non-alcoholic and coming in,” Saadat said.
While there is no alcohol in any product there, there is something more natural taking its place.
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“All of these are going to be filled with herbal products that will have an effect on your body in some way,” Saadat said.
Back at Wolfes’ bar, she told Corona that she is committed to leveling up the craft for her customers, like Jazemen Lyons.
“With the sober drinks, there’s no hangover, there’s no sluggish, there’s no sickness, you can just get up and go the next day,” Lyons said.
And for those who still want to feel something, the bartender is listening.
“A lot of the spirits include different types of peppers and that’s because peppers naturally help the body to release endorphins,” Wolfe said.
Cardiologist Dr. Jayne Morgan sees all the health benefits.
“From a medical perspective, there is no amount of alcohol that is safe and there’s no amount of alcohol that we recommend,” Morgan said.
Excessive alcohol intake can lead to many chronic conditions and illnesses including an enlarged heart, high blood pressure, liver disease, cirrhosis, pancreatitis and a list of cancers.
“Head and neck cancers, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer and even breast cancer have an increased risk based on your alcohol intake,” Morgan said.
Cut out alcohol and people quickly notice sleep improvement, less anxiety and depression, even healthier relationships.
“I love being able to come and talk and have great conversations with great people and feel good afterward,” Holder said.
Pouring her heart and soul into creating a vibe around sober drinking, Wolfe is trailblazing, constantly researching and fine-tuning her cocktails to include healthier benefits with infusions of Delta-8, Ashwagandha and types of mushrooms. It’s a niche, and she’s here for it.
“I get a lot of people that are like, ‘It’s just trendy.’ But I think that we’re here to stay,” Wolfe said.
The sober social will open a new westside location in 2025 and Soberish just opened a new location on the westside.
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