The ‘sober curious’ movement has been A Thing for some time. In 2017, a survey looking at adult drinking habits in the UK revealed that people between the ages of 16 and 24 were less likely to drink than any other age group, while 20.4% claimed to be teetotal. According to the The Diageo Drinks Report 2019, 46% of those aged under 35 are likely to order a mocktail on a night out.

It started with events. Club SÖDA (Sober Or Debating Abstinence) began hosting parties and panels in New York in 2016, followed by similar UK set-ups such as Sober Is Fun comedy nights across London and Essex. Then came books: Sober Curious by Ruby Warrington, Mindful Drinking by Rosamund Dean, How To Be Sober And Keep Your Friends by Flic Everett and, of course, the online communities, such as Sober Girl Society and the meme account @fucking_sober.

In the States, app Loosid connects users with a “tribe of like-minded individuals” to make sober friends, date and travel, while New York-based British writer Ruby Warrington hosts sober retreats in Massachusetts for people who “want to create a sustainable shift in their lives”.

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