Let’s talk about drinking—not the college kind or the corporate happy hour kind. The “it’s been a long day, I deserve this” kind.
Maybe it’s a glass of wine while making dinner. A cocktail after a long travel day. A craft beer after a “successful” workout (yes, I’ve done that). These aren’t benders. They’re rituals—and that’s exactly why they’re so sticky.
Inspired by Vox’s fantastic Even Better Guide to Drinking Less by Allie Volpe (highly recommend subscribing), I’ve been reflecting on how to change the habit without losing the reward.
Here’s what I learned—and what’s actually been working.
🔥 Real Talk: Alcohol Is a Fitness Saboteur
Let’s be honest—if you’re drinking regularly and trying to lose weight, you’re fighting uphill. Alcohol doesn’t just add calories—it disrupts sleep, increases cravings, and slows recovery. I break it all down in this blog from the Saboteur Series:
👉 Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?
That’s why I wrote this month’s new post about drinking less without feeling deprived. Keep reading below for practical swaps and new rituals that still feel like a reward.
🍷 Ritual ≠ Necessity
Ruby Warrington, author of Sober Curious, explains it best: We often reach for a drink out of habit, not desire.
It’s the clink, the chill, the pause.
It’s not about getting buzzed—it’s about marking the end of the day.
But here’s the plot twist: those moments of pause can exist without alcohol.
We’re just conditioned to think they can’t.
So instead of removing the ritual, let’s replace it.
🧪 New Ritual Ideas (Tested by Me):
1. Tea Time That Hits Like a Cocktail
Try strong ginger tea over ice with lime and mint. It feels elevated, not sleepy. Bonus points if you use your “fancy” glassware.
2. The Zero-Proof Bar Cart
Stock up on grown-up options:
- Kin Euphorics (yes, it tastes like skincare, but it works)
- Athletic Brewing Co. for NA beer
- Recess, Ghia, or Curious Elixirs for a vibe-y canned option
- Or try The Pom Bomb from Free Spirit Cocktails:
- 4 oz pomegranate juice
- 4 oz mango juice
- 2 oz lemon juice
- Freeze in sphere molds and top with ginger beer
3. Dessert Instead
You know what hits the same dopamine slot? A really good piece of chocolate. Or a scoop of sorbet. Or even some sugarless gum.
Another hack is people use that opportunity after dinner to do personal grooming, arrange their supplements (which is an hour task for me!), do a puzzle, and as much as I don’t want to overly recommend smartphones as a crutch, sometimes during this transitional period they can be a good one. A lot of times an iPad and a few games can work wonders, too. It is all about the distract and delay, a tried and true tactic that I explore here:
| Old Ritual | New Ritual |
|---|---|
| Wine while cooking | Spindrift with frozen citrus slices |
| Negroni after work | Kin + lime in a rocks glass |
| Happy hour at hotel | Zero-proof beer + reading in lobby |
| Nightcap scroll | Brain dump journal + mint tea |
🧠 It’s Not About Never Drinking—It’s About Not Needing It
You don’t have to go completely sober. But if you feel deprived without a drink, or if your mood dips when you skip it, that’s a sign to check in.
Ask yourself:
- Am I stressed, or just bored?
- Is this about the alcohol, or about wanting to mark a moment?
- What would feel equally comforting and energizing?
It’s not about control. It’s about curiosity.
📚 Credits + Resources
This post was inspired by Allie Volpe’s excellent Even Better newsletter series at Vox. You can check it out here. Big thanks to her and Ruby Warrington for changing the conversation about drinking.
🧩 TL;DR – Swap Smarter
You don’t need to give up wine forever. But you do deserve a ritual that energizes more than it drains.
Try:
✅ Elevating your non-alc beverages
✅ Creating new “end-of-day” markers
✅ Exploring the reward behind the ritual
Let me know what you’re sipping instead—tag me @daofitlife and share your zero-proof wins.
