Getting ID’d

On December 19, 2025 I finished a glass of white wine while enjoying conversation with my friend’s mother, sitting at the end of our bar, Wine Shop. That was the last time I drank. 

There was no big goal. I wasn’t doing Dry January. There was just this quiet little voice that said…that’s all…for now. I haven’t committed to being a non-drinker forever or even for a set period of time. I genuinely believe that having zero pressure or parameters has made it much easier. 

I did not consider myself a heavy drinker. I was rarely “drunk” but more often than not I would finish a bottle of wine more days than I didn’t. And while it was typically over many hours, that’s not a small amount of alcohol. 

Not drinking hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be. Mostly due to the incredible advancements in non-alcoholic beverages available. I found a NA sparkling rosé that helped me have a sober New Years Eve while feeling like a part of the celebration. It has also helped me enjoy the social aspect of drinking. Something I am now realizing was more important to me than the booze itself. 

What really hit me, like a ton of bricks, was how deeply convinced I had become that drinking and alcohol were a part of my identity. For the past decade plus my career has revolved around alcohol directly. Whether as a brand ambassador or leading trade marketing for a portfolio of brands, it wasn’t a rule, but you were expected to “represent” those brands while out. Before that, I worked in bars for over twenty years. So it’s not shocking that there would be ties to drinking in my life. What’s interesting is that as I explored the thought of being a non drinker, it wasn’t the alcohol itself that gave me pause. 

Who was I if I no longer drank? 

I have so many friends that are sober and continue to work in bars and for brands. The model for what I was exploring had been proven to me by people I deeply respected. Why was I having such a hard time wrapping my brain around this being my future? I don’t miss drinking. I feel fantastic and my sleep has never been better. If I’m honest…the idea of drinking again and the thoughts of what it does to my body just aren’t appealing anymore. But still, I feel this bizarre hesitation and unsettling when I think about a future where I don’t drink.

Then it hit me. This is the final shedding of who I was before. Or who I thought I was. Even if I start drinking again, this is the final phase of me taking ownership of the real me. I’m no longer defined by an all consuming career. All my choices are my own and that is an incredible feeling.

Maybe, when the time is right and the wine or the cocktail is just too perfect to pass up, I’ll have a drink again? Right now, it feels like the answer will be no. But if it is ever “yes”, I want it to be because I’ve made an informed decision that makes sense for me. Not because I believe it’s what people expect from me or because I’ve put on a version of myself I’m no longer familiar with. 

When I do tell people I’m not drinking, I’m often met with surprise but that quickly turns into support. That is incredibly refreshing! I’m really enjoying this new world. And the parts of me it is allowing me to know better.