Sober curious drinks: what to buy and try
Sober curious drinks are the alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks people choose when they're questioning how much they drink: non-alcoholic beer, alcohol-free wine, non-alcoholic spirits, canned mocktails, hop water, kombucha, shrubs and "functional" drinks. The best ones for you are the ones that fill the same moment your usual drink fills: a cold beer after work, a glass of wine with dinner, something in a nice glass on a Friday.
Below: each kind of drink, what it tastes like and costs per serving, what "non-alcoholic" really means on a US label, the sugar and caffeine to watch, the claims on functional and THC drinks, and how to stock a fridge that makes drinking less easy.
What "sober curious" means
The phrase took off with Ruby Warrington's 2018 book Sober Curious. It means looking at your drinking with curiosity instead of a rule: asking why you reach for a drink, what it gives you and what it costs, and trying some nights without it. It isn't a pledge to quit. Some sober curious people stop altogether; many simply drink less, on fewer nights.
The shift is real. In Gallup's 2025 poll, 54% of US adults said they drink alcohol, the lowest share Gallup has recorded since it began asking in 1939. For more on the idea itself, see our guide on how to cut back on drinking alcohol, which is the practical side of the same question.
The main kinds of sober curious drinks
| Kind | Tastes like | Replaces | Cost per serving (about) | Calories (about) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-alcoholic beer | Lager, IPA, stout, wheat beer | The after-work beer | $1.50–$3 a can | 50–100 |
| Alcohol-free wine | Thinner than wine; sparkling and rosé are closest | The glass with dinner | $3–$6 a glass | 20–60 |
| Non-alcoholic spirits | Botanical, gin-like, whiskey-like; built to mix | The G&T, the mule, the highball | $1.50–$2.50 a pour, plus mixer | 0–20 before mixer |
| Canned mocktails | A ready G&T, margarita, spritz | The cocktail at home | $2.50–$4 a can | 15–100 |
| Hop water | Sparkling water with beer's hoppy smell | The second beer | $1–$2 a can | 0 |
| Kombucha | Tart, fizzy, a little vinegary | Something to sip slowly | $3–$4 a bottle | 30–80 |
| Shrubs and craft sodas | Sour-sweet fruit syrup with soda | The cocktail's flavor | $0.75–$1.50 a glass | 40–80 |
| Functional drinks | Herbal, bitter, often with adaptogens | The "take the edge off" drink | $3–$5 a can | 10–60 |
Prices are typical US shelf and online prices in 2025–2026; calories vary by brand, so check the can. Non-alcoholic spirits are priced like regular ones ($25–$40 a bottle) but a bottle holds about 16 pours.
Non-alcoholic beer
The closest match to the real thing and the easiest place to start. US craft makers such as Athletic Brewing make NA IPAs and stouts; big brands make NA lagers (Heineken 0.0, Guinness 0, Corona Cero, Budweiser Zero). Most are under 0.5% alcohol; a few labeled 0.0 have none. Many are lower in calories than regular beer, and some are in the 50–70 range. If you drink beer by habit, this is the swap that saves the most drinks.
Alcohol-free wine
Usually real wine with the alcohol taken out ("dealcoholized"). Alcohol gives wine its body, so still reds and whites can taste thin; sparkling and rosé hold up best. Some makers blend teas and botanicals instead and call it a "wine alternative". Try it cold, in your usual wine glass, with food. If wine at dinner is your habit, our guide on how to cut back on drinking wine has more on making the swap stick.
Non-alcoholic spirits
Distilled botanicals or flavor extracts made to stand in for gin, whiskey, tequila, rum or an aperitif. Most taste odd on their own; they're made to be mixed. Pair a gin-style one with tonic and citrus, a whiskey-style one with ginger ale, an aperitif-style one with soda and orange for a spritz. Common names include Seedlip, Lyre's, Ritual, Monday and Ghia.
Canned mocktails
Ready-made, chilled, no mixing. Good for picnics, parties and nights you don't want to make anything. Read the sugar line: some are close to soda.
Hop water
Sparkling water flavored with hops. It has beer's smell and bitterness with zero calories and zero alcohol. A useful "second drink" after one real beer.
Kombucha
Fermented tea. It's fizzy and tart and takes a while to drink. Because it ferments, it contains a little alcohol: US rules treat kombucha at 0.5% or more as an alcoholic drink, and store-bought brands sold as soft drinks must stay under that. Home-brewed kombucha can go higher.
Functional drinks
These add herbs and "adaptogens" (ashwagandha, L-theanine, reishi, lion's mane) and promise calm or focus. The evidence for those effects at the doses in a can is thin. Some ingredients interact with medicines, and kava, used in some "relaxing" drinks, carries an FDA warning about liver injury. If you take regular medicine, are pregnant, or have a liver condition, read the label and ask your pharmacist.
A note on THC drinks
Hemp-derived THC seltzers are sold in many states as "alcohol alternatives". They aren't alcohol-free in the sense that matters: they're intoxicating, the dose and how fast it hits vary, and they can affect driving and interact with medicine. Laws differ by state and are changing. This guide is about drinks that don't change how you feel.
What "non-alcoholic" means on a US label
| Label says | What it means (US rules) |
|---|---|
| Non-alcoholic | Less than 0.5% alcohol by volume; the label must say "contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume" |
| Alcohol-free / 0.0% | No detectable alcohol |
| Dealcoholized (wine) | Made as wine, alcohol removed to under 0.5% |
| Low alcohol / reduced alcohol | Still contains alcohol, often 0.5–2.5%; not a non-alcoholic drink |
Under 0.5% is in the range measured in some fruit juices. You won't feel it. But if you need zero alcohol for medical reasons, pregnancy or recovery, choose 0.0 and talk with your doctor or care team.
Sugar and caffeine to watch
- Tonic water has about 30 g of sugar in a 12 oz can, close to a soda. Use a light or diet tonic, or half tonic, half soda water.
- Canned mocktails run from 2 g to over 20 g of sugar a can. Check before you buy a case.
- Kombucha is often 6–12 g of sugar a bottle.
- Some functional drinks and sparkling teas contain caffeine. If you drink them in the evening, they can cost you the sleep you were hoping to gain. Our guide to alcohol and sleep quality explains why evening drinks matter so much.
Swapping a 150-calorie beer for a 60-calorie NA beer saves calories; swapping a glass of wine for a 200-calorie mocktail doesn't. If weight is one of your reasons, see will drinking less help me lose weight?
How to choose: match the moment, not the drink
Most people don't miss alcohol so much as the moment it marks. Pick the replacement for the moment:
| Your moment | Try |
|---|---|
| Home from work, first thing you open | A very cold NA beer or hop water, in a glass |
| Cooking dinner | An NA spritz: alcohol-free aperitif, soda water and an orange slice |
| Wine with the meal | Sparkling alcohol-free wine or rosé, cold, in a wine glass |
| Couch after the kids are in bed | Herbal tea, a shrub with soda, or a ginger highball with NA whiskey-style spirit |
| Friday "the week is done" drink | A proper made drink: NA gin and tonic, NA margarita, in your best glass |
| Out with friends | See our list of non-alcoholic drinks to order at a bar |
Not sure which moment is yours? The free 2-minute drinking pattern quiz asks when and why you usually drink and names the pattern behind most of your drinks.
Stocking a sober curious fridge for about $60
- A 6-pack of a non-alcoholic beer you like (try a few singles first): about $10–$12.
- A 4-pack of hop water or flavored sparkling water: about $6–$8.
- One bottle of alcohol-free sparkling wine for a dinner: about $15–$25.
- Light tonic, ginger beer, limes and an orange: about $10.
- One non-alcoholic spirit, only after you know you like mixed drinks: $25–$40 (it lasts about 16 drinks).
Or make your own for much less: our guide to non-alcoholic drinks to make at home has measured recipes using what's in most kitchens.
Using these drinks to drink less, not only none
- Start with an alcohol-free one. The first drink is often thirst. Answer it with something cold that isn't alcohol, then decide.
- Every other drink. Alternate real and alcohol-free; you halve the alcohol and keep the glass full.
- Set dry nights and stock for them. A dry night with nothing good in the fridge is the one that fails.
- Finish on alcohol-free. The last drink of the night does the most harm to sleep and the next morning.
Whether these drinks lower how much people drink overall is still being studied, and the answer may differ from person to person. Track a few weeks and see what it does for you. For some people in recovery, drinks that taste like alcohol can be a trigger; if that's you, follow your care team's advice.
Questions people ask
What do sober curious people drink?
Mostly non-alcoholic beer, alcohol-free wine, mocktails made with NA spirits, sparkling water with bitters or citrus, kombucha and herbal or functional drinks. Many still drink alcohol some nights.
Is non-alcoholic beer OK if I'm sober curious?
For most people, yes. It's under 0.5% alcohol and you won't feel it. If you're in recovery or need zero alcohol, choose 0.0 and talk with your doctor or care team.
Are non-alcoholic spirits worth the money?
If you like mixed drinks, often yes: a $30 bottle makes about 16 drinks. If you don't, a good NA beer or a homemade shrub is better value.
Do functional drinks with adaptogens work?
The evidence for the doses in a can is thin. Some ingredients interact with medicines, and kava has an FDA liver warning. Treat them as flavor, not medicine.
Can you be sober curious and still drink?
Yes. Sober curious means asking why and how much you drink. Many people end up drinking less, on fewer nights, rather than stopping.
Find the moment you're replacing
The right drink depends on when you'd usually pour one. The free drinking pattern quiz finds your main pattern in 2 minutes and shows where a 30-day plan to drink less would start.
Take the quizMore on drinking less: all our drink-less guides.
Sources: Warrington R, Sober Curious, HarperOne, 2018. Gallup, "Drinking rate" poll, 2025. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), labeling rules for malt beverages and wine ("non-alcoholic", "alcohol-free", "dealcoholized") and kombucha guidance. US Food and Drug Administration, consumer advisory on kava-containing dietary supplements and liver injury. USDA FoodData Central (tonic water, beer, kombucha). Makers' labels and websites for prices and nutrition (Athletic Brewing, Heineken 0.0, Seedlip, Lyre's, Ritual). Gorgus E et al., "Ethanol in fruit juices and other foods", Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2016. NBC Select, nonalcoholic drink picks with listed prices. This guide is about habits and is not medical advice.