In a boozy world, it can be pretty daunting to socialize sober when you stop drinking.

Mindset and Self-CareFind Alcohol-Free Social Activities

1️⃣ Join Clubs and Groups: Look for clubs or groups based on your interests, such as book clubs, fitness groups, art classes, or volunteer organizations.

2️⃣ Attend Alcohol-Free Events: Many communities have events like outdoor concerts, farmers markets, or festivals that don’t revolve around drinking.

3️⃣ Host Gatherings: Plan and host your own get-togethers with friends where alcohol isn’t the focus. Consider brunches, game nights, movie marathons, or potluck dinners.

Create A Supportive Environment

4️⃣ Communicate Your Preferences: Let your friends and family know that you prefer socializing without alcohol. Most people will respect your choice and may even join you.

5️⃣ Bring a Friend: If you’re attending an event where alcohol will be present, bring a like-minded friend for support.

Focus on Engaging Activities

6️⃣ Plan Active Outings: Engage in activities that naturally don’t involve alcohol, such as hiking, biking, yoga classes, or going to the gym.

7️⃣ Explore Creative Hobbies: Take up hobbies like painting, crafting, cooking, or gardening. These can be great ways to meet new people and socialize without the need for alcohol.

Offer Alternatives

8️⃣ Provide Non-Alcoholic Beverages: When hosting or attending events, bring or suggest tasty non-alcoholic drinks like mocktails, sparkling water, or specialty teas.

9️⃣ Suggest Alternative Venues: Opt for coffee shops, smoothie bars, or dessert cafes instead of bars or pubs.

Develop Social Skills and Confidence

1️⃣0️⃣ Practice Conversation Starters: Having a few topics or questions in mind can help ease into conversations and reduce social anxiety.

1️⃣1️⃣ Be Assertive: It’s okay to politely decline offers for alcoholic drinks and to stand by your decision confidently.

Build a Like-Minded Community

1️⃣2️⃣ Find Online Communities: Look for online forums or social media groups for people who prefer alcohol-free lifestyles.

 1️⃣3️⃣ Attend Sober Meetups: Some cities have meetups specifically for people who are looking to socialize without alcohol.

Mindset and Self-Care

1️⃣4️⃣ Stay Positive: Focus on the benefits of socializing without alcohol, such as better health, clearer thinking, and deeper connections.

1️⃣5️⃣ Self-Reflect: Understand your reasons for choosing to socialize alcohol-free and remind yourself of them when needed.

Plan Ahead

1️⃣6️⃣ Set Boundaries: Know your limits and have a plan for how to handle situations where you might feel pressured to drink.

1️⃣7️⃣ Know Your Exits: If you’re at an event and start feeling uncomfortable, it’s okay to leave early.

Leverage Technology

 1️⃣8️⃣ Virtual Hangouts: Use video calls to catch up with friends, play online games, or attend virtual events.

Want to read the full transcript of this podcast episode? Scroll down on this page.

READ THE TRANSCRIPT OF THIS PODCAST INTERVIEW

How To Socialize Sober with Susie Streelman

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

drinking, alcohol, sober, non-alcoholic, free, love, event, Seattle, alcoholic, talk, years, athletic, beverage, non-alcoholic beverage, restaurant, Casey, non-alcoholic beer, husband, wine, socializing, sober in the city, alcohol-free, connecting, connect online, social connections, in-person, event, retreats, She Recovers, it’s going to be okay, socializing alcohol-free, not drinking, non-alcohol, mocktail, cocktail, stop drinking

SPEAKERS: Casey McGuire Davidson + Susie Streelman

00:02

Welcome to the Hello Someday Podcast, the podcast for busy women who are ready to drink less and live more. I’m Casey McGuire Davidson, ex-red wine girl turned life coach helping women create lives they love without alcohol. But it wasn’t that long ago that I was anxious, overwhelmed, and drinking a bottle of wine and night to unwind. I thought that wine was the glue, holding my life together, helping me cope with my kids, my stressful job and my busy life. I didn’t realize that my love affair with drinking was making me more anxious and less able to manage my responsibilities.

In this podcast, my goal is to teach you the tried and true secrets of creating and living a life you don’t want to escape from.

Each week, I’ll bring you tools, lessons and conversations to help you drink less and live more. I’ll teach you how to navigate our drinking obsessed culture without a buzz, how to sit with your emotions when you’re lonely or angry, frustrated or overwhelmed, how to self soothe without a drink, and how to turn the decision to stop drinking from your worst case scenario to the best decision of your life.

I am so glad you’re here. Now let’s get started.

Hey there, today we are talking about

how to socialize alcohol-free

and my guest is Susie Streelman.

She’s the passionate founder of zero proof experiences. An innovative venture that has created memorable sober in the city weekend’s they redefine the concept of fun without alcohol. And I got to know Susie because I am going to be part of the Sober In The City Seattle Event. And that is coming up September 6, in Seattle, Washington. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend. So, if you’re interested in joining us at that, you can buy tickets now at zeroproofexperiences.com/Seattle, while Susie was a former imbiber of Chardonnay Red blends in Southern Yom Blanc.

She has moved from feeling reliant on alcoholic beverages for socializing, vacations and special events to feeling empowerment in her newfound alcohol-free path. She lives in Long Beach with her husband of over 30 years is close to her two adult sons during their leisure time. She loves playing golf, practicing yoga, or unwinding in the Jacuzzi while planning her next adventure.

So, Susie, welcome, I’m so glad to talk to you again.

Susie Streelman  02:49

Thank you, Casey, it’s nice to see you. I was excited to meet you just a few weeks ago, and great to connect online here. But of course, it’s going to be a great time in the fall. And when we really get to put this into practice, I guess.

Casey McGuire Davidson  03:03

Yeah, we’ve actually been talking a lot because we’re having monthly meetings planning for the Sober In The City event in Seattle. It sounds like it’s going to be a fantastic time. And can you just get started? Tell us a little bit about that event. I know you’ve hosted ones before in Miami and a couple other places.

Susie Streelman  03:25

Oh sure. Yes. So, we created a sober in the city actually started in January of 2022. Kind of as a grassroots event, partly because of socializing alcohol free was really a big obstacle for me. So, we did that as a celebratory occasion, celebrating the end of dry January and then in 2022. And it’s hard to believe that this will be our 7th sober in the city weekend when we come to Seattle in the fall.

To describe that, in a way, I often think it’s sort of like an explosion or a great big celebration of the alcohol free lifestyle. We start out with so low social so because over 60 70% of people come bravely all by themselves.

You’ll be hosting our Friday evening meet and greet. Expect a lot of interaction. Expect a variety of social activities. And if you want some downtime, you do actually need to self-select that because there’s just a lot going on from Friday afternoon, all day Saturday. We have breakout sessions and then it’s a celebratory dinner, for example like this. Coming up, we’ll be featuring your local another local person which is really special Jessica Sealander. The founder of joyous wines will be our keynote speaker on Saturday night. Eat. And so, our dinner will feature many varieties of joyous award winning wine. I can’t believe how many awards she has gotten over the years.

Casey McGuire Davidson  05:12

Yeah, I’m really excited for that. And I know we’ve been talking to Elise Bryson of the sober curator. She’s hosting a really cool event on Thursday night down in Pike Place Market at Matson. But down in Pike Place Market at a very cool restaurant that I love, and Seattle is absolutely beautiful. In September, it’s like the most gorgeous time to come. So, I’m excited to be a part of it. Thank you for inviting me.

I’ve been to. I know it takes a lot of courage to go to a sober event, especially if you don’t know people. I remember my first year, the day I hit your number one, I went to a she recovers yoga event in Seattle. And it was just incredible to be surrounded by 100 women who were also on the alcohol free path to talk to them to get to know them. It was just super inspiring. And I was filling all the fields. And since then, I’ve gone to sort of conferences in LA and in Miami, I’ve gone to retreats in Mexico and in Salt Spring Island BC. And every single time I’ve just my cup has been totally filled up. It was very scary at first, but then it gets so much easier.

So, even if you can’t make it to Seattle, I want to encourage anyone listening to this to sort of explore showing up at some of those events and signing up for them. Because even if you’re nervous about it, there is something hugely empowering. And just it fills your cup to be surrounded by other women, other people who are doing this alcohol free thing, especially in a world where most of us have structured our social life around alcohol.

Susie Streelman  07:10

True. I bet you’re still in contact with perhaps even some of those women that you met at that very first yoga retreat.

Casey McGuire Davidson  07:18

Oh, yeah. I mean, one of them was Libby Nelson, who’s been on my podcast twice. She was a sober coach. So, when I met her she was, I think 2 years, 3 years alcohol-free. I was one year, so she just hit a decade alcohol-free and I’m an 8 years. But we are great friends. And one of the women I met at the Salzburg Island Retreat. I am actually traveling to Provence with this summer with two other girlfriends, and we are just going to have the best time, so they are definitely lifelong friendships, in my opinion.

Susie Streelman  07:56

Amazing. Amazing. You had to bravely step out to do that.

Casey McGuire Davidson  08:03

I remember sitting down next to Libby at that first one year thing just at lunch, we just sat down together, and she was a life coach. She’s not a sober coach. She’s a life coach. She’d been doing that for years. She was 3 years sober. I was like, Oh, my God, I want to be you when I grow up, you know?

Susie Streelman  08:23

Right, right. Yeah, that’s awesome. It’s really cool to see that, 3 years ago, there wasn’t much, there wasn’t much in the way of a local alcohol free event. There wasn’t much in the way of a travel event. Now, there is more and more coming. You and I and many of your listeners know that for trendy. And that’s kind of fun, because that’s one thing that I certainly didn’t expect when I was really concerned about a lot of this.

Casey McGuire Davidson  08:56

But yeah, yeah, well, so let’s dive in.

And this is how to socialize alcohol-free, and I know most people do not start with a big, alcohol-free sober event. For most of us, in early sobriety, it’s kind of terrifying to go out and be alcohol-free. I’m sure a lot of us have tried to go out and not drink and then at some point, then like, this is too hard, or I really want a drink or people are asking you why or saying just have one.

So, we’re going to talk through all of that. You know what, you know what it’s like in the beginning, what fears a lot of people have about socializing alcohol-free, how to talk to people about not drinking, but also how to consider new hobbies how to move through expanding your universe of what socializing means, away from just bars and happy hours and girls drinking nights. and all of that good stuff. So, to dive in, what are the fears that you hear most from women about socializing Alcohol-free?

Susie Streelman  10:13

Yeah, it’s, it’s scary. They’ve feel like, they’re going to be called out.

And, you know, I mean, we have to admit that it’s possible. You feel like you’re going to be called, boring. You feel like, you won’t be invited? I’ve heard before going any event? Well, if you’re not going to party, you’re probably not going to be invited back. I think feeling, like, like the lone wolf is, is the biggest thing that that I hear in a lot of varieties of that.

And could we just set the stage and say that you can.

You can have deep social connections alcohol-free.

And I’ve heard from many people that we have deeper social connections now, alcohol-free. So, I just want to put that out there, that it’s there. And it’s okay, if you’re not there yet.

Casey, and I, both know a whole bunch of people who, who are working through that process, and are there now.

And, you know, for me, I’ve been pretty active in the space. Right. So, I feel like there’s kind of 3 main ways to connect. And, and they’re all all good.

Connecting online, which you and I are doing right now. And a lot of us are involved in a variety of communities online, connecting locally in-person. And then you know, these other things like a big celebratory event, like sober in the city, or a retreat like you went on with She Recovers. And I was going to mention, Izzy, of SoberTopia. It has hosted Retreats. And not only that, but she’s put together a really nice list. A lot of options. So, you know, that’s another great resource to look at. But just know that it’s going to be okay.

Casey McGuire Davidson  12:20

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I remember sort of being terrified in the beginning to even go out on a date night with my husband. In terms of socializing alcohol-free. I had to think through that really carefully in terms of, you know, where can we go, what can we do, because our go to our go to date night was honestly like bar hopping, like, we used to love to go to different restaurants, sit at the bar, kind of get an app and a drink at each place. That was what we’d love to do. We always drank together.

So, I had to even think through how can I socialize with my husband, not drinking.

And I also remember the first time, you know, I kind of didn’t go out very much. My first month alcohol-free, which I think was actually very, very helpful. I stayed away from a lot of drinking events. I didn’t even like go out to dinner with my husband. I know not everyone can do that. But for me, it was February in Seattle, my kids had a lot of basketball, I you know, it was dark, I bubbled up, you know, all that good stuff. But when the first time, I had to go out to dinner with another couple, my husband had gotten promoted, it was his best friend from work and his wife. And we were going to a really nice restaurant. And I was just like, deer in the headlights. I mean, I remember basically talking to my Sober Coach about like, what the hell am I going to do? What am I going to say? I felt like, the waitress was going to ask me what I wanted to drink. And I would blow over like a feather. And so, there are strategies for how to navigate that.

I mean, I remember talking to her in advance, picking out what I was going to eat and drink on the menu beforehand. My husband knew I wasn’t drinking, and just telling the other woman, you know, right off the bat, I was so scared to do it, which now it’s just like, I wouldn’t even give it a second thought. But hey, I’m taking 100 day break from drinking for a health kick. And so yeah, that’s what’s going on with me. That’s my big thing. And of course, she didn’t even blink at it. But for me, it was it was very scary. And I built a big muscle by doing it.

Susie Streelman  14:46

That’s, that’s amazing. And what I’m hearing too is you had that base like I heard that you say you had that super coach to talk to.

Yeah, and that that was like your base that helped you get out there. Of course, in the beginning, it’s, it’s a challenge, because you’re so used to ordering that that same Chardonnay or whatever it is the orders come around Chardonnay. Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, club soda, it feels very awkward at first. And to be honest, in the early days, I did sometimes do the research and made, you know, a careful selection got very brave and said, I would like to have that lavender Martini without alcohol. And I was told, I’m sorry, that’s pre mixed. Or, honestly, some really, you know, for me at the time, like you said, Now, I wouldn’t really blink at it. But at the time, it was a big deal for me to be told in front of the group that the very eliminate is the best we can do. Or are you sure you want that? That won’t really taste like anything?

You know, so many times are being served, like the mocktail that I ordered, maybe not turning out very good in a really large water glass while my friends are drinking out of sexy cocktail glasses. Like, I didn’t like it at all. And I want to share that, you know, this is something that happened just a couple of weeks ago.

I went to a little golf celebration event, kind of the end of season. And guess what it was? The champagne. Welcome, Casey. Right. You know, that’s something that you might think about. So, and I hadn’t seen that in a while. But I walked in, I’m confident now at this stage. And it really was all they were offering. Right there at that moment. She came up and asked me, offered me a glass of champagne. And I smiled and said, I think I’d like something non-alcoholic. And you know what she said? What can I get you?

Casey McGuire Davidson 

Hi there. If you’re listening to this episode, and have been trying to take a break from drinking, but keep starting and stopping and starting again, I want to invite you to take a look at my on demand coaching course, The Sobriety Starter Kit.

 

The Sobriety Starter Kit is an online self study sober coaching course that will help you quit drinking and build a life you love without alcohol without white knuckling it or hating the process. The course includes the exact step by step coaching framework I work through with my private coaching clients, but at a much more affordable price than one on one coaching. And the sobriety starter kit is ready, waiting and available to support you anytime you need it. And when it fits into your schedule. You don’t need to work your life around group meetings or classes at a specific day or time.

This course is not a 30 day challenge, or a one day at a time approach. Instead, it’s a step by step formula for changing your relationship with alcohol. The course will help you turn the decision to stop drinking, from your worst case scenario to the best decision of your life.

You will sleep better and have more energy, you’ll look better and feel better. You’ll have more patience and less anxiety. And with my approach, you won’t feel deprived or isolated in the process. So if you’re interested in learning more about all the details, please go to www.sobrietystarterkit.com. You can start at any time and I would love to see you in the course 

Casey McGuire Davidson  17:03

Yeah, that’s an awesome response. You know, you can just be like, Oh, actually, I’d like something non-alcoholic, like, do not have to make a huge deal about it at all.

Susie Streelman  17:16

True. And also, I would like to report to this is a very positive spin that compared to 2 years ago, when I order something like an alcohol-free Margarita to the waiter. Yes, some places it’s not always the best yet. It’s coming along. Some places are great. But I find now that almost all the time, compared to what I just shared earlier. People are saying, Okay, I’ll be right back with your mocktail or whatever they say. They know what I’m talking about.

Casey McGuire Davidson  17:50

It is a different world. I mean, I quit drinking 8 years ago. And that was like, a completely different world. I mean, it’s all much better now.

I think almost every restaurant I go to has, you know, a zero proof cocktail or mocktail or non-alcoholic cocktail menu. You certainly can always ask for, you know, a cranberry and soda, or you can ask for I always love non-alcoholic mojitos. That is something that tastes fantastic without alcohol every single time. But a lot of people have a whole section of that. And most places carry non-alcoholic beer these days. I mean, including at the professional baseball stadiums, and everywhere else. So, it has been very, very rare that I’ve gone to a place, and they don’t have non-alcoholic options.

But I mean, a Diet Coke is fine, too. But I typically prefer a you know, non-alcoholic version of a cocktail or a beer or something. But yeah, yeah, it is. It is a different world out there, which I absolutely love.

Susie Streelman  19:08

It’s an exciting time to be involved in the space for sure. Or, you know, if you are just curious or making some progress, can I just suggest they’ll build confidence and build confidence when it’s easy? Because that’s, that’s going to go a long way. And maybe the way I would think about that, and you can, you know, let me know what you think is, you know, think about like, Who is that person that is easy for you to be alcohol for you around. Right. So maybe, it’s your husband, maybe it’s your, your cousin or close friend. Sometimes it can be a little bit harder with your close friends that are really used to you having a cocktail around them.

So, whatever that setting is, When it’s easy, you know, go out and do something social with them. If you if you’re feeling a little bit more brave, I would suggest ordering something that you think you would like, that you might be uncomfortable doing in a bigger situation that has a little more pressure, like, you know, at a party or at a larger, you know, dinner event.

Maybe take that time to order an alcohol-free Margarita, you know, or that alcohol-free Mojito, where you’re not 100% sure what they’re going to say.

Casey McGuire Davidson  20:40

Yeah, I mean, I think the first thing that a lot of people should try is expanding the definition of what socializing means, right? We are so used to, if I’m going to socialize with someone, it means a restaurant or a bar.

And when I was in early sobriety, I needed to shift some of the things I did with my drinking friends. So, I would suggest brunch instead of dinner or happy hour. I would suggest going on hikes together or walks or biking or, you know window shopping at a cute little town going out to lunch going to yoga classes together. I signed up for mindful triathlon with a bunch of friends, which was just so fun. It was the Wanderlust run one, which was a 5k, you could run a walk, a dance party, a meditation and yoga with just 200 people, but they had like aerial yoga workshops you could sign up for and face painting. And I mean, that was so inspiring. But it wasn’t an event that was centered around drinking.

Susie Streelman  22:03

Amazing, amazing. And, and that kind of maybe funnels into, like, this is a great opportunity to pursue perhaps a new hobby, right? Yeah. Because a lot of times that that time taken up by just enjoying a glass or two or more of wine in the evening, will allow you to have space and time to pursue something else, which could be pickleball. It could be yoga, I mean, the running community, or even like those, you know, the races that’s gotten so big, I actually used to do a lot of half marathons and a few full marathons. But that can be a lot of fun to join a group and do that. And yes, I mean, many times, even the running club will, you know, pop in after the run for a beer. But there are alcohol-free options. And I think there’s going to be less it’s less of the focus than, you know, your typical networking. Happy Hour, right?

Casey McGuire Davidson  23:10

Yeah. I love this suggestion of that you had of starting with a friend who is easier. Meaning, we all have a few friends who are not the biggest losers. They may not be your best friend, but their entire lives are not centered around drinking. And so, even if they drink occasionally, I mean, I would still suggest lunch, not dinner to start, but just even mentioning to someone casually, like, oh, actually, I’m taking a break from alcohol. If it’s a person who drinking isn’t the end all, be all. That is a really easy place to start.

You know, my friend just reminded me. My best friend from high school. We went to a Billy Joel concert couple weeks ago. And 8 years ago, pretty much same time of year. So, I was like 90 days sober. We also went to a Billy Joe concert. He had not been back in 8 years. He came back. We went again. And she reminded me that it was at that dinner that I told her, not only had I stopped drinking, but I intended to stop drinking.

You know, that was my goal. To be alcohol-free. Because it was day 90 of 100 day challenge. And we had a great conversation about it. I had been friends with her for 30 years. And she was with me through all of my drinking, but I was the big drinker, and she reminded me that I told her, before I even told my husband. Like, that was my Safe conversation.

Susie Streelman  25:02

Socially was easy for you to tell.

Casey McGuire Davidson  25:07

Yeah, I mean, it was still scary. And it was mostly scary not telling her but saying out loud that my intention was to not drink again. But it was easier than saying that out loud to my husband, who I lived with who, you know, I always drank with, at least for me.

Susie Streelman  25:23

Yeah, yeah, interesting. And I think one thing that has helped me too, when if it’s somebody particularly that you’re a little bit worried about telling, or, you know, you’re going out for a happy hour, you know, it, maybe it’s a work event that you need to go.

And I think if you visualize them reacting positively, it puts you in that tone. And it’s a bit like manifesting it, it happens, it really does happen. You know, I can remember texting when my hosts where, I was I was going to attend a girls weekend. And, you know, I spent like a whole morning, drafting the bit x drive to like, oh, by the way, this is what I’m doing. And, you know, I kind of did stress over it. But I did visualize the positive reaction, of course.

What did she say? That’s super cool. You know, maybe, maybe you have something I would love to try it.

Casey McGuire Davidson  26:33

Yeah. No, I know. I definitely recommend.

No matter where you go, if you can, telling someone in advance that you’re not going to be drinking, that is just huge accountability. We’re telling everyone you know, but really casually, in a text, not a big deal. But so, you don’t walk in, and they immediately offer you a drink, and you don’t have that deer in the headlights moment, if they’re surprised. And they’re like, Oh, why. So, I recommend just texting someone in advance. And, you know, being like, Hey, can’t wait to see you on Friday. I’m super excited. By the way, I’m not drinking right now. But I’ll bring non-alcoholic drinks that I love.

And, you know, finish with something else, like, you’re slipping it in there. And I think people very, very much play off your vibe. If you are positive and casual about it, they are going to be like, they’ll either shrug and be like, Oh, cool. Or they’ll be like, Oh, wow, that is really hard. I could never do that. Or if they pressure you to drink or ask why that is all about their own drinking. And you can kind of recognize people, because I was that person – that it is way too important to them that you drink with them. And all that is to say is, that I’ve found that most of those people later come to me and asked me how I did it and how I feel and how hard it was. But in that moment, you just have to be like, this is about them, not about me. Right.

Susie Streelman  28:16

100%. And, you know, you bring up a point, which is, it has been very helpful for me, too, is get a drink in your hand. Right away, no matter what it is, even if it is just water. And you know, if the easiest thing for you to order is a Diet Coke or a sparkling water when you get there. Get that beverage in your hand first, so that when people are arriving and you know you’re not empty handed, and so you don’t get asked 5 times, what would you like to, to?

It’s honestly, when you’re hosting at your own home. That’s like the easiest way to do that, too. Because you can pour, and you don’t even have to tell what you’re drinking. You know, you could pour a Kombucha in a wineglass and it will look just like why. And you can kind of easily, you know, refill that casually. If you’re feeling more comfortable. Put it out on the counter. It’s, you know, pretty fantastic. I find that and it’s not every time, but most of the time, when you offer something nice and non-alcoholic, other people want to try it too. They may not be drinking it the whole time.

Casey McGuire Davidson  29:38

But, oh my gosh, I have to tell you that.

You know, when I was drinking, I was always very concerned if I’d have enough, right, will they be enough? I used to show up at people’s houses with 2 bottles of wine, because I’m just like, oh, you know, because I knew that I could easily consume a bottle on my own.

But I was hosting in an event for my husband’s coworkers, their leadership team at our house, and I had a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne. And it was really, really good. And 3 of his coworkers like well, one came up first and was like, Oh, what’s this? And he started pointing. I was like, Oh, actually, that’s non-alcoholic. And he was like, Oh, great, I’m driving. That’s awesome. And then, someone else came by and started pouring wine and someone else and I was like, Dude, stop drinking my shit. Like, in my mind, I was like, that’s mine. I need that, like, you can go drink the alcoholic shit.

But it was just funny that I was like, I’m not going to have enough. But it was amazing that a lot of people were like, oh, non-alcoholic option. Awesome.

That may or may not happen right off the bat. But definitely, you know, if you walk into someone’s house, and you know, most hosts, just want to know you’re taken care of right? They’re worried about greeting 7 people. They want to make sure everyone can talk. They’re probably trying to finish up the food. They just want to check you off the list.

So, if they’re like, oh, what can I get you to drink? You can be like, Oh, do you have anything non-alcoholic? You know, just put it out there. You can just be like, Oh, I’d like to start with something non-alcoholic or whatever. And even if they say, What can I get you to drink? We’ve got wine. We’ve got beer. We’ve got you know, cocktails, you can just be like, Oh, actually, I’m just going to start with water. I’m really thirsty. Like, you don’t have to make it a huge deal. And in my membership, people talk all the time. It’s that first 20 minutes. It’s getting that first drink. That is the hardest part. Once you have something in your hand. It is not as hard. It just isn’t.

Susie Streelman  31:56

Right. You just need something in your hand. I have my little one of my favorite go twos is hot swatter. I love it. It looks it looks pretty. It looks like something you know, not sparkling water. And really, really fun to share at home or to bring along.

Now, let’s talk about NA. Can we talk about NA, NA beverages? You know?

Yeah. When you made your move 8 years ago? I don’t know. I don’t know.

Casey McGuire Davidson  32:26

There was. I mean, there was. Oh jewels, which is total crap. Or St. Polly’s girl. Not a lot else at all. So, I mean, when I was starting out, I drank, you know, found Lacroix and found sparkling grapefruit sodas, and I bought a Soda Stream, and I drank ginger beer. Like, those were. I always had non-alcoholic mojitos at restaurants. People make those often, and they’re very good.

Susie Streelman  32:54

And they can be really good. And I’ve actually, you know, where they make them really good is in Asia open so much better than any non-alcoholic Mojito that I’ve ever had here. It’s a regular on the menu. There. But yes, the non-alcoholic beverage industry is coming up. And maybe it’s not for everybody.

For me, absolute game changer. I haven’t caught myself since the beginning. The you know, I’ve been to. I do things. And you know, that’s it’s really important to me to continue an active full life. And part of that, for me, is you know, socializing. It’s weddings, it’s traveling, it’s meeting up with friends at a lot of restaurants.

Personally, I also like to golf and yoga and some other active things. But I caught myself in that curious phase like, you know, how are you feeling because sometimes it worked out for me to bring something nice. And sometimes it didn’t. I wasn’t prepared. I was caught off guard. Whatever. I was busy. You know, I still can do it without a nice hops water or an alcohol-free wine or something. But I noticed that I feel about 30% Maybe happier, more confident when I have something nice. I feel like excited to be in this great in a vibe life on this side.

Casey McGuire Davidson  34:29

Yeah. And I have to say I completely agree once the non-alcoholic beverage market took off. I absolutely love non-alcoholic beer. And also, I love non-alcoholic Prosecco. I love non-alcoholic, bubbly Rosé. There are so many fantastic options.

My absolute favorite is Athletic Brewing Company. I’m actually an Ambassador for their beer NA. It’s because I love them so much. I was like, I really want to get the discount for myself because I was drinking so much of it, but also be able to share it on my podcast. So, I will just say, if you have not tried it and you want to go order from their website athleticbrewing.com, you can save 20% with the code CaseyD20. So, just you know, they have free shipping. I’m the biggest fan! So, use CaseyD20 on their website.

But I just want to read you, in terms of like, how popular non-alcoholic drinks are.

Some of the headlines that you will read, and I just pulled up Athletic Brewing Company. But in 2023, it was the 4th fastest growing company in the Americas. In the America’s, the 4th fastest growing. It was ranked as the fastest growing U.S. beverage manufacturer by Inc. You know, of all U.S. beverages.

The Wall Street Journal just published his story saying the hottest beer in America doesn’t have alcohol. It is dominating the beer market. I mean it is. It’s incredible. Like it ranked number 26 out of 5000 of the fastest growing company.

So, this is non-alcoholic beverage thing is a thing. You are not alone.

I mean, it’s incredible their growth. And it’s not just them, right. It is every other. Even the big alcohol companies, almost everyone is coming up with a non-alcoholic option. That is because they’re being forced to that is because that is the fastest growing category. So obviously Heineken has 0.0 But Guinness has not an alcoholic options. Corona has non-alcoholic options. Budweiser, I don’t like their beer, but they you know, like you name it, there’s a non-alcoholic option and that’s, that’s because they’re being forced to by market demand.

Susie Streelman  37:23

Yeah, they are. And I think I mean athletic. I love what you just shared about athletic that I mean that I’m thrilled to hear it and they’ve done an amazing job, and they are so available. I’ve never really been a beer person, but I do order athletic sometimes. And yeah, it’s okay even for a non like her at all.

Casey McGuire Davidson  37:50

So, what are your favorite non-alcoholic drinks? Or choices?

Susie Streelman  37:55

Yeah, so, so I have I have many I have many right, but I guess I was really a wine drinker and I’ve kind of sort of enjoying that again right now. I love groovy was probably one of the first ones I tried and still enjoy that, and you know, I am a sucker for a pretty bottle. So, I enjoy that about groovy. Also joyous is fantastic. Premiere Paavai is fantastic. I like the red. Some of the red blends from drink Sovi which you know, those are those are pretty tricky. And I personally really enjoy that.

Casey McGuire Davidson  38:36

You like the red blends from where drank and drink Sovi their red reserve this year?

Susie Streelman  38:39

How do you spell that? S O V I drink.

Casey McGuire Davidson  38:49

Kool I was a red wine drinker. If you are a red wine drinker, it takes work to find the right the right wine. But I would also say for me because I was a huge red wine drinker. It’s helped me to switch to other beverages because I have to admit that like holding the wine glass holding the red wine like it’s just a little too familiar for me.

So, I think just judge for yourself. For me, any other non-alcoholic beverage, I’m thrilled with. I also have not found a red that I adore. So, I am going to try the drink Sobey read reserve because yeah, I’m far enough along but I have to say my daughter came into my office when I was working late. And I was trying one of the red wines and I had it in the glass and she even was like, huh? Like, giving me a look where she never gives her lunch for anything else. And I was like, it is non-alcoholic. And she was 2 when I quit.

I think she’s just not used to it.

Susie Streelman  39:59

Well, I’m sure she hears you talk about it a lot. But another good read. And again, this is local, so you’ll get to try it in Seattle, but maybe you’ll try it before is, the joyous Cabernet. That’s award-winning particular view, enjoy Cabernet, which I definitely enjoy that I kind of do enjoy the blends, though, as well. And just speaking of, you know, socializing out with non-alcoholic beverages. I mean, I remember in the beginning, one of my mentors was talking about bringing her own non-alcoholic beverages to a restaurant and I was like, No way, no way would I ever do that I just, and I remember telling her, there is no way I would do that, like, you know, arriving at a restaurant and pulling something out. But here’s what I’ve been doing more lately, I’ve been getting one of my nice, more, you know, special alcohol free wines, I take it to the restaurant, and I asked them to cook it. I typically say I, I’m happy to pay for this. And I hope that one day, I’ll be able to order it off your menu, I find that most of the time, you know, they don’t charge because they realize they’re not really they don’t really have something like this to offer. But you know, it’s also fair, they’re providing that nice service. I really don’t mind at all, you know, going that experience with a nice glass and, and so on sort of, you know, like the same experience that you used to have going out.

Casey McGuire Davidson  41:35

You know, what’s funny is. So one, I always bring my non-alcoholic options to friends’ houses, or parties or wherever I’m going. And in my mind, it is very, very similar to me walking in with two bottles of wine, like I always did.

You know, I used to always bring drinks to people’s houses. So, it is not in my mind that weird to continue to bring drinks, but to bring non-alcoholic ones. That is just standard. My favorite thing, though, is now my friends and my friends husbands, like literally when they’re having a party will be like, Oh, Casey, I have your athletic, I got you covered. Like they’re buying drinks for people. And as a gesture, they want to make sure that they’ve got the beer, the wine, the cocktails. Oh, and Casey loves this. So that super sweet. But I was laughing when you were saying brigade stuff. Because there’s one place that’s fancy. Fancy movie theater, where they bring you drinks and food while you’re watching in these reclining seats, and my husband and I love going there on a date. And I have to say, despite me mentioning it to them, like 17 times, they do not have good non-alcoholic beer. They have non-alcoholic beer, but it is not what I like. So I used to always sneak alcohol into places, like I go to an outdoor concert and I put red wine in my water bottle or I’d open it, you know, quietly import it. And I mean, you know, come on it. I think other people have done this too, right?

So, I went to this movie theater, and I ordered a glass of water. I drank it. And then literally the dark. I brought into athletics. I mean, I’m sneaking non-alcoholic beverages into a place that serves alcohol. So, I’m pouring it in really quietly to my drink. It was just cracking me up my husband’s like, how the world has changed. The

Susie Streelman  43:45

The world has changed. It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it?

Casey McGuire Davidson  43:48

Oh, it’s so right. In the best way. Yeah. Sometimes.

Susie Streelman  43:52

I mean, it is kind of funny to think about. I mean, probably most people who drink maybe tried to minimize how many drinks at least they were enjoying, sometimes, you know, it’s not a lot of times, and then they take a break from drinking, maybe it’s just a break kind of checking it out. And you hide the fact that you’re not drinking. Right, you know, you which I think is a really good strategy in in the beginning. You know, it just takes that pressure off of sharing, so it doesn’t work out. But you know, you can put it in a glass kind of kind of secretly and if it’s really stressful like you, you can walk down the hall and pour it out and pour something else in.

Casey McGuire Davidson  44:43

Yeah, yeah. I do think though a lot of people I hear sometimes want to pretend that they’re drinking alcoholic beverages are not making it a big deal. So, they like take it and they hold it, and they pretend to sip. Please don’t do that. That is such a bad idea. In terms of building sober momentum reducing triggers, it is so incredibly difficult to not drink if you’re holding an alcoholic beverage. So, do be brave enough to choose a non-alcoholic option to bring your non-alcoholic beverages to tell someone you’re not drinking. You want to set yourself up for success and not for self-sabotage.

Susie Streelman  45:33

Yeah, that’s cool. And I think, you know, along that line, no, no, that there, there actually really is someone else there with you. If you look around, like I just told I told you earlier about that champagne welcome. And if that was, you know, a couple three years ago, I probably would have been too uncomfortable to notice that there were two other people that were just holding that glass of champagne, and they didn’t know what to do with it. And then after they saw that I was getting a non-alcoholic water, they just set it down on the table, and they asked for something as well.

Casey McGuire Davidson  46:15

So, I think we’re always amazed when we stopped drinking, we look around. And notice how many people actually don’t drink that much. You know, people always tell me like, oh, I went to this business dinner, and three other people were doing dry January, or I sat next to people who didn’t drink, or I realized they drank one glass and not more. And, you know, just observing that not everyone is as big a drinker as you are.

But the other thing I want to suggest is, when I was in early sobriety, I had told my husband that I wasn’t drinking. He knew, you know, I just told him 100 days, but I didn’t talk to him about how hard it was for me, or all this stuff going on underneath the surface. So, I didn’t need to either plan our dates, and you know, get creative, like, Okay, we’re going to go to sushi and a movie, or we’re going to go to a bookstore, and you know, something like that. Or we’re going to go out during the day and go hiking, you know, things that was not our normal activity. And that is exciting, right? We had gotten into a rut, like it was drinking was our hobby. And it was kind of cool to expand our horizons.

But the other thing is, so for example, he suggested going to this new brewery. And I had to be like, Hey, I’m actually still on my 100 day, no alcohol challenge, can we go to this coffee shop that’s having an open mic night instead. And that took research, but it was really fun. We actually had a much better conversation. Or he suggested going to an Italian restaurant now, as a red wine girl. That would have been incredibly difficult for me in my first three months. And I’ve heard from people who are like, huge, you know, Margarita drinkers, so they avoid restaurants where that is their drink. But I was like, Oh, actually, can we go do this, like the movie, the coffee shop, the sushi, you just have to like, think through the situations you’re putting yourself in.

Susie Streelman  48:36

You do need to be proactive. And so, I feel like you just gave me a great segue Casey to say I attend an alcohol free event. live and in person. And, and I believe, almost 100% everywhere. You can now.

So, I mean, really one way would be to go look on meetup and buy an alcohol-free event this time. I mean, like a dedicated alcohol free event, like an alcohol-free bottle shop that just popped up. Even if you live pretty rural, maybe you do have to drive an hour. But go to an alcohol-free bottle shop, look on their schedule, because they’re going to have some, you know, happy hour connection nights. Go on meetup and search alcohol-free.

Here in Long Beach. I mean, there’s an alcohol-free Meetup group that just popped up. It’s only been around for a year. There’s 900 people in there, and they’re having, you know, regular events every week. You know, alcohol free Instagram is a great place if you just put in alcohol free, type that in or sober event, type that in. You’re going to find stuff. The Phoenix is an image Amazing organization who has alcohol free events, like, almost everywhere. And if you just download their app and put in your zip code, you can find something. And so, I would really encourage that to, you know, flex your muscle, alcohol free, in a place where you walk in. And, you know, there’s not to the pressure, you know, everybody is in the same boat. And I think that’s a that’s a super important thing.

Casey McGuire Davidson  50:32

Yeah, I love that. Definitely. And the other thing, I think it’s a challenge for people is if they use alcohol, because they’re more introverted, because they’re uncomfortable in social situations, because they feel like, they don’t know what to say. And I’m gonna link in the show notes of this episode. Another episode I did on being an introvert and how to socialize without liquid courage. It’s with a fantastic guest, but we we met at a big podcasting conference. And, you know, she was like, immediately, you know, like, Oh, my God, I’m an introvert, I need to take X amount of time to go sit by the pool and hang out or whatever it is. But in this conversation, we talk about small stuff, small talk strategies that won’t drain your energy, and what to do if you’re overwhelmed or overstimulated how to shave and gave a cheat sheet for less socially awkward interactions. But a lot of route, you know, we talked about business trips, business dinners, conferences, and then just hanging out with larger groups, but like, how to network and manage and the school ice cream social, like how to do that in a way that you’re not triggered to drink, because you’re so uncomfortable.

Susie Streelman  52:01

That’s, that’s amazing. Oh, I will want to go back and listen to that one, too. And I do hear a lot. I think we’ve probably both heard, but some people discover, maybe they are a little more introverted than they thought. And so, a little bit of self-discovery.

Now, I do think for all of us whether, you know, introversion and extraversion, in my mind is a scale, I sort of consider myself an extroverted introvert. And I do need recharging, but I am social. And I, it’s that’s very important that I have those social things on my calendar. But I do think wherever you are on that scale, it’s we want to avoid kind of falling into a cycle of disconnection, right, where maybe you were using alcohol to get you out. And certainly, it’s okay to take a break as needed. But we don’t want you to stay in that cycle of disconnection. So, thank you for having that podcast. That sounds like a wonderful resource. And even if you’re very introverted, you’d still need connection. And I’m going to go out and say you need that connection with some people that are alcohol-free. In addition to your their circle.

Casey McGuire Davidson  53:22

It is a game changer. And I actually met a lot of my first friends who do not drink online, in sober communities, and it it’s wonderful. I mean, I truly consider myself friends with, with lots of people who don’t live locally. You know, you can make real friendships online. But I also met, you know, very good friends who live in my town, who I’m still friends with eight years later on online as well. And that is very cool.

Susie Streelman  53:59

Amazing. Yes, you can be good friends online and you can have a weekly zoom call. And, you know, or, you know, a bi weekly zoom call if you’re more introverted, and you’re, you’re done talking at work, or for the week, you know, that works. Like, I know quite a few introverts, too, that have gotten brave, and they’ve taken that next step besides connecting online and they have traveled to retreat together to a sober in the city together and deepen that connection. You know, you sort of bring that empowerment, full circle, I think.

Casey McGuire Davidson  54:40

Yeah, absolutely. And a couple other things when you’re socializing alcohol free and let’s just go through some other recommendations to make it easier. I mean, we’ve talked about texting someone in advance, telling someone in advance on how to ask for a non-alcoholic beverage, how to present it, why to bring your own drinks, planning alternative events suggesting things like brunch or a walk or yoga or whatever it is. I would also say that if you are going to socialize alcohol free, two big tips I have are, eat something before you go, including if you’re going out to dinner, hunger is a huge trigger. And eat something with protein just don’t go in starving because it often takes longer than you think, to get food no matter where you are. And you don’t want to have low blood sugar while you’re trying not to order alcohol. And have an exit strategy. either bring your own car, talk to who you’re going with about, you may want to leave early, you know, you can always drive home and have them take an Uber or, you know, have them decide to leave with you. But bringing a second car, great strategy, I highly recommend against being the designated driver. You do not want to be in charge of drunk people, people who are drinking a lot and have to stay till the end. That is, you know, you probably you might not drink because you’re driving, but you will white knuckle it through a long period of time. So do not do that. Please, please. And plan a sober treat for yourself after getting through a drinking event, especially in early sobriety. I mean, think about what you’re excited about when you get home, or what you’re going to do the next morning when you wake up and feel good. What about you? What suggestions do you have?

Susie Streelman  56:59

Okay, that is amazing. And what I’m just sitting here thinking, Okay, you just heard that from this very seasoned coach. Right there. And, and my name is Susie, and I’m a regular person who took a break from alcohol and stepped into something more. I am not a coach. I love all those suggestions. I, I think, you know, one of one of my biggest go twos is? Well, I’m going to say that being aware of the alcohol free trends is very empowering. And, and one kind of last option I was going to suggest is, is that you kind of arm yourself with a few of those, because I think it’s going to make you feel empowered. And it’s, it’s a really positive way to share about what you’re doing. If you’re not comfortable, maybe sharing like the deeper reason why if there if there is one often there is. And so, like you just gave some amazing examples, like just a few of those stats on athletic Brewing Company isn’t making and this could be shared with your friends that that are drinkers or with your non-alcoholic connections that you’re making non-alcoholic networking.

So, I’m going to mention three, three things. You know, you mentioned the great strides of athletic Brewing Company. Nielsen IQ, this year, had a great analytics about the alcohol-free beverage company. And they reported that 44% of people said they surveyed said they were likely to participate in Dry January this year. In the beer category, the highest growth beverage was hot water 143%. And also, you know the points guy everybody’s heard of the points guy, right. He’s now writing about alcohol free travel in hotels airplanes.

Casey McGuire Davidson  59:20

Yeah, I mean, I’ve seen a million articles on just the hottest trend is alcohol free travel. Millennials and especially Generation Z, not drinking. I mean, it the shift among younger people to being alcohol free, is incredible. And a huge part of that is when we were coming of drinking age. There was not a lot of information about the mental health impacts of alcohol or the physical, you know, causes cancer causing increases, anxiety increases depression is not good for your heart, incredibly, you know, all those things were not as prevalent and also with social media these days, getting drunk and doing stupid things like kids are really aware of how that can, you know, influence your life and what people think of you, you know, it stays around forever. So, getting drunk and being stupid. It’s not as fun as it used to be when there was no lasting record of what that looked like.

Susie Streelman  1:00:34

Right? I just heard on the radio this morning that millennials, two thirds were they’re very interested in wellness, and two thirds of them just reported spending money on wellness this month. And that would certainly include some of the things that we’ve been talking about. Yeah.

Casey McGuire Davidson  1:00:52

And that’s another thing that you can explore. I mean, there are yoga retreats, you know, to the Dominican Republic, to Costa Rica, to Santa Fe to wherever, in your local town that are not centered around alcohol specifically, there may be alcohol there, but it is not the main focus in a way that an all-inclusive beach, you know, beach bar would be an opening yourself up to new hobbies and new interests with the time that you gain from not drinking and being hungover is fantastic. I mean, your world should get bigger. When you stop drinking.

Susie Streelman  1:01:36

100% this alcohol free life should not be smaller. It should be bigger.

Casey McGuire Davidson  1:01:42

Yeah. Well, I hope anyone listening to this has come away with some new ideas, some new strategies, some new inspiration on how to socialize alcohol free Susie, will you tell us where people can find you where they can learn about zero proof experiences and all that good stuff.

Susie Streelman  1:02:02

Left to Easy, easy, zero proof experiences.com. I am mostly on social Instagram at zero proof experiences, would love to connect one thing that we just started doing more of you and I did this together just last month is doing local meetups very casual. And if that’s something that you kind of want to step into, just reach out to me reach out to Casey, I’m sure we could put something together. So, look forward to meeting you.

Casey McGuire Davidson  1:02:34

Yeah, I can’t wait to see you in person. Again, at the Sober In The City event in Seattle. Again, if anyone’s interested in signing up for that, it is in September 6 through 8th 2024. So, if you’re listening to this later, after September, I apologize. But I know zero proof experiences always has new ones coming up. But if you’re interested in that Seattle event, I will be there. And you can find the information at zero proof experiences.com forward slash Seattle. Great. Thank you so much, Susie. We’ll talk again soon.

Susie Streelman 1:03:09

Thank you, Casey.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Hello Someday podcast.

If you’re interested in learning more about me, the work I do, and access free resources and guides to help you build a life you love without alcohol. Please visit hellosomedaycoaching.com. And I would be so grateful if you would take a few minutes to rate and review this podcast so that more women can find it. And join the conversation about drinking less and living more.