In my search for the terms to define this new era I called on a couple of friends to join me in considering this idea of revolution or renaissance.

I tapped Joshua James, owner of the Ocean Beach Café in San Francisco, for his firsthand knowledge of the impact a completely alcohol-free bar has on his neighborhood. He continues to be a pillar in the larger alcohol-free community with an eye toward the future.  

Josh told me, “There are aspects of both [revolution and renaissance] in this movement. If I had to choose between two of my kids though, I’d say renaissance.”  He went on to say, “I believe the NA movement is a shift in the fabric of culture itself since alcohol has historically been so embedded into our everyday lives. A trend, but certainly not a fad.  It is a renaissance with the pendulum swinging towards wellness.” 

I also spoke with Martha Wright of Clear Power Coaching. When she isn’t exploring the culture in Paris or Mexico City, Martha is a sober/mindful drinking coach who has her finger on the pulse of the way people drink around the world.

“I see clear elements of both revolution and renaissance…maybe a revo-ssance! The gigantic groundswell (led by Gen Z and Millennials) of people rejecting the status quo around drinking is definitely revolutionary. These generations are refusing to accept old paradigms, the idea that constant consumption of alcohol is just what adults do, or the concept that something bad needs to happen before someone should question [their alcohol intake]. They refuse to be neatly labeled as ‘sober’ or ‘a drinker.’ They want options and a new, inclusive, and ‘fluid’ drinking culture, where we don’t haze someone who isn’t drinking, where we don’t assume drinkers always drink, and where everyone has the right to the same level of hospitality via creative, layered, thoughtfully considered cocktails that provide…enjoyment of a ritual with friends.”

She continued, “At the same time, I see a renaissance underfoot as people reclaim pubs and cafes and other “third places” [with or without alcohol] as the “living rooms” that they always were”.

 So, is a “revo-ssance” possible? There is a general consensus that a new way of social drinking is underway and happening at breathtakingly revolutionary speed and that the concept of how we gather is simultaneously changing alongside it. The alcohol-free movement inhabits a space of rebirth for social drinking. Its hallmarks are creativity and innovation with a deferential nod to classical mixology, a combination that is creating an exciting alcohol-free culture. As we move forward, we acknowledge the universal desire for social connection “over drinks” at a time when society is suffering severely from a desperate need for connection and how the non-alc movement allows this to exist in a new healthy, and more sustainable way. In this respect, the alcohol-free renaissance of social drinking is truly revolutionary