SOBER LOOKS GOOD ON YOU

Mindful drinking and controlled sobriety seem to be the mantra for 2024

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

Drinking? In this economy? When cocktails cost a thousand bucks a pop, don't mind us if we decide to stick to our Diet Cokes. At least, that seems to be the general consensus among Gen Z as more people lean towards controlled sobriety. In 2023, the 'sober curious' movement was said to be a mere fad, but the fact that everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon indicates that people are indeed questioning their relationship with alcohol.

It's not just the inflation that is leading this sudden change in alcohol consumption across the board. Movements like Dry January or even Damp January propagate the idea of living straight edge for a month or giving individuals an opportunity to cut down on the booze to understand what quality of life can be like when you don't have alcohol coursing through your veins. For Sharan Malhotra (name withheld for anonymity), a spirit enthusiast who has been collecting indigenous and unique spirits for the last eight years, the idea of taking on Dry January seemed a bit daunting, but embracing the no-alcohol movement came naturally to him. "When I initially started out, the first two weeks were brutal. Given that I live in a country where the drinking culture is highly encouraged, it can be a bit difficult to navigate that but towards the end of the month, I didn't feel like drinking at all. The first drink post the self-imposed alcohol fast was quite anticlimactic. Not only did I feel better after a month of abstaining from liquor, it also made me realise that I could have very easily extended it," he shares. While Dry January can still be achievable, given that everyone is on a bit of a health kick towards the beginning of the year, the concept of prolonging it and switching over to mindful drinking is at the crux of the sober curious movement.