Alcohol is associated with calmness, confidence and sociability — but for Bellingham resident Annika Sampson, 31, booze had the opposite effect.
“I just felt sad when I drank, or I felt like I’m drinking for other people, or to have something to do, or to feel like the ‘chill girl’ — which, lord knows, I am not,” she said.
Sampson didn’t have a substance abuse problem, but she knew alcohol wasn’t benefitting her mental health. So, five and a half years ago, she decided to embark on an experiment: What would it be like to quit?
The decision wasn’t definite: “It wasn’t like I woke up and was like, ‘Today is the day I stopped drinking for the rest of my life,’” she said. But after the first year of abstaining, Sampson noticed a shift in how she processed emotions.
“I felt happier. I felt more socially confident, which was interesting because I had always thought of alcohol [as making] you bubbly and engaged and friendly — but I actually found that I felt much more comfortable in social situations, the longer I went without drinking,” she said.
With 17 craft breweries for a population of 230,677 people, Whatcom County has a reputation for its drinking habits. But surveys show young people are generally consuming less alcohol, not more. Sampson is one of the nearly four in 10 U.S. consumers who “closely or occasionally follow a sober curious lifestyle,” meaning limited or no alcohol consumption for personal wellness reasons.
And with most bars and restaurants now offering zero-proof alternatives, being “sober curious” doesn’t require compromising on a social life.
The benefits of limiting booze
Dr. Carla Russo, a Bellingham OB-GYN and diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, has noticed a trend among younger patients interested in what she calls the “sober movement”: They want to be healthy enough to live life to the fullest.
“It has been a long-held belief that light, moderate drinking may infer some health benefits,” Russo said. “But newer studies are actually showing that that’s not necessarily the case.”
Despite temporarily boosting positive neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, regular alcohol consumption can lead to increased rates of depression in the long term. Reduced alcohol intake, however, can lead to benefits including weight loss, deeper sleep and balanced moods, as well as improved immune system, memory, heart and liver function.
“These younger generations are focusing on how to have a better balance between work and their life outside of work — and I believe that that has carried over into their health as well,” she said.
[ Read more: Where to find Bellingham’s best mocktails ]
Prioritizing wellbeing
Russo’s observations line up with some data: 39% of Mintel survey participants say they “follow/would follow a sober curious lifestyle” for physical health reasons, and 29% for mental health reasons.
Emotional well-being was the main motivation for Sampson: “I used to feel like ‘Wow, I’m incapable of feeling joy the way that other people are feeling,’” she said jokingly. “Which is not even, like, close to true — but back when I drank I would have that conviction, and I would wake up the next day and be like, ‘Really?’”
Athletics also factor into decisions about alcohol use. In 2021, Sampson’s colleague Jess Meyer, 31, wanted to start running but felt drinking was negatively impacting her energy levels. She began reconsidering her relationship with alcohol after “spending a lot of time drinking whiskey in a blanket fort” during COVID-19 lockdowns (which, Meyer noted, is “probably not the best way to live”).
“It wasn’t until I stopped drinking that I realized how depressed drinking made me, so that’s kind of why I’ve stepped away from it,” she said.
But despite wanting to cut back, Meyer still enjoyed the taste of beer and the social aspect of visiting breweries. Craft beer also played a role in her relationship with her family, as Meyer and her dad would text each other recommendations of brands they enjoyed.
With this in mind, Meyer was inspired to try nonalcoholic beer from Athletic Brewing Co. after an athlete she admired posted about it on Instagram. Even as a self-described “beer snob,” she was shocked by how much she enjoyed the taste.
Meyer is now an Athletic Brewing Co. ambassador and completed the Chicago Marathon in October 2023. She still exchanges beer recommendations with her father, who is now sober for health reasons — except instead of craft brews, the two share their favorite non-alcoholic brands. And even though Meyer herself still has a drink on occasion, “It’s more of like a once-in-a-while, for-fun sort of thing,” she said.
Both Sampson and Meyer have observed “a lot more conversation” among younger generations about mental and emotional health.
“People are not as stigmatized when they speak about anxiety or depression, or being vulnerable, or feelings, and whether alcohol helps or hinders any of those things,” Sampson said.
Zero-proof alternatives
As consumer demand shifts, brands are taking note. The non-alcoholic beverage industry was valued at $565 million in 2023 — a 35% increase relative to the year prior, according to research from Nielsen. In the first four weeks of “dry January,” an annual booze-free challenge, sales of non-alcoholic beer rose to $1.25 million in Seattle alone compared to $304,000 in 2020.
The majority of this market still drinks alcohol on occasion. N/A substitutes can be a trigger for people in substance abuse recovery — but for individuals without alcohol use disorder, they’re an easy (and tasty) way to cut back.
Anna Adams has embraced the zero-proof movement within her gourmet grocery shop in Bellingham, Hela Provisions, and makes a conscious effort to grow her zero-proof selection. Adams even hosted a “Non-Alcoholic Extravaganza” with Prime Wine and Spirits last month, with leading brands including Wilderton, The Pathfinder and Roots Divino pouring samples of their products.
Ian Blessing, co-founder of zero-proof cocktail bitters brand All the Bitter, was one of the vendors in attendance. His audience is largely millennials, many of whom are having kids, advancing in their careers or simply “not wanting to drink at the same pace they were drinking before.”
Blessing said it’s not uncommon for customers to alternate alcoholic and zero-proof cocktails as a way to “continue the experience without compromising the next morning.” But even as his business grows, he often receives the same question: Non-alcoholic drinks like juice and soda already exist. Why are zero-proof spirits even necessary?
In Blessing’s view, many designated non-alcoholic products boast the same complexity of an alcoholic beverage — just without the intoxication or adverse health effects. Wilderton, for example, is water-based but distilled similarly to alcohol. “There’s just as much intention goes into it, just as much effort,” Blessing said.
Some N/A brands take things a step further by including antioxidants, adaptogens or other health-promoting ingredients: Even All the Bitter is made for both “flavor and function” and boasts digestive benefits.
What’s more, Blessing said there are occasions where “you want to celebrate with a glass of sparkling wine, and a glass of juice falls flat. You’re not going to have the same experience. You’re not going to enjoy the celebration as much.”
Socializing without alcohol
In a brewery-centric city like Bellingham, however, alcohol is prevalent at both special occasions and day-to-day social interactions. And as young people seek out alternative forms of stress relief, Russo said many of her patients turn to exercise or meditation — activities that, while beneficial, are often performed solo.
In addition to physical activity, Russo emphasized the role of social connection in relieving stress and anxiety. “I often bring up the act of socializing or doing something … that doesn’t involve alcohol, because I think people get stuck on that,” she said.
For those looking to go out with friends but skip the booze, an increasing number of local businesses offer zero-proof options. Most higher-end restaurants and bars offer a small mocktail selection, though some places go all-out — Galloway’s Cocktail Bar in Fairhaven, for example, has 10 mocktails on their current menu.
Kulshan Brewing Co. recently introduced a non-alcoholic IPA similar to Athletic Brewing Co.’s offerings. Sampson said L&L Libations hits the spot when she wants “something more elevated than a LaCroix,” whereas Meyer cited a mocktail from JUXT Taphouse made with Bow Hill blueberry juice.
But despite these options, Russo said Bellingam’s alcohol-free culture still has a long way to go. Larger cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta and even Raleigh, North Carolina now have “dry bars,” focusing on low- or no-ABV cocktails.
In Bellingham, however, very few alcohol-free establishments are open past 5 p.m. Going forward, Russo would like to see even more businesses offer healthy, zero-proof alternatives — not to isolate customers who choose to drink alcohol, but to be more inclusive to those who don’t.
Sampson and Meyer also agree booze still plays a major role in Bellingham’s culture. Outside of substance abuse, they see alcohol consumption as a lifestyle choice with room for shades of gray. But by introducing more alternatives to alcohol consumption, whether they be alcohol-free spaces or simply more mocktail options, Sampson said Bellingham is taking part in a larger “cultural conversation” — one that she finds to be empowering.
“Every year, I check in [and ask], ‘Is this still working for me?’” Sampson said. “Because I’m not opposed to drinking again; it’s just, every year, it’s consistently the choice that works.”
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
