No Alcohol? No Worries, As Sober-Curious Trend Comes To Detroit
Nightlife used to be synonymous with alcohol, but now spaces are being setup for the sober-curious to enjoy time out as well.
There’s a nationwide movement of people considering giving up alcohol. But for many Detroiters this is more than just a trend.
Alcohol often plays a large part in social and cultural scenes. Art openings and music shows offer full bars and the drinks flow from beginning to end. But concepts like “Dry January” and “Sober Curious” are changing the ways people think about sobriety. Many non-alcoholic products and spaces are emerging in Detroit and other cities to better serve the sober community.
“My personal problem was just that it stopped being a party and a gathering for me and more of just a means to use alcohol as an excuse I guess, to not focus on myself.” – Paige Breihart
It’s possible that these trends could be damaging to those whose decision to be sober is more serious or necessary. But there are positives, too. It’s creating an openness and comfortability with discussing the choice to be sober, or skip a drink, and getting people thinking about their relationships with alcohol.
Click on the player above to hear Stephen Henderson’s conversation with Carter Barnhart, Chief Experience Officer at Newport Academy, an adolescent treatment center for substance abuse.
Different reasons to stay sober
Paige Breithart grew up in Metro-Detroit and moved to the city in 2011. In her 7 years here she pursued work in art and restaurants. She recently moved to Florida to work on becoming sober.
“I really miss the community that is Detroit,” Breithart says. “My personal problem was just that it stopped being a party and a gathering for me and more of just a means to use alcohol as an excuse I guess, to not focus on myself.”
Briethart was drawn to working in restaurants partly because they paid well. “I definitely think that the industry lends itself to those kind of like, habitual drinking patterns. I know that during work there will be opportunities to drink, I know that after work a lot of people go out together,” she says.
This problem isn’t lost on some Detroit entrepreneurs and artists. People are finding new ways to serve the sober community within Detroit’s rich arts and culture scene.
“I really just wanted to create a space that was safe, fun and gave you an opportunity to kind of tune in.” – Amina Daniels, Live Cycle Delight
A Night Without Alcohol
Heather Mourer is a Highland Park, Detroit-based community herbalist. She created Hedgewitch Holistics, a line of beverages that help maintain wellness through natural healing methods.
“It’s really hard to go out and find a place that has a good quality alcohol-free beverage, that’s not just like a coke or some other kind of soft drink,” says Mourer. She served beverages at a Sober Preview of Christian Gerard’s series “Photos of Nothing”.
Gerard would typically serve cocktails at an event like this and admits that he hadn’t thought of the idea of an alcohol-free opening. Then he spoke with Mourer and the owner of the gallery space who pitched the idea.
Gerard says “I think of myself at other art shows that I’ve not been sober at, you take in the art a different way. Again, it becomes like a party and a little bit less about the art. Whereas I feel like the soberness and the uniqueness of the space, people are like taking in the art more specifically.”
This increased awareness in wellness is getting people to consider how much they drink and the impact on their day to day lives.
Amina Daniels is the owner of Live Cycle Delight, and LCD Hot, two fitness studios in Detroit’s historic West Village.
“I really just wanted to create a space that was safe, fun and gave you an opportunity to kind of tune in,” says Daniels. She sees the value of what she’s doing for people who are sober because she’s living it herself.
Despite the growing number of offerings for the sober community, Paige Briethart says she’s not yet ready to come back to Detroit. In the meantime, she is learning more about herself, her sobriety and where she might fit into the spaces that exist here in Detroit if she returns.
