FROM THE FOUNDER’S DESK (*covered in tchotchkes)
Welcome back to Recovery Podcastland, where sobriety meets culture—and this week, we’re turning the volume way up. 🎧✨ From The Sober Curator Podcast episode The Cheeky Art of Inclusive Drinking, where April Wachtel remixes cocktail culture with intention and inclusivity, to zero-proof nightlife popping off in America’s biggest “going out” states, this edition proves that sober doesn’t mean sidelined. We’re also swooning over Puffin Drinkwear (because yes, your beverage does deserve a wardrobe) and braving the chill of Seattle with the Good Day Sauna × The Sober Curator New Year Cold Plunge—a bold, buzzy way to kick off what’s next.
As we slide into Dry January 2026, we’re wishing you a safe, happy New Year and reminding you: this is your season to sip differently, show up fully, and have way more fun than you were ever promised.
Now let’s get to it…
—Alysse Bryson, *AB That’s ME 💋/ Founder / Seattle, WA 🌃05.01.2006
SOBER CURATOR PODCAST
The Cheeky Art of Inclusive Drinking: How April Wachtel Is Remixing Cocktail Culture
If you’ve ever walked into a bar and felt that awkward thud in your chest—the one that says you don’t belong here just because you’re not drinking—you’re not alone. In fact, that exact experience planted the seed for one of the most joyful, colorful, and wildly inclusive brands in today’s beverage scene: Cheeky Cocktails, created by bartender-turned-educator-turned-founder April Wachtel.
But this isn’t just a story about mixers.
It’s a story about belonging.
Because while the world debates whether alcohol culture is dying, evolving, or simply being rebranded, April is quietly (and cheekily) building something that transcends all of it—a product line designed for connection first, and consumption second.
#ADDTOCART
Puffin Drinkwear: Because Your Beverage Deserves a Wardrobe, Too
Options, Options, Options — A Curator’s Dream
If you know me, you know:
A.) I love accessories.
B.) I love collecting things.
C.) I love having fun with my drinks — especially the NA ones.
So discovering that Puffin was founded in Bend, OR — one of my favorite places to throw a family reunion every three years — felt like a cosmic wink from the universe.
SOBRIETY IN THE CITY
THE RISE OF ZERO-PROOF NIGHTLIFE: Where Sober People Go Out in America’s Top “Going Out” States
Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate: sober people do, in fact, go out. I know — shocking. Unprecedented. Someone alert CNN.
But it’s true. We dance. We mingle. We stay up past 9 p.m. sometimes (but not too often because sleep hygiene is still a thing). And as someone who once thought nightlife required a drink in hand to be “fun,” I’m delighted to report that the landscape is changing — fast, creatively, and in every corner of the country.
SOBER IN SEATTLE
🌊 Good Day Sauna × The Sober Curator — New Year Cold Plunge
Start the new year with heat, ice, community, and intention. The Sober Curator is teaming up with Good Day Sauna for a two-hour sauna + cold plunge experience designed to reset your nervous system, boost your mood, and kick off 2026 with clarity — no alcohol required.
Saturday, January 3, 2026 | 3:40 PM – 5:30 PM
Price: $45 per person
Capacity: 15 guests - only a few spots left!
See you Friday, friends!
