HAPPY EVERY HOUR
Better Than Booze: Because Who Needs a Hangover Anyway?

Let’s get one thing straight—mocktails have officially moved out of the “sad soda water with a lime” phase and into their main character era. And leading the charge with flavor, flair, and all the fun (none of the fog), is Better Than Booze, a sparkling lineup of spirit-free craft cocktails that prove you don’t need a buzz to have a blast.

#QUITLIT
Shine of the Ever by Claire Rudy Foster – A Polyphonic Ode to Queer Lives

In Shine of the Ever, Claire Rudy Foster crafts a collection of short stories that hums with the spirit of the 90s in Portland — a city that pulses with grunge, queerness, and the vibrant tension between longing and belonging. Described by some as a “literary mixtape,” this book operates like a well-worn compilation of songs, each story carrying its distinct rhythm while contributing to a larger narrative of queer and trans experiences, love, heartbreak, and resilience.

ENTERTAINMENT
The Better Sister: A Family Drama Soaked in Secrets, Sobriety, and the Summer Hamptons

Just as the East Coast elite dust off their linen pants and oversized sunglasses for another Hamptons summer, Amazon Prime drops a thriller that’ll keep you glued to the couch, no matter how perfect the weather outside. In my case, I was quite literally glued to the couch while working on a new art project involving buckets of rhinestones and glue. Don’t worry. I’ll soon feature that finished project in our Curated Crafts section of The Sober Curator.

RECOVERY PODCASTLAND
Unlocking Spiritual Recovery: How the “Spiritual Gangsters” Navigate Sobriety and Self-Discovery

Sobriety, as the hosts and contributors of The Sober Curator Podcast remind us, is far more than abstaining from alcohol. In Episode 14, dubbed “Spiritual Gangster 2.0,” Alysse Bryson and her panel of Sober Curator Contributors delve into what it really means to infuse spiritual practice into a sober lifestyle—debunking clichés, celebrating all pathways, and laughing along the way (often at themselves).

#WEDORECOVER
RuPaul’s Path to Sobriety: A Journey From Stardom to Self-Discovery

RuPaul, the trailblazing entertainer behind RuPaul’s Drag Race, has been sober since 1999 — a transformation that began not with his own breakdown, but with witnessing a loved one’s. In his memoir The House of Hidden Meanings, RuPaul recounts how his partner Georges LeBar’s struggle with crystal meth addiction became the mirror that revealed his own. Despite achieving fame and fortune, RuPaul had been using marijuana and cocaine to cope with deep emotional pain dating back to childhood, describing how he had been getting high “every day [he] could” since age 10. The moment of truth came unexpectedly, in a packed 12-step meeting in Miami, where another addict’s story echoed his own so closely it shattered his denial: “She knew me. She was me, and I was her.”

Sobriety, for RuPaul, has been more than abstaining from substances — it's been a decades-long process of reparenting himself, embracing vulnerability, and learning to sit with discomfort rather than flee it. Through meditation, therapy, and daily 12-step meetings, RuPaul gradually let go of what he calls “terminal uniqueness” — the belief that his pain and life were unlike anyone else’s. Now 26 years sober, he credits his recovery with grounding his spiritual and emotional equilibrium, saying, “When you're stoned, it's harder to keep a balance… The truth was always there, no matter how high I got.”

For anyone struggling, know that help is available: 📞 1-800-662-HELP (SAMHSA Helpline).

#ADDTOCART
Sober Pride Gift Guide

If shopping is your cardio and you enjoy recovering out loud and celebrating Pride Month, this is your curated #ADDTOCART list. At The Sober Curator, we love nothing more than supporting everyone in our recovery community. Love is love. Let’s celebrate the LGBTQ+ community all month long! We think we have curated some great finds from small businesses catering to our recovery community. Plus, many of these small business merchants are also in recovery. How cool is that?

SPEAK OUT! SPEAK LOUD!
The Myth of the Swipe: Long-Term Recovery from Sex and Love Addiction in the Age of Online Dating

My recovery looks different from my colleagues’ here at The Sober Curator. I can’t exactly pour my addiction down the drain or toss it away. For the past twelve years, I have lived with the shame and stigma of being in recovery for a sex and love addiction. It is a daily struggle to combat this compulsive behavior, especially when re-entering the arena of online dating. Not to mention, I’ve been out of the dating game for a long time. I recently parted ways with my partner of the past decade, and it has been a time of profound reflection, growth, and pain. And navigating the world of dating while in recovery has been an eye-opening experience.

SOBER EVENTS
Bellevue Children’s Program: Helping Kids Heal from the Hurt of Addiction

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is hosting a powerful and inspiring event for children ages 7–12 impacted by addiction in the family. The Bellevue Children’s Program, held June 21–22 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm each day, is a FREE two-day workshop designed to empower kids to recognize that addiction is not their fault and to help them build resilience and express their feelings in a safe, supportive environment.

SPIRITUAL GANGSTER
Step 5 Guide: Admitting Wrongs & Finding Freedom 

Welcome to a guide for working on the 5th Step. Having the courage to complete the 4th Step is undoubtedly cause for a pat on the back. That was a heavy lift in preparation for the rest of our journey. Step 5 of Alcoholics Anonymous states: “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” 

SPIRITUAL GANGSTER
Classy Problems: Next Version Of Next

There is no final version. Only the next choice, the next iteration, the next version of next. We don’t arrive. We evolve. We begin again and again.

Outcomes are not end points. They’re new places to begin from. Next isn’t a destination. It’s a practice.

A state of mind that prioritizes closer to right over mastery, feedback over finality, and better than before over done. The best version of us lives in the next version of next. Where are you chasing done instead of pursuing next?

HAPPY EVERY HOUR
Bottoms Up! Four-Day Event For the Mid-Century Barware Lover

Have you ever met someone whose story gave you goosebumps? Maybe someone who took a leap to land somewhere new, to engage with the community, and it led to a story they never imagined. Well, that’s how I felt when I recently chatted with Jason and David Annecy of Gay Fad Studios.