SOBER LIFESTYLE

The ABCs of Sober Friendships (Funny, Real, and Slightly Spicy)

One of the most unexpected parts of sobriety isn’t the not drinking.
It’s the way your friendships rearrange themselves like your life is a new season of a show and the writers decided to switch the cast.

Some friends surprise you with depth, loyalty, and a new kind of closeness.
Others disappear quietly, like they were only here for the party version of you.

And listen… that can hurt.
But it can also be the beginning of something better.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Raw Reality of the Spiral: Portraying Addiction and Alcoholism in Modern Theatre

Theatre has always loved alcohol. Glasses clink, bottles appear and disappear, and characters loosen their tongues under the warm glow of stage lights. But while drinking has long been a convenient dramatic device, addiction itself has rarely been portrayed with the same honesty. Only in recent decades has theatre begun to move beyond caricature and cautionary tale, toward something far more uncomfortable — and far more truthful.

ENTERTAINMENT

Punchlines, Not Pints: 20 Comedians Who Prove You Don’t Need Alcohol To Be Funny

(Plus: NA drink pairings because we’re classy like that.)

Let’s retire the myth that you need alcohol to be interesting. If that were true, every airport bar would be filming a Netflix special. This list is my public love letter to comedians who are sober, in recovery, or who’ve publicly said: “I quit drinking.” Because comedy is already a high-wire act. Doing it without a chemical safety net? That’s next-level.

HAPPY EVERY HOUR

Lyre’s Ready-to-Drink Non-Alcoholic Cocktails: Big “Aperitivo Energy,” Zero Regrets

Let’s talk about one of my favorite things in the sober universe: a drink that looks like a whole vibe but doesn’t come with a side of anxiety, dehydration, or waking up at 3:17 a.m. to replay something I said at dinner.

Enter: Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Ready-to-Drink Cocktails.

These are premium premixed NA cocktails in cans, and honestly? They understood the assignment. Lyre’s doesn’t just do “a drink for people who don’t drink.” They do the drink… just without the giggle juice.

SOBER CURATOR PODCAST

The Opposite of Addiction Isn’t Sobriety — It’s Belonging

In Episode 48 of The Sober Curator Podcast, Jonathan Gildart doesn’t tell a redemption story wrapped in shiny sobriety clichés. He tells a human one. A story about identity, incarceration, and what happens when recovery finally becomes more than just abstinence. 

For Jonathan, addiction wasn’t born from rebellion or recklessness — it was born from longing. The longing to belong. To not be the awkward kid. To be accepted without explanation. Substances didn’t just numb pain; they created instant connection. 

#WEDORECOVER

Sober Celeb of the Week: Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton is proof that getting sober doesn’t dim your edge—it sharpens it. The Oscar-winning actor, musician, and all-around storyteller has been open about choosing sobriety and doing the inner work that comes with it, trading chaos for clarity and intention. His journey reminds us that recovery isn’t about losing your spark—it’s about finally having the focus to use it. Creative, complex, and unapologetically himself, Billy Bob shows that sobriety can be a powerful plot twist, not the end of the story.

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

SOBER SPORTS

Hitting the Slopes Sober: Rewriting the Après Script

For a lot of us, drinking and skiing were fused together. You cracked open a beer on the tailgate between runs. You met your friends at the bar because “that’s just what you do.” You rewarded a long day on the mountain with a drink or three by the fire. Maybe it even felt charming, rustic, part of the tradition. But like so many other “traditions,” the drinking often took up more space than we wanted to admit. It became the centerpiece instead of the side note. So, what happens when you take the alcohol out of an alcohol-saturated sport?

SOBER POETRY

My Name is Dave | Sober Poetry

Sober Poetry at The Sober Curator is the space where words and recovery meet. Here you'll find personal poems and essays by our readers.

THIRSTY FOR WONDER

Closing the Day at Yule | Thirsty for Wonder

A nighttime ritual rooted in Celtic recovery

Thirsty For Wonder has always been rooted in Celtic recovery and spirituality. That means we pay attention to cycles. To what ends, not just what begins. To the way land, body, and soul all need clear rhythms in order to stay well.

Yule, in the Celtic calendar, is marked by the winter solstice — the longest night of the year. After this point, the days do not suddenly brighten. What changes is subtler and more demanding: the darkness stops increasing.

For people in recovery, this matters.