Sober Curious – curious about sobriety

‘Sober’ means ‘sober’ in German. So ‘Sober Curious’ literally means ‘curious about sobriety’. The term was coined by the author Ruby Warrington in her 2019 book Sober Curious. The idea is to question every impulse, every invitation and every expectation to drink, rather than simply following the prevailing drinking culture. Here you can find out what lies behind the trend, what the figures reveal about young people in Germany, and how everyday life works with less or no alcohol.

What does ‘sober’ mean in German?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the English adjective ‘sober’ has four meanings, all of which are translated as ‘nüchtern’: not drunk; serious and level-headed; not garish (in the case of colours); and measured and objective, for example in a report. The verb ‘sober up’ means ‘to sober up’, i.e. to become sober or to make someone sober.

In the context of the ‘sober-curious’ movement, ‘sober’ refers to a lifestyle in which one drinks little or no alcohol.

Where does ‘Sober Curious’ come from?

Sober Curious is a cultural movement that has been gaining ground since the late 2010s; the term was coined by Ruby Warrington in her 2019 book. According to her definition, ‘Sober Curious’ means questioning every impulse, every invitation and every expectation to drink – or approaching them with curiosity – rather than mindlessly following the prevailing drinking culture.

This approach differs from traditional abstinence in its motivation: it is not based on asceticism, a religious rejection of alcohol or a history of alcohol abuse, but on a curiosity about a sober lifestyle. What that looks like is open to interpretation. It ranges from complete abstinence to giving more careful thought to when and how much one actually wishes to drink. The market has responded to this with a wider selection of non-alcoholic drinks.

Important: Sober Curious is a lifestyle, not a treatment. Anyone who is dependent on alcohol should not stop drinking on their own, as suddenly stopping can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms that require medical attention. We explain what happens to the body when you stop drinking in Before and after without alcohol.

Are young people drinking less? What the figures show

Yes – with one important exception. The 2025 Drug Affinity Study by the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG) shows that fewer and fewer teenagers and young adults are drinking:

• Among 12- to 17-year-olds, the proportion who have drunk alcohol in the last 30 days has fallen from 58.4 per cent in 2004 to 32.9 per cent in 2025.
• Among 18- to 25-year-olds, this proportion fell from 84.4 per cent to 69.3 per cent over the same period.
• Only 6.8 per cent of teenagers and 25.0 per cent of young adults now drink on a weekly basis – a record low.
• The first drink is consumed later: on average at the age of 15.1, compared with 14.1 in 2004.

The exception is binge drinking, i.e. consuming large quantities on a single occasion. Just under 15 per cent of young people have done this in the last 30 days; among young men, the figure was 45.8 per cent. Only among young women did the figure fall significantly between 2023 and 2025, to 26.1 per cent.

Overall, alcohol consumption in Germany is also falling: in 2012, consumption stood at 11.7 litres of pure alcohol per capita for those aged 15 and over, falling to 10.0 litres in 2024. At the same time, breweries produced just over 616 million litres of non-alcoholic beer in 2025, 6.5 per cent more than in the previous year, whilst the production of alcoholic beer fell by 5.8 per cent. This meant that for every litre of non-alcoholic beer, there were around 11.1 litres of alcoholic beer; in 2024, the figure was still 12.5 litres.

‘Sober curious’ on the drinks menu: what the VdF survey reveals

This trend is also evident in the out-of-home sector. According to a report by lebensmittelpraxis.de dated 28 October 2026, non-alcoholic options are becoming increasingly important for young people. This is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Germany on behalf of the Association of the German Fruit Juice Industry (VdF): In July 2026, 757 people aged between 16 and 26 were surveyed. The survey was quota-sampled and weighted by age and gender; according to the association, the results are representative of Generation Z.

• 78.3 per cent of those surveyed have already tried a non-alcoholic cocktail.
• One in four people drink mocktails regularly; last year, the figure was 11 per cent.
• 42 per cent drink fruit juice every day or several times a week; in last year’s survey of 16- to 25-year-olds, the figure was 24.6 per cent.
• 46.2 per cent cite fruit juice as an essential ingredient in a mocktail.
• 35.1 per cent say that fruit juice plays a major role in their lives, compared with 21.7 per cent a year earlier.

With regard to the hospitality industry, HOGAPAGE draws the following conclusion on 20 October 2026: non-alcoholic drinks can feature on the menu as standalone options and should not be viewed solely as substitutes for alcoholic cocktails. For restaurants, bars and hotels, this provides an opportunity to further develop their drinks menus.

For you, this means that if you’re on a ‘sober curious’ journey, you don’t necessarily have to order something sweet. Still Water and Sparkling Water contain no sugar, sweetener, flavourings or colourings; both are table waters made with natural mineral water as their sole ingredient. If you’re looking for flavour without sugar, Citrus contains water, carbon dioxide, citric acid as an acidifier and natural citrus flavouring in its list of ingredients; each 100 ml contains 1 kcal.

Sober Curious in everyday life: How to make it work

According to the Danish columnist Kristine Goddiksen, quoted by Wikipedia, some people drink out of fear of being different and of being rejected by their friends. Anyone who says no risks ‘sober shaming’: being labelled as boring or unsociable, or having to put up with speculation about pregnancy, religion or a past alcohol addiction. These tips from ‘Alcohol? Know your limit’ can help:

• Think of one or two sentences in advance, such as ‘I’m staying alcohol-free today’.
• Say right at the start of the evening that you won’t be drinking any alcohol tonight.
• From the very start, hold a glass of a non-alcoholic drink in your hand.
• Start with a non-alcoholic drink that you enjoy with others.
• When the craving strikes, the 90-second rule helps: it feels intense, but it subsides relatively quickly.
• Put your decision in writing – this will make your plan more binding.

A set period of time can be a good place to start. In a study involving 857 adults, participants in Dry January were drinking less six months later – even those who hadn’t quite managed to stick to it for the whole month. Examples of such initiatives include Dry January and Sober October.

What are the benefits of drinking less?

According to the German Nutrition Society, there is no such thing as a risk-free amount of alcohol; alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer and many other diseases. Even short breaks from drinking can make a difference:

• A meta-analysis of 36 studies found that people who had previously drunk more than two drinks a day had lower blood pressure following a reduction in their intake.
• Alcohol helps you fall asleep more quickly, but disrupts the second half of the night.
• A London-based study found that after one month without alcohol, insulin resistance, blood pressure and weight had all decreased.

You can find the timeline from the first week up to one year in the article ‘Before and After Going Alcohol-Free’.

What you can drink instead

The German Nutrition Society recommends drinking around 1.5 litres a day, ideally water or unsweetened tea. You can have a little more in the evening. Here are three ideas from our mocktail menu – the quantities are serving suggestions, not set-in-stone recipes:

• Virgin Paloma: Pink Grapefruit, salt rim, a wedge of lime, 2 dashes of non-alcoholic bitters, plenty of ice
• Bitter Zero: Citrus, 4 cl non-alcoholic bitter aperitif, a slice of orange, filled to the brim with ice
• Green Zero: Lime & Mint, three slices of cucumber, basil, crushed ice, a pinch of salt

According to the list of ingredients, our products do not contain any alcohol. The ‘Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate’ flavour contains caffeine and is not recommended for children, pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers.

There are two things worth knowing when shopping: beer with an alcohol content of up to 0.5 per cent by volume may be sold as ‘non-alcoholic’. And non-alcoholic alternatives to spirits cannot simply be called ‘non-alcoholic gin’ – this was confirmed by the European Court of Justice in November 2025.

You can find more recipes in the mocktails section; all varieties are listed under ‘Non-alcoholic drinks’.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. VdF survey – Non-alcoholic options are becoming more important to young people (lebensmittelpraxis.de, 28 October 2026), accessed on 29 October 2026. lebensmittelpraxis.de
2. Mocktails are all the rage: young people are drinking alcohol-free drinks more often | HOGAPAGE News (hogapage.de, 20 October 2026), accessed on 29 October 2026. hogapage.de
3. Cambridge Dictionary (PASSWORD English–German, K Dictionaries): sober – English–German translation, accessed 16 September 2026. dictionary.cambridge.org
4. Cambridge Dictionary (PASSWORD English–German, K Dictionaries): sober up – English–German translation, accessed 16 September 2026. dictionary.cambridge.org
5. Wikipedia (English): Sober curious, as at 14 August 26. en.wikipedia.org
6. Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG): Fewer young people are drinking alcohol – but binge drinking remains at a high level, 3 September 26. bioeg.de
7. German Centre for Addiction Issues (DHS): Alcohol – Figures, Data, Facts, accessed 16 September 2026. dhs.de
8. Federal Statistical Office (Destatis): Production of non-alcoholic beer in 2025 up by 6.5 per cent on the previous year (Figure of the Week No. 28), 7 July 2026. destatis.de
9. Alcohol? Know your limit. (BIÖG): Tips for taking a break from alcohol, accessed 16 September 2026. kenn-dein-limit.de
10. Health Psychology (de Visser RO, Robinson E, Bond R): Voluntary temporary abstinence from alcohol during ‘Dry January’ and subsequent alcohol use, 2016. doi.org
11. Cancer Information Service, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ): Bye, bye alcohol – effects on cancer risk, 24 February 2025. krebsinformationsdienst.de
12. The Lancet Public Health (Roerecke M, Kaczorowski J, Tobe SW et al.): The effect of a reduction in alcohol consumption on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2017. doi.org
13. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB): Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep, 2013. doi.org
14. BMJ Open (Mehta G, Macdonald S, Cronberg A et al.): Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study, 5 May 2018. doi.org
15. Deutsches Ärzteblatt (dpa) – featuring statements from the DHS and the BZgA: Dry January: What are the benefits of giving up alcohol for a month?, 2 January 25. aerzteblatt.de
16. German Nutrition Society: Eating and drinking well – the DGE’s recommendations, accessed 16 September 2026. dge.de
17. ACQUA REAPER: Product labels, 07–08/26.
18. Acqua Reaper: Product label for Energy Blackcurrant, as at 07/26.
19. Food Transparency (Federal Association of Consumer Organisations): Why can beer containing alcohol be labelled as ‘non-alcoholic’? As at 26 March 26. lebensmittelklarheit.de
20. Food Transparency (Federal Association of Consumer Organisations): Can a drink be labelled as ‘non-alcoholic gin’? As at 21 January 2026. lebensmittelklarheit.de