“I cut out drinking completely in December 2022 and haven’t looked back since,” Truscan says. “I was dealing with some really severe anxiety and depression at the time and knew I needed to cut out drinking completely, especially because I was put on an anxiety medication that doesn’t mix well with alcohol. I’ve been booze-free for over a year and a half and am loving every second of it.”
Truscan is bringing her brand of sobriety to the masses by launching Sober Girls Gone Wild, a podcast on how to “live a fun and exhilarating life without booze.” She says the response from her peers has been overwhelmingly wonderful.
“You can date, you can have friends that drink, you can travel and so much more, all without alcohol,” she says. “Life becomes so much more rewarding when you’re not regretting what you did the night prior.”
Truscan’s reasons for going sober may be personal, but they represent a generational trend. A 2018 report from Berenberg Research shows that Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) drinks 20% less than Millennials (1981–1996), who in turn drink less than generations before them. A 2023 Gallup poll revealed that while the national average of adults who occasionally drink has remained steady over 40 years, the rate for adults between 18 and 34 has declined by 10%, with only 62% of respondents identifying as occasional drinkers.
A number of explanations have been proposed for this shift. Some have pointed to Gen Z’s reputation as a mental health-conscious generation and deduce that years of therapy and open communication negate the need to drown out their sorrows. Cleveland Clinic cites the health benefits, social media trends like “Dry January" and the increased availability of legal THC and CBD products as potential motivators.
All of these are factors to some extent, but at the end of the day, Gen Z isn’t a monolith. Every 20-something who puts down the bottle has their own reasons.
Avon Nguyen is a Dallas-based influencer who frequents bars and clubs while limiting her alcohol consumption.
Avon Ngyuen
“Most of my friends either don’t drink or drink very little,” Nguyen says. “I think we’re all just poor, at the end of the day. When it comes to paying rent or paying $22 for a drink, I think we’re probably going to stick with rent.
"This isn’t to say I think drinking culture is totally gone with Gen Z," she continues. "I just think that a lot of younger people found out they can go out with their drinking friends and still have fun without having to spend money on alcohol.”
Nguyen and Truscan both have active social lives and jobs that often involve being in bars and clubs. Nguyen says her choice not to drink doesn't affect her work or personal life at all.
“I’m super extroverted,” she says. “My friends love it because they know they can drink and I’ll be sober to drive us home. I’ve never really been a drinker my entire life, so there’s really no change in my personality. A lot of my friends would say I’m crazier than them even when I’m sober and they’re drunk.”
"It's never stopped me from having a good time," Truscan says of her sobriety. "Sure, I have to rely on my own inner courage instead of liquid courage, but it’s really allowed me to reflect inward and get comfortable in my own skin."
Beyond the Bar's style has a touch (or more) of mid-century influence and the (gorgeous) exterior of the space is no exception.
Danielle Beller
“Maybe they're not 100% sober, but they are interested in exploring different options,” Robinson says. “And it's for many reasons, I would say. For health, for the ability to be 100% present, to not have that hangover in the morning. [...] Gen Z was really the one that kind of was the tipping point that said, ‘Hey, I'm not going to be like the past generations and just kind of blindly follow along and get drunk and be hungover every weekend.’”
Robinson goes on to explain that telling people you didn’t drink used to come with a stigma.
“People would say, ‘Why aren't you drinking?’ And they would assume that either you had an alcohol problem or maybe you were pregnant,” she says. “Now it's more like, ‘Hey, this is my lifestyle choice.’ It's like being a vegetarian.”
Nguyen believes that the expectation to drink that was prevalent in previous generations is a non-issue for people her age.
“Growing up, I saw a lot of older millennials peer-pressuring each other to drink, and that was always a theme in party movies and stuff,” she says. “The response from people my age when I tell them I don’t drink has always been positive. Most of the time I get the usual, ‘Oh that’s great, super healthy’ or, ‘I bet you save a lot of money.’”
For some younger members of Gen Z, the decision not to drink isn’t a matter of quitting or cutting back. Many never started and are content to keep it that way.
Simon Pruitt is 20 years old and manages Zounds Sounds B-Side, a DIY music venue that largely caters to high-school students. Going into it, Pruitt and the rest of the team braced themselves for a fight against underage drinking. It hasn’t been an issue, though, and not just because they have that much of a handle on things. The kids haven’t even tried anything.
“There hasn't been a single incident,” he says. “The kids are really respectful of our space and show up to hear music, not to party."
As for Pruitt, he has yet to so much as try alcohol. This isn’t because he’s not legally old enough. Underage drinkers much younger than he is find ways around the law all the time. The one thing holding him back from alcohol is his own personal distaste.
“I've never had a sip,” Pruitt says. “That's not like a badge of honor for me or anything that I'm consciously trying to avoid every day. I've just never had any interest. Being drunk kinda sounds like the worst thing imaginable, and I dislike how some people have to use it as a crutch in social situations. Just not for me."
Beyond the Bottle explicitly advertises itself as a "third place," referring to the sociological concept that emphasizes the importance of communal spaces outside of work and home. Bars are commonly listed as third places, and Robinson wants to provide a similar social outlet without the presence of alcohol.
“We’re planning to bring in live music, game nights,” she says. “Just different, fun things that you can do with a friend or where you can meet others that are also not into drinking. [...] We really like to be able to be there more for the sober-curious and the sober community.”
