You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t agree that consuming a little less alcohol is good for your health.
Recent studies have shown alcohol to impact our sleep, heart rate, exercise, and more. Sadly, alcohol-related deaths also spiked during the pandemic.
But a lot of people are asking: when cutting out booze means cutting back on your friendships and social life, is it really worth it in the end?
And even though it is easier than ever to find craft NA beer, that hasn’t always been the case.
We think NA beer is the perfect solution that gives you all the benefits of social drinking without any negative consequences.
But first, a story.
The Diagnosis that started a Beer Club
A few years back, Mark, the founder of NA Beer Club, found out his father had been diagnosed with genetic Dilated Cardio Myopathy (DCM).
With his diagnosis, his father’s doctor told him to quit drinking alcohol or his health would rapidly decline.
A conversation like this with your doctor is not uncommon.
There are a number of health reasons people may need to cut back or quit consuming alcohol. Heart disease, liver disease, weight issues, Mental Health issues like anxiety, risk of certain cancer, better immune support, etc.
Like other things that simply aren’t good for us, conventional wisdom would say consuming alcohol in moderation is generally not detrimental.
But for more and more people, especially as they get older, it starts to take its toll.
If you are approaching middle-age, which is one of the largest demographic groups of beer drinkers, odds are you can feel the negative effects of a beer or two the next day more than you did in your twenties.
That is because as we age, we need to take better care of our bodies all-around – diet, exercise, hydration – and alcohol, unfortunately, impedes all of the above.
So, is cutting back worth it?
Balancing health and happiness
On the surface this may seem like a pretty simple equation: your health is more important than a couple of beers.
But drinking alcohol is often nuanced and comes with many components that are deeply personal for people, for better or for worse.
In Mark’s dad’s case, drinking beer with his friends and family was a significant part of his life.
He loved meeting up with his many friends at the pub, drinking beer around the bonfire with the family, and going out for drinks with clients and co-workers.
Beer has always been an inherently social beverage.
When we take a step back, whether we realize it or not, it becomes obvious that drinking is majorly ingrained into our culture.
Drinking culture is not all bad
Do you know where we got the ‘clinking together of glasses’ when we “cheers”?
It was a sign of goodwill, trust, and connection.
By spilling a bit of drink into each other’s glass you were nonverbally saying, “Hey look, I trust you that this drink you gave me doesn’t have poison in it. I’m willing to drink your drink.”
Getting together for a drink has always been less about the drink, the beer, and more about getting together. At least until recently.
At some point, American drinking culture seemed to shift focus to the beer itself and its effects on the mind and body.
It seems like our focus has slipped away from the camaraderie to just getting a buzz from the beer.
If that is the case, then what is the point of non-alcoholic beer?
Think about it – you can tell the difference between some friends who get together to watch the game and have a few beers versus the friends who get together to drink while the game is on in the background.
All that to say, there is a social aspect of beer drinking that is admirable, natural, and good for us.
One of the many reasons so many people are getting excited about the NA beer movement is that it removes alcohol from the situation and puts the spotlight back on the person sitting across the table from you.
For Mark’s Dad It wasn’t so much the alcohol when he was with his beer-drinking buddies or colleagues after work, but the social interaction and the sense of community that he shared with the people he loved.
So when he had to quit drinking, he was forced to give this all up. At times, he started to believe it wasn’t worth it.
Fortunately, he found NA beer.
Non-alcoholic beer saves the day
The rise of the craft non-alcoholic beer movement is making it easier for beer drinkers to have their cake and eat it too.
We are living in arguably the easiest time in history to cut back with some of the best NA beers in production.
Whether you are cutting booze completely or drinking NA beer in between alcoholic drinks, now everyone is included.
NA beer is still beer. It is just a lower ABV.
By having a variety of NA beer options that are gaining popularity socially and actually taste good, people like Mark’s dad no longer have to decide between their health and their social life.
No matter the reason you aren’t drinking, you can confidently join your friends at the bar, bring your own six-pack to the barbeque, and crack open a case at the party.
With an NA beer in hand, you (and your friends) will quickly forget who is drinking which type of beer and get back to enjoying each other’s company.
And hopefully, with healthier beer options, you’ll get to enjoy those drinks for a lot longer.
Giving Up Drinking Doesn’t Mean Giving up Your Social Life
There are many reasons to consider cutting back on your alcohol consumption, but if you are getting older and/or have any sort of medical condition that might be impacted by alcohol. Ask your doctor.
Just because you decide to drink less alcohol, doesn’t mean you need to quit drinking beer. And definitely doesn’t mean your social life needs to suffer for it.
Drinking culture is changing and as more people understand what NA beer is, being an NA beer drinker is just going to get easier and easier.
Non-alcoholic beer is booming and it is here to stay. No matter what type of beer you like, you can find a craft NA alternative. Shop for NA beer here.
