The connection between men and the non-alcoholic movement

Recently Sarah Kate bumped into a neighbour she hadn’t seen for awhile and after exchanging greetings, the neighbour openly admitted that after hockey, he and many of his teammates are grabbing a non-alcoholic beer instead of a regular pint. In Canada’s post-hockey drinking culture, this is a sea change.

We talk a lot about the relationship women have with alcohol, and for good reason. With the rise of mommy wine culture, the increase in known risks of alcohol consumption, and the female body’s unique susceptibility to the effects of alcohol, reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption is good for women’s health.

But what about men? In some ways, men suffer the ill-effects of alcohol as much or more than women do. The risk for the top three cancers men are diagnosed with - colorectal, prostate and lung - is made worse by alcohol. And injuries, violence and death are more likely to occur as a result of men’s drinking than women’s. A serious problem indeed.

But our optimism has been piqued by a few indicators - both statistical and anecdotal - showing men are also beginning to embrace alcohol free (or alcohol reduced) living.

The facts - are men really drinking less?

The truth is that statistics on male alcohol consumption are spotty at best (spottier still their consumption of alcohol free beverages). However, a few notable trends are starting to hint at a changing landscape of male alcohol consumption.

For example, while men still tend to drink more than women, they also decreased their drinking significantly during the pandemic, and were more likely to identify their drinking as problematic. While it’s not known what drove this increased tendency to self-assess problematic drinking (was it truly a problem? Did other pandemic-related problems drive the notion?), the fact remains that the trend seems to be a reduction in consumption among men. With Gen Z overall drinking less than previous generations, the stereotype of the beer-guzzling guy seems to be diminishing.

Furthermore, beer consumption has been in decline for some time now. In fact, alcohol sales in general are currently on the decline, but beer more significantly because statistically it’s men’s preferred alcoholic beverage of choice, and enjoyed by significantly more men than women. Certainly some of this decline is driven by a switch to different alcoholic choices, but as the non-alcoholic beer market grows, it seems reasonable to assume that at least some beer drinkers are switching to alcohol free options of their favourite tipple. This comes as no surprise to us given the quality of non-alcoholic beers readily available today.

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On the other hand, reaction to the recent updates to Canadian guidance on alcohol consumption tells a different story, with the majority of men (61%) believing the recommendations to be untrustworthy or overblown. So while there is some good news, it’s too early to declare a marked shift in male alcohol consumption.

Cultural clues

But it wasn’t the stats that got us wondering if men were turning to a low- or no-alcohol lifestyle - it was some of the anecdotal evidence we kept stumbling upon. When you’re interested in the sober curious movement, it’s difficult not to notice an increase in male influencers, such as Andrew Huberman (whose audience is more than half male) or Joe Rogan (love him or hate him, he certainly appeals to many men) talking about the advantages of foregoing alcohol and the toll it takes on brain health, physical strength and performance.

In the Canadian non-alcoholic space, Mitch Cobb and Mike Hogan founded non-alcoholic craft beer brand Libra out of a need to increase their own sense of healthy balance in their lives, while alcohol-free drinks retailers Benson Mutalemwa, owner of Knyota Drinks in Ottawa committed to alcohol-free living because he was committed to being the best father he could be. While we’ll always sing the praises of the many incredible women innovating in this space, clearly there is no shortage of men doing their part to build this relatively new industry.

At the end of the day though, it may just be the random interactions with men rethinking drinking that have us watching how men are embracing the sober life. It’s becoming more common for us to hear men comment that they’ve switched to NA beers during the week, enjoying hangover free weekends, or reducing their consumption by switching between alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Men in middle age and beyond have expressed gratitude for the excellent non-alcoholic options available, as they get feedback from their doctors about the need to reduce or eliminate the toxic substance from their lives due to health concerns. And some men, such as contributing author Liam, have told us that the clear head that comes with rethinking drinking is allowing them to work through issues and stressors that they were previously pouring pints over.

Peer pressure

Given the old school notions around boozy bro culture, are men who choose a damp or dry lifestyle getting the gears from the guys on pub night? Our anecdotal evidence doesn’t seem to indicate this. One man we spoke with reported that his friends have been forthright but not negative with their curiosity, and he’s enjoyed having the opportunity to share the benefits he’s experiencing. Some of his friends have even reported back that they have ordered non-alcoholic beer options to see what he’s talking about, leading them to consider a more nuanced and moderate approach to their drinking habits.

So, why ARE some men choosing to drink less?

At this point, it’s unclear. The combination of the general trend towards lower consumption, the availability of excellent options, and perhaps an increased awareness among men of their mental and physical health needs seem to be creating an ideal scenario for sober curiosity to flourish. Whatever the reason, we’re glad to see an increasing presence of men in the rethinking drinking community!