You know sobriety is catching once is starts to garner a profit. And according to some new data from CBS News, clean experiences are becoming big business. Several high profile nightspots are welcoming in patrons who abstain from alcohol and latching on to a very popular #SoberIsSexy hashtag trend.
CBS News revealed that more that 1.2 million people are using the #SoberIsSexy label on Instagram, with an additional 500,000 more sharing the #SoberLife hashtag. The idea is to embrace a clean lifestyle, focused on health and wellness.
The network’s medical contributor, Dr. Tara Narula, led a television segment where she interviewed successful New York nightclub owners whose establishments do not sell alcohol. Lorelei Bandrovski runs New York’s popular Listen Bar, which proudly touts a booze-free menu.
“There’s this kind of blind spot in culture where a lot of our social life, and a lot of our night life, is exclusively built around alcohol,” Bandrovski explained. “And the truth is, there are big business indicators that the sober market is growing.”
And there are hard numbers to illustrate that growth. CBS went on to share that the non-alcoholic beverage industry is expected to grow to over $25 billion by 2024. Bandrovski added that her Listen Bar also brings in significant revenue each month.
Technology companies are embracing the movement as well. Several new social apps have begun tapping into this market over the past year. Their goal is to connect sober people to event locations, group chats and even dating conversations. One particular startup that CBS highlighted was Loosid, which connects people in recovery, as well as anyone who is “sober curious.”
One frequent Loosid user, Philip O’Hara, was also interviewed for the piece. He praised the app’s ability to amplify the sober lifestyle.
“You have a platform for people to be connected with other sober people, and then the ‘sober curious’ movement gets brought into it,” O’Hara said. “And it turns out you like going to the sober bar, you have more fun, you make more connections, and then you decide on your own that, like, ‘I actually have more fun without alcohol.'”
This trend will likely gain even more momentum during the start of the new year, after another popular movement kicks into gear. That, of course, would be Dry January and hopefully another catalyst for increasing the awareness of #SoberIsSexy posts.
You can watch the full CBS segment below…
Team of joyful carefree friends having fun together outside. Young men and women walking in city, hugging each other, joking and laughing. Happy friends concept
