Sober October drinks that don't feel like a punishment

What is Sober October?

Sober October is 31 days off the booze. Simple as that.

The official version is Go Sober for October, run by Macmillan Cancer Support. You give up alcohol for the month, your mates sponsor you, and the money helps people living with cancer. If you're doing it, sign up. It's a brilliant cause.

Plenty of people do their own version too. A month off to reset after summer, or a test run before Christmas. However you're doing it, this page is here to make it easier.

Why bother? The science bit

Here's the good news. A month off can make a measurable difference.

A study at the Royal Free Hospital in London, published in BMJ Open in 2018, followed moderate to heavy drinkers who stopped for a month. Compared with people who kept drinking, they saw improvements in insulin resistance, blood pressure and weight.

That's one month. Not a lifetime. Not a monk's vow. Just October.

The NHS is pretty clear on the bigger picture too. There's no completely safe level of drinking, and if you do drink, the advice is no more than 14 units a week with several drink-free days. A month off is a great way to see how you feel without it.

The hard bit isn't the drink

Let's be honest. Not drinking for a month isn't the tricky part. It's everything around it.

It's Friday night with nothing in your hand. It's the pub quiz. It's the barbecue that refuses to accept summer's over. And it's that one mate who treats your Sober October like a personal challenge.

This is where alcohol-free drinks earn their keep. You still get the ritual: the crack of a can, the clink of a glass, the first cold sip at the end of a long day. You just skip the hangover.

What to drink instead

Beer that tastes like beer

Alcohol-free beer has come a long way. If your last one tasted like sad fizzy bread, you're in for a treat.

Love a hazy IPA? Try Cloudwater Fresh AF from Manchester. More of a lager drinker? Below Brew's Forgot To Take My Pils is crisp, citrusy and very easy. And for a taste of home, Northern Monk Faith is brewed just down the road in Leeds.

See the full range of alcohol-free beer.

Wine you'd pour for guests

A Friday night red is the one people miss most. Noughty's organic red is low in sugar and properly good with a Sunday roast.

For celebrations, Pierre Zéro Sparkling Chardonnay is a true 0.0% French fizz. And if a whole bottle feels like a commitment, their 20cl single bottles pour one generous glass.

Browse all our alcohol-free wine.

Spirits for a proper drink

Sometimes you want a grown-up drink in a heavy glass. Pearsons London Botanic makes a classic G&T, and Seven Giants Blanco is made for margaritas.

Not in the mood to mix? Our pre-mixed cocktails are ready to pour. Chill, crack, done.

Make it cheaper

Here's a nice side effect of Sober October: you save money. Here's how to save a bit more.

Mix any 6 drinks and get 5% off, 12 for 10%, and 24 for 15%. Wine and spirits get an even better deal: 6 bottles for 10% off and 12 for 15%. It comes off automatically, no codes.

Know exactly what you like? Build a beer box, a wine box or a spirits box and watch the saving add up as you go.

And on 1 November?

That's entirely up to you. Some people go straight back to how they were. Lots don't.

Maybe you keep a few drink-free nights a week. Maybe you swap the weekday wine for something without the hangover. Maybe you zebra stripe your nights out, one alcoholic, one not.

We're not here to judge your glass. Balance, not perfection. One life. Enjoy it.