Thriving Alcohol-Free with Mocktail Mom

EP 134 | The Surprising Way Kava Can Help You Drink Less and Feel Relaxed

• Deb, Mocktail Mom • Season 2 • Episode 134

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Most people think cutting back on alcohol is about willpower, until they discover Kava, the plant-based relaxant that’s changing the sober curious game. In this episode, Katie of Soberish Mom shares how Kava helps you unwind without the hangover.

You’ll discover the surprising history of Kava from the South Pacific, why high-quality products matter, and how it can be your ultimate tool for socializing sober and reducing stress. Katie breaks down exactly how Kava works in your brain, shares her favorite ways to enjoy it, and offers practical tips for getting started and avoiding pitfalls. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or just looking for a calming alternative, this episode is your gateway to relaxing drinks that actually work and taste good, too.

In a society obsessed with alcohol for celebration and stress relief, not knowing about Kava means missing out on a natural, non-addictive option that can help you reclaim time, peace, and clarity. For anyone tired of the cycle of shame and hangovers, this is your chance to explore a plant that might just redefine your relationship with relaxation.

Perfect for the sober curious, health-conscious drinkers, or anyone wanting to break free from alcohol’s grip — this episode unlocks the potential of Kava to help you feel calm, connected, and in control. Press play and join us in discovering a new way to unwind that fits your life, your purpose, and your taste buds.

To order Kava Haven, click HERE and use code MOCKTAILMOM for my affiliate discount.

Send me a message about the show!

Replay of the Mocktail Summit is available now!

Join the community of mocktail-loving ladies in the Mocktail Social Club. 

 You are loved. Big Time Cheers!

Welcome Back And Summit Recap

SPEAKER_00

Okay, hey friends, it's Deb. Welcome back to Thriving Alcohol Free. How are you? I hope you're doing great. Happy February. I am so happy to be with you. I hope you had a great dry January. If you were doing dry January, or if you are continuing on in an alcohol-free lifestyle like I am, I started out with a dry January back in 2021 and it just kept going for me. So maybe for you, it's the same thing. Maybe this month you're just kind of like, wow, I feel good. You know, I feel good. Why not just keep going? So if you are, I'm cheering you on, or if you're sober-ish, I'm cheering you on for drinking less, or you're super curious and you're just like, what the heck is this all about? Maybe I should, maybe I should cut back. Uh, welcome, welcome. We're so happy you're here for whatever reason. Uh, I just got off the Mocktail Summit. It ended a week ago today. So for those of you who attended, thank you for being there. We had so much fun. We had an overwhelming response this year. And um I laid it all on the field, you guys. I have been exhausted this week. I mean, it's been a week since it ended and ended. We had a final happy hour uh Friday night the 30th, yeah, of January. So it was just uh really at the end of dry January is when we hosted, I hosted this we, me and my 12 personalities, uh, hosted the Mocktail Summit. So if you didn't attend, you're welcome to still, you can still stream the the replays. It's mocktailsummit.com. But um we had so much fun. There were five presenters each day. Day one was uh Mocktails 101, day two was functional mocktails, day three was non-alcoholic wine, which was new this year. So for those of you who were there, thank you so much. For those of you I got to meet on Zooms during our happy hours, um, it was so great to connect with you. I cannot even tell you how much energy um your enthusiasm and your energy gave me. So I did a little survey, I sent out a survey this week. Um, I've been sleeping in, I've been, I've really been barely doing anything. I've barely posted on social media. Um, I didn't get, you know, I'm not not missing, just quiet. I'm like, oh my word, I'm so tired. So one thing I have decided about the Mocktail Summit is for sure I need more help. I cannot try to do it myself. I feel like I am, I'm holding it back because I'm not, there's just so many, there's so many things that could be better. I feel like it was so great. This was year three. I loved it. It was great. I got great feedback. I did send out a survey. I'm gonna share a little bit without of that with you guys. But um, I just feel like it could be so much better. And I think I'm I'm holding it back a little bit. So um, maybe a lot. So I would love to, if we do it again next year, I really, if you, if you have an interest in, you know, producing an online event or if you have, you know, even like social media stuff in terms of like making graphics or editing videos, clipping things up. If that's something you love, please reach out to me because I need help. I know I cannot do it on my own. I have a virtual assistant, she's amazing. She handles all the like back-end um tech stuff. So like uploading the videos, making sure like day one goes live right on time, make sure you guys get your access for those of you who have, you know, paid for all access for the year and stuff like that. So she helps with the tech stuff, which is fantastic. But I would love to have, you know, maybe somebody who just handles like all the emails that go out, somebody who just handles like maybe, you know, clipping up the videos and things like that, because yours truly is doing it all. And I'm losing my mind. So anyway, all that to say, the last week I have been, I've just been like checked out, a little checked out. Plus, plus, the other thing I have been doing this week a lot is uh prepping for knee replacement. I'm having total knee replacement on my right knee uh on the 23rd, February 23rd. So that's coming. So I had Catsyan this week and EKG. They did all this stuff like to check out before you go in surgery, which is good, right? They want to check everything out before you go underneath anesthesia and all that. Anyway, so that's what's coming my way. Hope you're doing well, hope you're healthy. But I walk like a 90-year-old, and so it is time this year, 2026, is my year to really get healthy, um, to get my knees healthy, I should say. So, right knee first, get that healed, do physical therapy, get better, and then I'm gonna go in and do the left knee because both of them are so bad. So, anyway, I don't know. Do you care about my personal health problems? That's what's going on over here. So that's what this week has been. It's been kind of like a recovery from the summit hangover, the mocktail summit hangover, and then just personally getting some doctor's appointments done. So okay, but I did want to tell you uh today is gonna be an episode. I'm actually gonna share with you guys the recording, the audio recording of my conversation with Katie Nessel of Sober's Mom. She was on day two. We got such great feedback of her episode, her segment, I should say, during the Mocktail Summit. It's all about Kava. So if you're interested in Kava, this episode is for you. This um podcast release is for you. It's really, we had a great chat about, well, she shared so much great information about Kava. We made a drink using Kava Haven. They were sponsored actually of day two of the Mocktail Summit. Shout out to Kava Haven. And um, and then uh we she also just shared a little bit about like, you know, keeping your why in front of you. I thought it was really, really good what she shared. So I want to I want to drop this episode um for you guys today with her. Before we do that, I want to tell you a little bit. I sent out a survey to people who came to the Mocktail Summit. So if you are at the Mocktail Summit, here's a little bit of what um I just received back. I don't have all the responses back yet, but I got several already. And so um, so far, topics that were most of interest during the Mocktail Summit, 80% said mocktail recipes. So I guess not a surprise there. 80% of people were happy that they came and learned about mocktail recipes. 62% about non-alcoholic wines, that was a topic that you were most um interested in. So again, kind of not surprised. That's what I get asked about the most. And that is something, you know, I heard feedback just from people, like they were so excited about the non-alcoholic wines. And um the response to the presenters on that day on day three was fantastic. So the last uh, the other one, 53% most interested in were just tips and tricks. So I it's kind of in line of probably what I would have thought. So it was like good to get that feedback. And then 64% said that the mocktail summit, you know, five out of five met their expectations. The rest were four out of five. There was a one. There was somebody, I forget who it was. I don't know who it was, said like, no, the mocktail summit wasn't for me. Okay, sorry. I don't know if they thought they were coming for a cocktail summit. I'm not sure what part was very disappointing, but something didn't meet their expectations. That's okay. You can't make everyone happy. They were here for free. So I'm glad they came. Uh, most valuable, the most valuable things uh that I heard back, the feedback uh of the mocktail summit was recipes, new products and information, which I loved this year. Um, so this year I asked all the presenters, uh, you know, like their favorite, which I've done in the past, asked them like their favorite non-alcoholic wine, favorite non-alcoholic beer, and favorite non-alcoholic spirit. And then this year I added in asking, what's your favorite new product? Because there's so much coming out. And so it's like, you don't know what to try, you don't know what to spend your money on. And so it was really great to hear, I loved hearing from the presenters um what their favorite new products was. So I was glad to see that in the in the response of the survey that a lot of people really enjoyed hearing about new products and new information of what's out there. And then the most valuable thing as well was just presenters' expertise. So to all my presenters, if you're listening, if you're a listener of the uh the I was not to say the Mocktail Summit, you know, probably are the Mocktail Summit. If you're a listener of Thriving Alcohol Free, shout out to you for being a presenter. I just am so grateful. I can't even tell you Mocktail Summit would be absol obviously nothing without our presenters. They're everything and wouldn't be anything without you guys uh being a part of it. So, and shout out to the ladies, the members of the Mocktail Social Club, my membership. We get together Monday nights, Mocktail Mondays. We have a little happy half hour together. So if you are looking for new friends to drink with, join us. Actually, this month, this month and next month, we're gonna be making drinks that were made during the Mocktail Summit. So you're actually gonna get to connect with other people and we'll make drinks together. We'll make the drinks for the Mocktail Summit online together on Zoom. So join us if you want to. Uh, mocktailsocialclub.com. There you go. Okay, I'm gonna uh load up the episode now here, the segment with Katie Nessel of Soberish Mom. So enjoy this. If you missed it at the Mocktail Summit, here's your chance to dive into all about Kava and make a drink with us if you want to. But um, big time cheers to you. Lots and lots of love. So happy that you're here. I'll I'll do the little intro. It's a little long. So if you want to just skip, skip, skip, it's I think about a minute, 55 seconds or so. Skip, skip, skip through the intro. And um, here we go. Have a great time. Lots of love. I'll talk to you guys next week. Welcome up, friends, and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol Free Podcast. I'm your host, Deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, a retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on life's broken record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you if alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you, or you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass. I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober fun guide. So sit back and relax, or keep doing whatever it is you're doing. This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers. All right, I am so excited for this segment. Katie, Katie of Soberish Mom is with us. Year three. This is year three. How are you, my friend? Yeah, I can't believe it. I'm doing really well. How are you? So good.

SPEAKER_01

I was just thinking about that ice, the big ice mold you made the first year. Well, yeah, yeah, yeah. I did a bunch of ice. We're still gonna have some fancy ice today, too. I mean, they put me on the mat for these bad magical ice cubes.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, that your those videos have gone so viral.

SPEAKER_01

Love the ice videos, yeah. And I think why is because so many people want simple mocktails at night or soda and they want a beautiful glass or something romantic to kind of romanticize it. So having them in your freezer is just so easy. You just so easy soda over diet tonic, whatever. And it's like, it's just, yeah, people want it, looks so elevated.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Well, you have put the ice on the map. Yeah, it's been so awesome. Okay, if you guys are not following, Katie's Instagram handle is soberish mom. Katie runs soberish mom, which includes social media accounts and a blog centered on helping people cut back drinking, whether they want to go 100% alcohol free or just reduce their over overall alcohol consumption. She shares mindful drinking tips, no and low proof cocktail recipes, and fun alternatives to alcohol. So, and amazing ice. And you are just the best. You are so fun to follow. I love following you. And I just, I just adore you. So thank you for coming back to the summit this year. I'm so happy you're here. Oh, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01

And for anyone who doesn't know, I mean, I tell a story every year, but Silver's mom would not exist without dad because I was a mom stuck at home drinking too much, scrolling TikTok, and I saw a woman in a parka talking about breaking up with Chardonnay. And I was like, who is this? And and your message just resonated with me so much. And I think it was about a month later that I started cutting back and started giving really serious, took a break from alcohol, and then wanted to inspire other people. And I and I couldn't remember your name. I was like, the parka woman. Who who is that? And then after I started my account, and you know you're on more, you get all delivered. I then I found you and I messaged you. I was like, oh, you don't know me, but I'm your number one fan. I'm so thank you for inspiring so many. And I know people who are watching too, they've been so inspired by your message. So huge impact. Yeah.

Survey Insights And What Listeners Loved

SPEAKER_00

Thank you. That means a lot. That means a lot. Yeah. And it's like, and now you are impacting millions. It's incredible. It's incredible. So love it. Thank you. That was, and I still have that parka. I'll be wearing that again this winter with the big fur, so comfortable and warm here in Kentucky. Um, okay. So today we are talking, this is day two, functional mocktails, and we are talking all about kava, which I mean, you share so much kava content. So I thought, like, who better to come on and talk to us about kava and like explain it, break it down because it can be very confusing.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, there's a lot of misinformation out there. There's a huge need for education, and it is kind of one of these emerging products that people are needing a lot of kind of guidance on. And I did too. So I'm I'm happy to, you know, dive in. It's been one of my absolute favorite alternatives to alcohol. And it is one of the top recommendations I give people who maybe want something that gives them a little feeling. They want to relax a little bit, take a little more, you want to be a little more buzzed, kind of a little giggly at parties. It's a great party drink. Um, it's one of my top recommendations. I I do talk a lot about like THC and things too. One of my favorite things about kava is no munchies. It's actually an appetite suppressant. So it is also great. Let's hear it for the Kava Haven on the no munchies. I so it's a great alternative. So um a little bit, I can tell you a little bit about kind of the history of kava. Most people, when they're using kava, are using traditional kava root. This is um comes from the plant, uh, the root of a plant native to the South Pacific. It's actually the national drink of Fiji. And when you buy kava root, you often get it in this powder form. So when I first started experimenting with kava, I had heard so much about it, how impactful it was. People will have cultural ceremonies. You know, when you might even go to Hawaii or something and they will have cultural ceremonies, you can join and they will make kava in this traditional method, just mixing the powder of the root with water and pass it around, and everyone tries it, and um, it's a really fun experience. Have you ever tried traditional kava root powder?

SPEAKER_00

No, and I it looks like you're doing a little science experiment over there with like some cement paste or something.

SPEAKER_01

That's kind of what it tastes like, too, unfortunately. So I have received so many samples of kava root powder, and there are even kava bars where you can go to and get the traditional traditional kava root, and they'll make it into fancy drinks and things. And the only problem is that it has a very mud-like texture. Oh, you're gonna drink it. You're just trying to prove to us it's not good. It's not good, it's just so terrible. It's so, it's so terrible. And so I've tried a ton of these recipes, but you often need to add a ton of sugar to mask the flavor. And even like even within a couple minutes, I can already feel like your tongue is gonna start to tingle and go numb. That's because kava comes from um the pepper family. And so, like a peppercorn Shejuan pepper might make your in your mouth a little numb. That's why. So definitely know you have a really good quality kava, like your mouth should start tingling within the first five to 10 minutes. Um, but unfortunately, the flavor is very off-putting, even though it works very well. So, one of my favorite products, there's tons coming out now. It's Kava Haven. I know you're a fan. It is incredible. There's zero added sugar. The flavor is absolutely delicious, and it is the fastest acting, the strongest one I found. Because there's a couple other brands too. Have you tried some of the other Kava Spirit? Now this is becoming kind of a thing. Have you tried any other?

SPEAKER_00

The only other one I have I the only other one I've tried is the sante, the little like little powder. And it has other ingredients in it as well. Like has like Ltheanine and Ashwagandas. There's other things in here, but I like that it's like you can travel with it. Travel with it, which is really nice.

SPEAKER_01

Those little powder sticks. So, yeah, I would say flavor-wise, this is my favorite. You can see it's still kind of got that milky texture, but they mix it with a little bit of ginger, lemon, um, grape juice. It's so good. Well, it's almost like a kind of a creamy lemon drop flavor to it, and it's incredibly effective, but it's also really easy to work with, which I like. I mean, I think a lot of people, again, don't want to make like super complicated drinks at home. And so this is one of my favorite products that I recommend. Love it.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, and I cannot get the top off right now. I don't know what I did to this thing. I put it in. I already had mine off before we filmed.

SPEAKER_01

This could have been we love you, but we have some feedback.

SPEAKER_00

It's really hard to get out. I like I had pushed that down hard. Okay, so there we go.

Mocktail Social Club Invitation

SPEAKER_01

Yes. So I thought kind of um, I know one of our we share one of the favorite ways that we enjoy making kava, which is like a very basic kava sprit. It's almost like a mule. Um, and so I'm just gonna grab a glass if you have the kava or if not. And you know, like you always say, measure with our hearts. Okay. I would say for one and a half ounces, you're gonna feel a nice kind of sense of calm and relaxation. If you have a little bit more, it's gonna get a little more intense, a little more of like the feeling of having a buzz, a little more giggly. Um, so that it just depends on what you're looking for. So you can really control the experience just like with alcohol. Um, so I do like one and a half ounces of Kava Haven. And uh one of my favorite mixers is either ginger ale or ginger beer. And so I'm using like a diet because it's you know, there's zero added sugar in this, and then this is zero sugar too. I want it to be like really low calorie. What do you have? This is the light ginger beer Q mixers. I love this one. I love this one. Oh my gosh, it's so good. We're at about like three to four ounces there. Okay, and then again, romanticize your your drink. Deb has her beautiful glass, I have mine. I make these fancy ice cubes just by folding in a couple orange slices with um a little citrus juice or you can use water. And there you are. Look how pretty yours looks. It's so pretty. I know, and it's so delicious. Cheers. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, let me add some ice cream. I need to take a sip because take a sip before it spills. It's spilling.

SPEAKER_01

Oh that looks so pretty. You're done. I mean, most nights I'll just mix it with club soda if I don't have diet ginger ale. Ice, I mean, I'm done in 30 seconds. So I mean with the kids screaming and busy schedules and adult life, it's like I still enjoy having something that helps me take the edge off, but that I don't regret later. And I would say the buzz for me, it lasts about one to two hours. And oftentimes after I put the kids down, like I'm going back to work, and this allows me to do that.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, cheers, cheers, cheers, my friend. Thank you for making this for us. Thank you. Yours looks so incredible.

Introducing Katie And Functional Mocktails

SPEAKER_01

It's so delicious. Yeah. So how got so how kava works scientifically is the active compounds in kava will bind to receptors in your brain like GABA receptors. And that is what gives you that sense of calm and relaxation. There's also several studies showing that it gives you like a slight bump in dopamine. And so dopamine is that happy hormone that's gonna make you feel it's like after you exercise, like it's gonna make you feel good and happy, make you a little giggly, which is why I love it for kind of anything. Like you want to hang out and chill at home, great. You want to go out and take it to a party. This is like my favorite bottle to take to parties. I've taken a few videos like having my family members try it. And people are gonna be like, oh my God, my mouth's going numb. What's happening? And it can be a really fun party, you know, drink to bring. I love that. As you're learning to socialize without alcohol, having something fun to talk to people about and share and to drink yourself can be really helpful tool as you're cutting back, especially in those places where you've always drank before. It's gonna be really hard to kind of kick those habits. Um, so this type of alternative has been just, yeah, one of one of my talking. Incredible. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And I think like for me, I don't want that buzz. And I know there are some people who like they want to just feel relaxed or whatever. So, like you said, like maybe cutting back, having a little bit, maybe having a little bit less of it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Kava 101: History And Effects

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I think definitely as you're approaching kava, there's a there's a few things to know. One, kava has a reverse tolerance effect, which is actually really cool. It's kind of the opposite of alcohol. If you're drinking a ton, you want more and more and more. And you need more to get that buzz you used to get. With kava, it's the opposite. So the more frequently you drink it, the less you will need to get that similar buzz. But in the beginning, that means you kind of need a lot as your body adjusts to it. So the first couple of times I tried kava, I was like, I don't like, I don't, this is not gonna be a fit for me. I'm not gonna talk about it. Like, I don't like it. And then it was like the third time um, because there was like flyers that came at the bottom. I was like, keep trying. And I had tried some of the kava root powders would have the flyers, and they were like, keep drinking. And I was like, nah. I was like, ah, I'm good. I'd rather be dead cold sober than drink that. But then I got this and I was like, all right, I'll give it a shot because I like the flavor too. And so I, and so by the third time, I was like, whoa, 15 minutes, and I felt kind of this wave of relaxation hit me, and I was like, oh, this is working. Okay, okay, I get it now. And now I drink it maybe two to three times a week. I usually have two servings, so about three ounces in an evening, and I and it carries me through the evening, and that's all I need, and it feels great. And it's just like exactly what I've been looking for, which is just I think, you know, taking the edge off a little bit without hating yourself, without any of the downside or negative consequences, you know, that's maybe why you've turned to alcohol, is like it's become kind of that easy button in your life. That's definitely what it was for me. And so having the swaps really helped me kind of break that heavy routine I was in with alcohol.

SPEAKER_00

Love it. And I love the idea of like bringing this to a party. Yes, especially at those situations where maybe you you used to drink or it was an event you used to go to where you, you know, you typically drank. So to bring something so you feel comfortable. And then also like let everybody try it, you know? You'll be so surprised how people might love it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, people always have questions about it, they're super excited, or they'll share a story like, oh, I tried this in Hawaii or Fiji. People will be like, oh, I went to this ceremony. I like definitely, it was like a really cool thing, but it tasted terrible. So I was like, Yes, that's part of the one, I think that's one of the biggest um kind of deterrence is people are like, it just tastes terrible. Tasted awful. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

What should people look for? Okay, so I mean, we're both huge fans of Kava Haven. So what should somebody look for if they're purchasing a Kava drink or if they're, you know, obviously reading the label on the Kava Haven bottle too? Yes.

SPEAKER_01

So there's a lot of sketchy products out there, and there's a lot of misinformation about kava. If you Google Kava, you're gonna be met with some pretty scary headlines. And that's because in the early 2000s there were several cases of liver toxicity that led to it being banned in the UK. Unfortunately, after that, they found out the quality of the kava was very poor. So you want pure kava root noble cure, excuse me, pure noble root kava powder. Okay. So that they're only using the root of the plant and they're not using stems or leaves. Because when you use stems or leaves, it can be very toxic. So you have to have a really high quality product, and things that are sold like in the convenience stores that kids are buying that are incredibly dangerous, are not. They're also often mixed with Kratom and they're not labeled that. So I recently tried a canned drink that was sent to me as a sample. I get so many samples or to try them all, and I it was just labeled kava. I had no idea how Kratom in it and didn't say. Even afterwards, I got incredibly sick when I drank it. At first, I was looking at the can and I was like, there's no way I would have been able to tell. And so I emailed the company and I was like, what is in this? And then they sh then they shared that there was Kratom in it. And I was like, of course. So it you have to buy from trusted, reputable sources to make sure you're getting like a really high quality product. Otherwise, it can be very dangerous. But um for most healthy adults, Kava is completely safe. It's been deemed safe by the CDC, the Who, the World Health Organization. Um, you just have to make sure you're getting the right quality. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But yeah, and you're perfect person. Like you, I mean, I think you tried this before I did, I want to say. I want to say last year. When this came out, it's only been what, like two years? Yeah. Right? I mean, maybe two years.

SPEAKER_01

First time I tried it was before Christmas. I remember it was like Thanksgiving. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. So they're newer. It's a great, yeah, it's a great company. Um, but they yeah, just I feel like blown up the market. I see them everywhere now.

SPEAKER_00

Everywhere. And I think to to buy a kava that is from somebody who's recommending it, that's so important to buy from somebody that's reputable.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And I will say if you are on any medications, it's always good to check with your doctor. Like I'm um, you know, before you take anything, I think you should be doing that, depending on if you're on like SSRIs or anything. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Totally. Any other favorite ways that you drink um Kava Haven? Yes.

Traditional Kava Vs Modern Options

SPEAKER_01

So I love doing like a paloma dupe. So I love it with grapefruit juice and use kava to replace your tequila. A little grapefruit juice, um, really brings out like the citrus in it. It's great for in January. There's a grapefruit season. And um, I'd love like a tahine rim, give it a little spiciness mix, and then um club soda or a grapefruit soda on top. One of my absolute favorite ways to do it. And then cherry juice. Somebody mixed it with cherry juice, and I was like, oh, and it's this is great for sleep, and cherry juice, cherries can have that kind of natural melatonin and magnesium in them that helps you sleep. And so I tried it with cherry juice too and some soda, and that was delicious. So I have like five or six recipes on my blog on sobermom.com. Perfect. I have an article. There's one article about covet. It's like everything you need to know, education, sources, facts, and then recipes of how I love it. So if you're curious, definitely check that out. And Club even has a great site, they have a blog site too with a bunch of recipes and things. Great, great.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, good, good to have resources.

SPEAKER_01

Do you have any special secret? I mean, just with club soda too.

SPEAKER_00

With club soda, I've made um several like cranberry mules with it. So, like instead of using like a non-alcoholic whiskey or non-alcoholic tequila, even like just some cranberry juice, ginger beer, and the Kava Haven as my non-alcoholic spirit. And it's so good. And I use about like an ounce and a half. So kind of I'm a lightweight on the cover.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, how do you feel when you drink it?

SPEAKER_00

I just feel relaxed. Like I don't feel, I don't think I feel giggly and I'm I'm a pretty happy person, a pretty, you know, like upy person. I'm good. What's that? Your dopamine level is already so good. I think I'm already like so so I don't I don't necessarily feel that, but maybe if I had more, and maybe if I had it more right on a regular basis, so I probably have it like once or twice um a week or so is probably the often I drink it. But yeah, the cranberry mules, easy. Any advice for anybody who's just getting started? It's end of January. Um, and so somebody who's maybe just finishing up or has done a dry-ish or dry January. Any advice for them? Obviously, follow Katie and all your support.

Fast Kava Spritz Recipe

SPEAKER_01

But oh yeah, that's so sweet. Yeah, I mean, I try and do a lot of posts about kind of those first few steps that I took. I remember just having uh such shame about where I was at with drinking and I definitely feeling like I wanted to make a change for so long and not even just feeling so daunting and overwhelmed to even know where to start. So if you're here, if you're thinking about it or you're starting to change, just you should just be so proud of yourself for making that leap and taking the first step. And you're gonna have a lot of missteps along the way, but just know that like if you're starting, you're beating all the people that never even bothered to start. So just be so proud of yourself. I think the biggest change for me is like the mindset shift. I mean, just understanding there's there's so many tips, your 5 p.m. replacements, using kava, you know, um tips for how to socialize. But the number one thing is that your desire not to drink has to be stronger than your desire to drink. And I can't tell you what it's gonna be that sparks that change in you because I I had wanted to try or I I would do, you know, dry weeks or whatever. And I just it I never stuck with it. And I I don't, I don't really know exactly what it was that finally clicked for me. I think um I when I started cutting back, I was a stay-at-home mom and I was just worried about this example I was setting for my kids. And I really I grew up in a family of big drinkers, and a lot of my memories are around, you know, family events and things, people drinking, oh binge drinking, getting drunk. And I just didn't want that for my kids anymore. But um when I first started out, like I discovered what my why was and what your why is like why you're doing this, and write that down on your phone or it keep it on a note somewhere in your drawer or wherever where you have really easy access to it. I mean, having it on your phone is really important. Yeah, why are you doing this? Why are you here for your kids, for your health, for your relationship, for your spouse, for like just every morning you wake up feeling like, why did I do that? Or like that wasn't even worth it. It wasn't even worth it. Write it down. And the next time you feel like, oh fuck it, I want to drink. This is stupid. I don't need to do George January. Read that note, read it again and again and again. And if you stick with it, write again in the next morning. Like, wow, I did it. I feel so proud of myself. If you don't, if you have a slip up, which I have many, many, many, many times, I also would journal and write. Okay, I drank four glasses of wine last night and I just was so not worth it. It was fun. It was like I realized in journaling and reflecting, I realized like I was chasing like two hours of fun and living with like three days of regret. And it was like, oh, that's not worth it for me anymore. But only through like journaling and writing and processing, and I really didn't want to journal or reflect, I didn't want to do any of that stuff. Really hated it. I really didn't want to do it. Even if you can just spend a couple minutes, like it's gonna have a big impact. Um, so for sure today, right now, if you haven't already, write down your why on your phone. And then, like, on your phone, keep that note next time you overdrank, like put the date and be like, what did I get out of that? Okay, one or two hours of relief and fun. It's fun. Um, you know, I missed my workout, I slept like shit. I hate myself. I was snapped at my kids. Like, I definitely noticed my patience and my anxiety was just, you know, improved so much when I started cutting back. I couldn't believe it. That was one thing I really thought alcohol was helping with my patience's anxiety, but I realized the opposite, of course, as we know now. And I just kept that note and I just kept reading it. And, you know, I kept notes in my drawer. Like I did get a journal and I would keep notes about like, what did I get? Pros and cons out of drinking, and what what didn't I get? And that reflection really helped me see kind of the truth about all the issues alcohol is causing my life for like for what? For like one or two hours? Like, what could I do instead for one or two hours? And and I know it feels like hard because it's so easy to just pour a drink versus like, I'm gonna do a yoga class instead. Go for a walk. Right, right, right, right. It's all easy. It's just like awesome. It's right there. It's always gonna be there. Yep. It's always gonna be there. And so your desire not to drink has to be stronger than your desire to drink. So I think the journaling, setting your why and your mindset around it is great. And then on my blog, I have like the first five things I did when I started out, the books I read, the podcasts I listened to, education was huge. I mean, I truly had no idea. And how long have you been alcohol free?

SPEAKER_00

Is it alcohol free? So the summit will come out end of January and December 31st, 2025 will be five years for me. So I'll just have crossed the five-year mark when this comes out. Yeah, which is crazy, crazy. But I love, yeah, good.

How Kava Feels And Lasts

SPEAKER_01

I was gonna say, but even five years ago, I would love your perspective. It's like I feel like we are seeing this huge shift in culturally the last couple of years of people wanting to drink less. But even five years ago, there were no studies coming out about how bad it was for your brain or cancer or health. Like five years ago is not that long ago. And it's like all of a sudden there's this wave of information coming out, and people are cutting back because they're like, I had no idea. And I that's how I thought I had truly had no idea.

SPEAKER_00

And so um, yeah, how I do were you did you have like an a-ho moment or was there it was like it was all these moments of like waking up with shame or waking up, slept terrible, woke up at three in the morning, the room is spinning, you know, the TV's asking me, like, do you want to keep watching Netflix? And I'm like, what were we watching? I don't remember what I was watching, you know. So, like just too many mornings where I just felt horrible. And then I would drag around a U-Haul of shame all day of feeling like, I did it again, can't believe I did it, I'm not gonna do it again. And then next thing I know, I'm opening a bottle of wine at five o'clock. You know, it just was like this endless loop of like, you know, how do I get out of this? So I really and 2020 didn't help. So it was the very end of 2020 when I first got drinking. It was that year, okay. It was that whole year of being home and it was like instead of waiting until five, then it was like, okay, three o'clock. Let's what else is going on? Or whatever. So I was just like, I was coming into my 50s. So for me, I'm much older than all the other presenters at the summit, but um, you know, I was coming into my 50s. I was gonna turn 50 in 2021, and I was like, I don't want my next decade to look like my last decade has looked because I was just I was just numbing out from pain in my life, a lot of hard things. And I also have a lot of joy. It was numbing my joy. So that too.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. But I think that's ex such excellent advice to just go back, find out your why, and keep digging, like keep writing down and keep just kind of reflecting on how you're feeling and why.

Dosing, Reverse Tolerance, And Tips

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah. And I and it also helped reveal a lot of triggers for me. Like I found like, um, I know socializing without alcohol is hard for a lot of people, that that was actually one of the easiest things for me. Like, I loved going out, not drinking, like being present with my friends and like remembering conversations, feeling like sharp. It was drinking at home alone with my kids or like being bored or like putting them down, and then I drink by myself or just being isolated. Like, motherhood is very isolating. I was a stay-at-home mom, so I did not have any work colleagues. I was not leaving the house. I could wear my pajamas and be hung over all day. Like, you know, I mean, right. That's what it is. So, and it felt like normal. My habits felt normal to me. I wasn't drinking every night, I wasn't drinking a bottle of tequila, I was having like three or four glasses of wine every other night. And I thought that was pretty normal. But the impact it was having me, especially as I aged, I was like, I can't do this anymore. And then I found out that's actually not normal drinking. Like that had been very normalized for me in my personal family, but also in every show I watched, Sex in the City. It's like there's not a single episode in Sex in the City, they don't have cocktails. There is not a single episode. Totally. So it's like you just think everyone is, and you know, mommy, wine culture I fell so into. So I just thought, just having two glasses of wine, like, what's the big deal? And it's really doesn't matter how much you're drinking, all that matters is how you feel and how it makes you feel. And like, are your habits aligning with your priorities? And it just wasn't for me anymore. So I think um, you know, I still occasionally drink and I encourage people to cut back even if they can't do 100% sobriety. But just making the decision about like, does this align with how I want to feel tomorrow? Like sometimes I have a date night or I don't have kids or we're on vacation. It's like I can, I can sleep in or I can, you know, it's like I maybe it's worth it for me in that moment, but most of the times it's just not anymore. So I think also giving yourself the freedom to experiment, be sober curious, like how I'm very curious about how alcohol fits in my life. Maybe it does some days, maybe it doesn't, and maybe, maybe it never does anymore. It doesn't deserve a role in your life. So I think just being really curious about that as you approach this is you'll find what's right for you and you'll find the right balance. I mean, I get a lot of messages from people that are like, okay, I did dry January and now like I can't really decide if I want to drink again. Like, I don't know how to approach this. How, how would you approach it? And, you know, I think I'll just be really reflective. I asked a lot of questions, like, what do you miss about alcohol? What do you think you'll get out of it? And like, if you do decide to drink, journal. Like, see if you get what you think out of it. Because a lot of the times, even now, even when I drink, I'm like, eh, like, yeah, okay. That was okay. But like, was that even really worth it? Like, it's easy to really romanticize it even our in our heads. Um, so, but for me personally, just like having the option for some reason led me to drinking less than I ever I love that.

SPEAKER_00

I love that about your story that like having that option has given you more freedom. Yeah, like for for me, I kind of the opposite in the sense, like for me, I'm like, I don't drink alcohol.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But for me, that's kind of helped me because I had so much like head noise of like, like, you know, when you're watching the news and they like the ticker at the bottom. Yeah, the ticker, yeah, yeah. I felt like my brain was constantly like, is there wine? Do I have wine at home? Like, do I stop at the store? Where I feel like now, like that I'm not like uh there's a for sure, like the door's closed on that. That's that's really quieted down, like it's gone. So yeah, so I think like what you said, you just have to find what's right for you. Like for me, the goal in the beginning was moderation, and then I just found out like I I love, I'm liking not drinking. That's working for me. But like no judgment, like whatever works for people, whatever works for you is is the right choice for you for us to say, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Safety, Quality, And What To Avoid

SPEAKER_01

Yes, I find it so so peaceful. I remember that too. I'm okay. When am I gonna plan my days to drink? When how will I feel the next morning? Okay, I have this, and like alcohol took so much space up in my life, and it was such a time suck. I had no idea the amount of time alcohol was stealing from my life until even within the first two weeks that I did. I started dry January, like January 18th on. I love it. I love it. Come when I'm gonna do it. Every day one or two, and I was like, ah, forget it. I was drinking, you know, that weekend. And then I was like, enough. It was just, I can't tell you what it will be, but something will happen in your life where you're like, enough. And and you will try and stick with it. And so even within two weeks, you know, I could just all these things were becoming easier in my life. I had so much more time back. I had peace. I just had less anxiety. I was like, oh, this is nice. Like, this is great. And then I was after, you know, after it ended, I went out with my girlfriend, had three drinks at happy hour. And I woke up the next morning and I was like, that's it. And I never went back. I was like, I can't believe I did that.

SPEAKER_00

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

So eye-opening for me. And like, and then a month later, I started sober schmom. And that was like wow, wow.

SPEAKER_00

And the rest is history. And like now your social, your social media accounts are just like in the stratosphere. Like, I love following you. Oh, you're such an inspiration. You're such an encouragement to everybody, whether they're sober, soberish, just interested, you know, sober curious. I mean, it's really, it's fantastic what you're doing. You're inspiring millions, Katie. Keep up the great work. Yeah. Right. Well got you. I mean, where would I be without Devmouse? Your grandma, I'm your mock tail grandma over here.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, Gene and Dead, we trust.

SPEAKER_00

Measure with your heart, friends. I love you. Big time cheers to you, Katie. Thank you. Thank you for doing this. Yes, and thank you to Kava Haven for sponsoring day two of the summer. Do not sleep on it. We love Kava Haven. Yes, yes. Okay, love you, my friend. This was awesome. Thank you. Big time cheers to you for tuning in to the Thriving Alcohol Free Podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flair, or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the world of non alcoholic drinks and as you journey towards authentic freedom. See you in the next episode.