Treat Your Sober Self
June 30, 2020 9:09 AM Subscribe
I'm very much getting through the sort of week after which I'd reward myself with some sort of good, or at least novel, booze. Except I'm not drinking right now. What do you do or buy to reward and sustain yourself in tiring times, that isn't something to get smashed on?
No answer too weird, etc.
No answer too weird, etc.
A fancy dessert
posted by tinymegalo at 9:15 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by tinymegalo at 9:15 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
I'm not drinking either. I buy a plant or fuss with the plants I already have. Or pull some frozen grapes out of the freezer. Or blend lemon juice, water, maple syrup and ginger or mint to make a cocktail with some kick.
I bought a hammock that takes up most of the space in whatever room it's in. I get in the hammock and rock and read or nap and stare out the open window.
posted by 6thsense at 9:16 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
I bought a hammock that takes up most of the space in whatever room it's in. I get in the hammock and rock and read or nap and stare out the open window.
posted by 6thsense at 9:16 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Ice cream. Good ice cream.
posted by pie_seven at 9:17 AM on June 30, 2020 [14 favorites]
posted by pie_seven at 9:17 AM on June 30, 2020 [14 favorites]
I'm doing the same so I bought cookie dough the other day, ate it straight up, didn't get sick and felt great about it.
posted by lovableiago at 9:17 AM on June 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by lovableiago at 9:17 AM on June 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
Fancy, good quality teas in a variety of styles for different purposes -- sleepy time, caffeinated, detox, digestive, dessert, matcha. Sometimes I also make flavoured simple syrups and keep them in jars in the fridge and mix it up in my drinks or drizzle over desserts.
posted by iamkimiam at 9:18 AM on June 30, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by iamkimiam at 9:18 AM on June 30, 2020 [8 favorites]
Nthing teas.
I also have a lead on some non-alcoholic cocktails, and some of them may be fun to play with - I'll memail you a couple recipes.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:22 AM on June 30, 2020
I also have a lead on some non-alcoholic cocktails, and some of them may be fun to play with - I'll memail you a couple recipes.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:22 AM on June 30, 2020
I pop myself a big bowl of popcorn and eat it while lying in bed and reading a (fun) book.
posted by rue72 at 9:23 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by rue72 at 9:23 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
A lot of restaurant supply places have started offering home shipment now that restaurants are closed - get yourself some fancy cheeses, a big piece of excellent and well-aged steak, some fancy butter to cook it in maybe, some really fresh herbs, there’s lots of possibility here.
posted by mhoye at 9:24 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 9:24 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Splurging on your favorite, special-occasions-only (and typically expensive) meal.
For me that would probably be a 1-2" thick high quality NY Strip steak from a good butcher (i.e. not the just-okay stuff that shows up in the grocery store), cooked to medium-rare on a charcoal (not gas) grill.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:28 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
For me that would probably be a 1-2" thick high quality NY Strip steak from a good butcher (i.e. not the just-okay stuff that shows up in the grocery store), cooked to medium-rare on a charcoal (not gas) grill.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:28 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
There are places where I am that will deliver a box of locally grown produce to your door, and I've found that I love those. Opening the box and pulling out all sorts of fresh, yummy fruits and vegetables feels like Xmas!
posted by DingoMutt at 9:28 AM on June 30, 2020
posted by DingoMutt at 9:28 AM on June 30, 2020
Seltzer with fancy syrups or drinking vinegars.
posted by ferret branca at 9:30 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ferret branca at 9:30 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
There are a lot of excellent non-alcoholic beverages listed here, I recommend the unsweetened ones. Cold barley tea, for example, is very refreshing.
Alcohol has a dramatic effect on blood sugar, so replacing it with sweets may be an obvious answer but really just replaces like with like.
posted by aniola at 9:32 AM on June 30, 2020
Alcohol has a dramatic effect on blood sugar, so replacing it with sweets may be an obvious answer but really just replaces like with like.
posted by aniola at 9:32 AM on June 30, 2020
Really strong (gingery) ginger ale. I've made some at home over the last few months (which admittedly takes a few weeks to get going and becomes slightly alcoholic).
posted by little onion at 9:41 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by little onion at 9:41 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
A bath with a bath bomb, some soft music, all the accoutrements to make it as spa-like as possible. (I also will add cannabis to this experience, but that isn't being sober). In non-pandemic times, getting a massage or my nails done.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 9:44 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Sparky Buttons at 9:44 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Pay to "rent" an old favorite movie that you wouldn't normally watch because it isn't on Netflix right now.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:44 AM on June 30, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:44 AM on June 30, 2020 [11 favorites]
So, I'm not a huge mocktail fan, and at the initial description of this I got grossed out. Jokes on me, because coffee and tonic is a fucking amazing combination and is now a regular go-to for evenings where I don't want to drink:
-2oz cold brew concentrate (I use decaf, specifically EA decaf, which is the superior decaf in every way shape and form)
-a little splash of grapefruit syrup
-a dash of citrus-direction bitters (which can be ommited if that much alcohol isn't desired)
-large ice cubes
-6oz of good tonic
-Grapefruit peel garnish
Coffee, syrup bitters and ice all go into a glass of your liking (mason jar over here). Slooooowly pour the tonic over the ice; it will fizz a bit, and going fast at this step will cause kitchen panic. Rub the grapefruit peel over the rim of the glass, and toss it in.
You can also make the component parts if you want; grapefruit syrup, tonic syrup.
This stuff is really good. REALLY good.
posted by furnace.heart at 9:44 AM on June 30, 2020 [22 favorites]
-2oz cold brew concentrate (I use decaf, specifically EA decaf, which is the superior decaf in every way shape and form)
-a little splash of grapefruit syrup
-a dash of citrus-direction bitters (which can be ommited if that much alcohol isn't desired)
-large ice cubes
-6oz of good tonic
-Grapefruit peel garnish
Coffee, syrup bitters and ice all go into a glass of your liking (mason jar over here). Slooooowly pour the tonic over the ice; it will fizz a bit, and going fast at this step will cause kitchen panic. Rub the grapefruit peel over the rim of the glass, and toss it in.
You can also make the component parts if you want; grapefruit syrup, tonic syrup.
This stuff is really good. REALLY good.
posted by furnace.heart at 9:44 AM on June 30, 2020 [22 favorites]
I drink (a little) but honestly most of the time I want a celebratory beer or whatever it's about "cold fancy drink" and a good flavor of kombucha (which I only buy rarely) will scratch that itch. Or more recently, peach-ginger shrub with seltzer, although shrub takes some advance prep because it needs to sit.
posted by needs more cowbell at 9:45 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by needs more cowbell at 9:45 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
A really, really good cheese/charcuterie board. And some fun, non-alcoholic fizzy drinks mixed with fresh fruit.
posted by cooker girl at 9:57 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by cooker girl at 9:57 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Some toy/tool/gadget/etc. that you've really been wanting, but have put off actually buying.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:57 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:57 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
Living in England, I learned that a fancy pot of brewed-in-a-pot tea with sugar, milk and some yummy biscuits is a great treat.
posted by pazazygeek at 9:59 AM on June 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by pazazygeek at 9:59 AM on June 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
I usually do a food that isn't in my normal food budget. Most of the time that's very good steak or fish but occasionally is a bakery good.
Alternately I'll spend roughly the booze amount on books, streaming movie/season of TV, or video game. To pass the time, since that's often what the booze was for anyway.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:01 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Alternately I'll spend roughly the booze amount on books, streaming movie/season of TV, or video game. To pass the time, since that's often what the booze was for anyway.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:01 AM on June 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Delivery sushi and watch a movie!
posted by brook horse at 10:04 AM on June 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by brook horse at 10:04 AM on June 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
Dance party to a good techno/ club soundtrack (there's lots on Spotify), followed by a good meal (homemade or delivery, depending on budget and intended level of effort) with dessert (homemade or purchased). Nthing fun beverages, too! I currently have a strawberry-basil shrub in my fridge that's very tasty with sparkling water.
posted by wicked_sassy at 10:09 AM on June 30, 2020
posted by wicked_sassy at 10:09 AM on June 30, 2020
Oh man, I haven't drank in so long that I kind of forget what it was like. But yeah, like everyone else is saying, food. Food is pretty subjective, so like, while someone suggested a charcuterie board and that sounds incredible to me, others are posting about desserts, and that's pretty meh. The general point is that you buy some fancy, delicious food that you really like and that you otherwise wouldn't eat.
In my experience, part of the fun of drinking was the social aspect, so that's probably something I'd suggest incorporating. Obviously right now it's not the easiest thing to do, but whatever you're comfortable with - Zoom parties or whatnot.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:14 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
In my experience, part of the fun of drinking was the social aspect, so that's probably something I'd suggest incorporating. Obviously right now it's not the easiest thing to do, but whatever you're comfortable with - Zoom parties or whatnot.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:14 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
A nice long walk followed by a nice long bath with lots of spa-like accessories. Put away my phone and anything related to work so it’s not in my line of sight. Then I get to lounge around in bed or do something similarly relaxed all the next day like stay in my pajamas, make pancakes for dinner, etc.
posted by sallybrown at 10:20 AM on June 30, 2020
posted by sallybrown at 10:20 AM on June 30, 2020
Art supplies. In my experience, if there is a thing I'm trying not to do, it helps to have some sort of project that you can lose yourself in. New art supplies are a treat that leads to a fun project.
Yarn for a crochet project, and a new music album or audio book. Crocheting and listening to something engrossing is a relaxing and enjoyable way to pass time. Knitting or other forms of needlework would work here too. As would a puzzle, building a model, whittling... anything you can do with your hands that doesn't require your undivided attention.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:31 AM on June 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
Yarn for a crochet project, and a new music album or audio book. Crocheting and listening to something engrossing is a relaxing and enjoyable way to pass time. Knitting or other forms of needlework would work here too. As would a puzzle, building a model, whittling... anything you can do with your hands that doesn't require your undivided attention.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:31 AM on June 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
Fancy bitters in carbonated water! Currently loving lavender butters and lemon juice. Am not even sober and I often choose this over alcohol because yum.
posted by centrifugal at 10:31 AM on June 30, 2020
posted by centrifugal at 10:31 AM on June 30, 2020
Do you have a special place to revisit? The top of a mountain, the mouth of a river, the tiger cage the zoo, a public park? Actually, the is a good time of the year for public gardens.
posted by SemiSalt at 10:34 AM on June 30, 2020
posted by SemiSalt at 10:34 AM on June 30, 2020
Hobby supplies, graphic novels, fun/silly games for my phone, awesome/comfy pajamas/loungewear/undies..
posted by bunderful at 10:35 AM on June 30, 2020
posted by bunderful at 10:35 AM on June 30, 2020
Patisserie.
posted by Balthamos at 10:40 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Balthamos at 10:40 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
I miss the socializing that can go with drinking, and I avoid sugar, so maybe a visit to MeFi Chat, or phone a friend, with a cup of tea, or a fizzy drink.
posted by theora55 at 11:13 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 11:13 AM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Seedlip makes non-alcoholic spirits. You can make a variety of mocktails with them. Bit pricey but definitely worth it if you think you'd enjoy their flavor profiles.
posted by ananci at 11:19 AM on June 30, 2020
posted by ananci at 11:19 AM on June 30, 2020
I never ever thought this would work, but I'm seconding seltzer water with apple cider vinegar (sometimes pressed ginger), or mint. Its amazing what you can make your mind think you're drinking. The preparation is part of it- if I buy one of the fancy/expensive probiotic drinks, I need to drink it out of a nice glass, with ice and garnish to get the same satisfaction.
posted by iiniisfree at 12:57 PM on June 30, 2020
posted by iiniisfree at 12:57 PM on June 30, 2020
Since lockdown began, non-alcoholic things I've bought for myself for sheer comfort:
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 1:29 PM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
- books
- manga
- art from Society6
- really good chocolate
- chocolate brownies and other baked goods (if you're in the UK, look up Yummy Yank)
- herbal tea (Tension Tamer is my absolute favourite, and hard to come by in the UK, so it feels like a real treat to have snagged six boxes from Amazon)
- bath products and hand soap with intoxicatingly lovely scents - for me, that's mostly herbal things from Neal's Yard; the mint and bergamot in particular is incredible
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 1:29 PM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
Good chocolate. For me, that's one of the Trader Joe's chocolate bars. Not expensive and rich enough that I only want a square at a time.
posted by kathrynm at 1:34 PM on June 30, 2020
posted by kathrynm at 1:34 PM on June 30, 2020
Nthing tea - particularly a kind of tea that you love.
Personally, I'm getting into loose leaf Oolongs a lot, and I treated myself to some fancy Oolong tea from China, along with a fancy tea carafe. I've steeped the same set of leaves about 12 times now, and there's still a lot of flavor left in them.
posted by spinifex23 at 5:01 PM on June 30, 2020
Personally, I'm getting into loose leaf Oolongs a lot, and I treated myself to some fancy Oolong tea from China, along with a fancy tea carafe. I've steeped the same set of leaves about 12 times now, and there's still a lot of flavor left in them.
posted by spinifex23 at 5:01 PM on June 30, 2020
Beauty products, books or albums, and buy or rent any movie or tv show I want! (I typically never pay for tv other than Netflix, so that does feel like a treat for me).
Have fun!
posted by areaperson at 5:11 PM on June 30, 2020
Have fun!
posted by areaperson at 5:11 PM on June 30, 2020
Huge fan of fancy sodas! Bonus if they're locally made. Ginger ale/beer and root beer seem to be the likeliest to have a good local variant.
posted by humbug at 5:52 PM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by humbug at 5:52 PM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Mexican style chocolate, like Taza from Somerville, MA.
Buy music from an artist you like that maybe you pirated or something. You feel good about coming clean, you support something awesome, and you might even get a better version of the concert or songs!
Watch early episodes of the YouTube series Roadkill about souping up cars, or some YT walking tours of foreign cities, or some other thing that takes you away.
Watch The Princess Bride.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:14 PM on June 30, 2020
Buy music from an artist you like that maybe you pirated or something. You feel good about coming clean, you support something awesome, and you might even get a better version of the concert or songs!
Watch early episodes of the YouTube series Roadkill about souping up cars, or some YT walking tours of foreign cities, or some other thing that takes you away.
Watch The Princess Bride.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:14 PM on June 30, 2020
This cookie. Select 'triple chocolate'. Or, your local chocolatier's equivalent.
Art. Either prints or originals. I'm on a Stasia Burrington binge.
Spread the love: do a one-time patreon to your fave musician or artist.
Fresh lilies.
posted by j_curiouser at 2:45 AM on July 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Art. Either prints or originals. I'm on a Stasia Burrington binge.
Spread the love: do a one-time patreon to your fave musician or artist.
Fresh lilies.
posted by j_curiouser at 2:45 AM on July 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by aniola at 9:13 AM on June 30, 2020