SEATTLE — The “Sober Curious” movement is gaining popularity in Western Washington.
A survey shows almost half of Americans are trying to drink less in 2025, with Gen-Z spearheading the effort.
Experts say the trend is becoming more appealing as more non-alcoholic options hit store shelves and restaurant menus.
Many of those options have the same taste as regular spirits, beer, or wine, but with no alcohol content.
A shop called “Cheeky and Dry” in Phinney Ridge solely sells non-alcoholic drinks.
Ironically, it’s right across the street from a neighborhood bar.
Owner Kirsten Vracko tells us this is a spot for those who are rethinking their drinking.
She created the shop after her husband decided to go to rehab 2.5 years ago.
She said he wasn’t the only one struggling; she was drinking more than she wanted to as well. She said alcohol was consuming their lives, and something needed to change.
“It was three or four drinks a night for me; in his case, it was more, it was our world, it was a lot,” Vracko said.
Now, the couple is 2.5 years sober.
“I get emotional talking about it because it was just really healing for both of us,” she said.
As the only dedicated NA bottle shop in the PNW, Cheeky and Dry sits at the forefront of Seattle’s growing “Sober Curious” movement.
Vracko tells us people come into her shop for a lot of reasons, including not wanting to drink on weekdays, needing to get up early the next morning to get the kids out the door, or even just wanting to cut down on overall alcohol intake.
A study by the analyst group NC Solutions shows:
- 58% of Americans plan on trying a nonalcoholic drink in 2025
- 49% of Americans are trying to drink less alcohol in general
- In 2024, 25% of Americans 21 and older did not drink alcohol at all
“This is not about vilifying alcohol in the least,” Vracko said. “80% of the customers coming in still drink, but they want other options.”
There are 350 options to choose from when you walk into Cheeky and Dry. The walls are lined with cans and bottles of fan favorites such as NA tequila and other options you might not have tasted before.
She’s excited to introduce people to something new or even a tweaked version of their favorites, but without the consequences the next morning.
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