Hilary Sheinbaum’s new workbook, “Going Dry,” is released on Sept. 3 and offers advice on tackling dry months, creating non-alcoholic drinks, and exploring new lifestyle choices.
As a lifestyle and entertainment journalist and founder of GoingDry.co — a nonalcoholic event and menu curation company — Sheinbaum is no stranger to Dry January’s and has been sober-curious since 2017. Her previous book, “The Dry Challenge,” guided readers in preparing for and completing a full alcohol-free month with step-by-step advice and encouragement.
“Going Dry” coaches readers through their first dry month in a hands-on way, introducing activities for self-reflection and promoting new habit-making. From learning to set new budgets to documenting sleep schedules and reassessing relationships, Sheinbaum supports each activity by detailing her reflections on sobriety.
“Going Dry: A Practical Guide: to Drinking Less and Living More” by Hilary Sheinbaum releases on Sept. 3. (courtesy of Hilary Sheinbaum)
The Knockturnal spoke with Sheinbaum about how her career experiences informed the publication process for “Going Dry,” and tips for sober-curious readers.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Knockturnal: How did your past experiences as an entertainment journalist and as someone covering the spirits/cocktails beat inform the writing process for “Going Dry?”
Hilary Sheinbaum: In general, alcohol is everywhere — it’s at sports games, events, parties, and celebrations, and there’s a themed cocktail for every holiday now. Drinking is a huge part of dating and friendships, too. So, understanding that from the perspective and background of having written about alcohol for so long has been helpful. I’m not at all in denial that alcohol plays a huge part in culture and that boozy options are endless. As someone who spent so many nights at red carpets followed by big, VIP after-parties and events, I also understand that booze is marketed as fun and glamorous, and positioned as a product that is going to enhance your evening and help you live your life like a celeb. But, that’s not usually the case. So many stars don’t drink, and they certainly aren’t getting overserved at their premieres or parties.
The Knockturnal: How have you processed your own “embarrassing” moments or approached difficult conversations surrounding going dry?
Sheinbaum: Especially in the early days, circa 2017, people had a lot of opinions about my Dry January challenges and other stints of not drinking. Random people — who I just met out and about — would ask me if I had a drinking problem or was pregnant. Looking back, I don’t know if it was as embarrassing for me as much as it was for them to ask such personal, invasive questions, but I digress. There have been plenty of awkward situations like this over the years, and thankfully they’ve become less frequent. People are definitely more accepting and have warmed up to/become more open-minded about sober or sober curious lifestyles.
The Knockturnal: What has documenting your experiences – both through journaling and through “Going Dry” – taught you about yourself and your growth over the last few years?
Sheinbaum: I’ve learned a lot about myself, and my relationships. For one, I realized the way alcohol was impacting my physical and mental health. Until I really pulled back for a significant amount of time (aka my first Dry January), I was unaware of how many benefits there are to going dry — including but not limited to better sleep, clearer skin, more mental clarity, and less anxiety. In terms of relationships, I realized that people who care about your goals will support you and not rudely question or peer pressure you into drinking.
I also have discovered some amazing nonalcoholic beverages — which, prior to my first dry challenge I probably wouldn’t have cared to try. But, I love them! Some favorites at the moment are Do’Mo, a nonalcoholic elixir that has 17 functional ingredients, Free Spirits canned (NA) cocktails, and Giesen 0% Wine, which I recently enjoyed on a trip at Four Seasons Jackson Hole.
The Knockturnal: How have your realizations and lifestyle changes both prior to and following the publication of your first book, “The Dry Challenge,” impacted your relationships with those in your life?
Sheinbaum: Before publishing The Dry Challenge, close friends and family (and random people I met out) knew about my Dry Januarys but it wasn’t something that I spoke about regularly. After “The Dry Challenge” published in Dec. 2020, and now, leading up to the publication of “Going Dry,” I get a lot of questions and requests for advice on how to give up alcohol for a month or lessen consumption. A lot of people think I’m sober. I’m not, but I also drink significantly less than I did pre-2017.
I also met my fiance in the midst of all this, and I can definitely say that if I hadn’t written about this space, we wouldn’t have crossed paths – which happened when I was working on a dry project with one of his sister’s colleagues. I mean, that’s a pretty significant life moment!
The Knockturnal: How have you personally unpacked biases/misconceptions (or as you called them, “buzz words”) while transitioning from a career in the center of the spirits industry to a drier lifestyle?
Sheinbaum: I think that a lot of times people see change and specifically 180 transitions through a very personal lens or from patterns that they’re accustomed to hearing about. So, for example, if you’ve been taught that the only reason that someone doesn’t drink is that they’re in recovery — that’s likely going to be a misconception that you hold, that has been established from prior learnings. And the same goes for personal reasoning. Someone might think that the only reason they would give up alcohol indefinitely or forever is because they have alcohol use disorder…. but that’s not true! People temporarily (or forever) give up alcohol consumption for a myriad of reasons (or no reason at all). All of this is an educational opportunity.
The Knockturnal: How has the publication process aided your pursuit of your current lifestyle goals?
Sheinbaum: Writing books in the dry space has inspired me to create greater change outside of writing. I founded a platform called GoingDry.co, which organizes nonalcoholic events and curates nonalcoholic menus for restaurants, bars, and hotels. We’ve partnered with brands ranging from BARRY’S and Court16 to Adidas and No Bull. I love traveling, so whenever I’m in a new city, I will visit nonalcoholic bottle shops and order the nonalcoholic beverages on menus where I’m dining or staying. Or, I send people care packages from BetterRhodes.com if friends are hosting me for a stay. I stayed at Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica last year, and they had a great selection of NA beverages on their menu!
The Knockturnal: What advice do you have for people like you who are very close to the spirits/cocktail industry but are curious about going dry, or for anyone who may be buying your book as a way to get started with re-evaluating their relationship to alcohol?
Sheinbaum: The spirits industry has changed so much in recent years. People are far more accepting of nonalcoholic alternatives these days and there are so many ways to get involved in the NA industry with a booze background. So many booze companies make their products nonalcoholic now, which is super.
My biggest piece of advice (for everyone) is that there’s no wrong time to drink less or pursue going dry completely. You don’t have to wait until Jan. 1 to make a resolution or start a new path. I also think it’s important to note that if you start a dry month and have a drink along the way (or a night of drinking), that’s OK. Not all is lost. Dry challenges and the act of going dry isn’t about perfection, it’s about learning about yourself, taking a look at your relationship with alcohol, and understanding what makes the most sense for your specific needs and lifestyle.
