Author: Justin Lamb

In the summer of 2004, I left two restaurant jobs and moved across the country with my ex. We both grew up in Michigan. We were moving to sunny California, each for different reasons. Her Honda CR-V was packed full of all of her belongings, and even a piece of furniture I took apart and later reassembled. My belongings, or at least what I could fit into her car, were some clothes in a suitcase. We also packed a box of tampons with rolled joints and picked up a case of Charles Shaw (Two Buck Chuck for you Trader Joe’s…

As we ramp up into an age where we have a day or month to celebrate or raise awareness for just about anything (What are you doing for International Talk Like a Pirate Day? I celebrate privately), it’s no surprise that we have a Caffeine Awareness Month. The real surprise to many people may be the reason you’re reading about it on a site dedicated to sobriety. Certainly, those in recovery know how to celebrate caffeine, as coffee is the only thing more consistent at an AA meeting than denial, but why should we be aware of it?   Caffeine is…

Do you often find yourself drinking NA beer and wondering why there is no niche market specifically for metalheads who don’t drink? Well, wonder no more! Your headbanging prayers have been answered. KittiePig is a brand born from two heavy rock bands: Kittie and We Are Pigs. The goal is to fill a gap that they observed in those specific venues catering to the low-end roars and high-end guitars. This week, we are drinking Saska Berry Blonde by Kittie Pig. Expectations are high, as the marketing for this brew is one of the best things I have ever seen. When…

Pittsburgh gives us many great things to love, and not just hills and bridges! It also provides hip locales, delicious food, and finally: an NA beer. Two Frays Brewery in Pittsburgh has been hitting it and quitting it in Pittsburgh for seven years, and they have now included the sober community in their family of fun friends and furballs (their dogs, Zeus and Iris). The “You Do You” series of NA beers features everything from sours to porter IPAs, which is a combination that makes no sense, and I am excited to try, but that’s for another time. This week,…

Amy Liz Harrison is an author of two books, mother of eight children, and inspiration to sober folks everywhere. She discusses growing up in a highly religious household and how some of those rules and restrictions led to her undoing later in life. Amy also talks about the “mommy wine” culture and how easy it can be to fall into a bad habit. She then discusses getting sober after raising four kids only to have four more kids as a sober mom and the difficult conversations that came with an apology to the first four. Amy also discusses her two…

In this insightful conversation, Justin Lamb, the host of the Friend Request Podcast and Sober Curator of the Happy Every Hour NA Beers & 90s Column, sits down with Philip Brandes, the Founder of Bravus Brewing. The two kick off their discussion by catching up on each other’s lives and recent achievements. Justin expresses his excitement over seeing Philip’s name in press releases related to Gravitas, a topic they plan to delve into later in the conversation. They then shift gears to talk about Philip’s unconventional entry into the beer industry. With no prior experience in the beer space before…

Tawny Lara is a sober bisexual writer and author of the book Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze. She discusses growing up with separated parents and living back and forth between Texas and California. Tawny also talks about using drugs to self-medicate and the years she spent working in the toxicity of the restaurant industry. She then discusses how she took 10 years to complete a bachelor’s degree and ended up very thankful for the insight she was able to gain from that prolonged decision. Tawny then talks about the intricacies of writing…

Whether you are already Sober AF, sober curious, or ready to dive into Dry January, this is the ultimate list of tasty treats for you to try during the 12 days of NA Beers. This action-packed timeline, just shy of two weeks, will get you variety and flavors you never even knew were possible from the non-alcoholic beer world. From barrel-aged stouts to milkshake IPAs, you are sure to get a festive flavor punch, right to your face hole (mouth)! (Please note this article was originally published in 2021. Information and links have since been updated.) The 12 NA Beers…

Kava is a name you may have seen before on The Sober Curator when I wrote a scathing review of the ritualistic practices of drinking kava, and how they triggered the same rituals I have always associated with alcohol: drink a lot in a short amount of time to gain a desired effect. With some separation from that initial meeting with kava, I have decided to try some of the new blended kava beverages that have begun to inundate the non-alcoholic alternative marketplace. These beverages come in many forms and with varying levels of potency, so let’s hop in and…

With the cold weather coming, or maybe even already engulfing your local environment, it’s important to remember how much we can get a sense of warmth and a side of smiles with a yummy beverage. In addition to that, autumn brings with it some of the year’s favorite flavors, whether it’s pumpkin, chocolate, nutmeg, or just that classic roasted malt you have come to expect from your favorite brewery’s seasonal offering. With all that in mind, now is a great time to stock up on some of the best NA beers this season offers, and here they are! #10 -…

It should be noted that many people look forward to the automatic weight loss that comes from quitting drinking. Of course, those who have quit will tell you about the sugar cravings your body has for a while to replace that alcohol, and then, if you’re like me, you get into non-alcoholic craft beer, and you realize that the weight will never leave, and you decide to live with it and love yourself. Well, good news for those who want more! Partake, from Canada, offers a wide variety of beers, and many that we have featured, including this week’s pick,…

You may remember my sour relationship with Rescue Club if you have been following along. They aren’t bad, per se, but their flavors were not filling my flute tool with many bold or exciting things. You can imagine my expectations when I saw their latest seasonal release on my local NA website. I am a sucker for second and third chances, and I love NA beer, so I decided to give this little gem a try. Alright, Rescue Club, the ball is in your court… This week, I’m drinking Oktoberfest by Rescue Club – another wonderful installment in craft NA…

August of 2023 began with a series of notifications rolling in on the morning of the fourth. Everyone in my NA beer groups was abuzz with news that Two Roots Brewing Co. was closing its doors. A quick check of my email and Facebook pages confirmed the sad news that Two Roots was shutting down. This was a layered piece of bad news because, like many people across the country, I loved Two Roots’ beers, but in addition to that, this was my only home state NA brewery and a place I frequented to get NA beer on draft. Considering…

After countless debates about where to go on our annual summer vacation, my wife and I decided on Asheville, North Carolina. We each had our reasons for choosing it as an option. My wife wanted to check out the mountains and the Biltmore estate. I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about after having numerous hippie friends live there or pass through and speak to it as an artist’s city. With our flights booked (connecting in Atlanta because the Asheville airport is tiny), we were off for a summer vacation in the Appalachian. I booked a hotel right…

Justin reflects on how his views on alcohol and sobriety have evolved, changed, and shifted over the last four years. He also discusses the people we surround ourselves with, the powerlessness you can feel when you’re friends have a drinking problem, and how alcohol is possibly too big to fail. Justin also discusses non-alcoholic beers and the role they play in his life now versus the last few years. For NA drink recommendations or to learn more about the wonderful world of sobriety, check out HAPPY EVERY HOUR NA BEERS & 90s or reach out to Justin directly at justinsfriendrequest@gmail.com HAPPY…

Atmosphere is not just a thing that’s eroding away in the sky; it’s also the name of the latest NA out of Germany and available here in the States. They are brewed in Germany and imported and distributed in New York by way of Brooklyn. Let’s dive in and see what we get from these beer masters from Germany. Right off the bat, when you crack the can of this German Pilsner from Atmosphere Brewery, you can smell those roasted barley notes that make a German beer what it is. The brewing process comes out of the can in droves,…

Exile Brewing is far from civilization in the vast cornfields of Iowa. No, I’m just kidding, but the sad fact is that Iowa gets a bad rap because of 99% of its landmass. In actuality, there is a wonderful 1% of the state that makes up for the lame dead baby billboards and corn fields of the rest of the state. That place is called Des Moines. Des Moines houses Exile Brewing and numerous other hip watering holes, restaurants, and enough venues that you’ll want to dance! There’s a minor league baseball team right on the river, and enough young…

Busty Lush comes to us from Wisconsin and is an inspiration in a men-dominated field. Busty Lush is 100% women-owned and offers a great alternative to a classic beer style. You can follow them for future releases on Instagram @BustyLush You know, the funniest thing happens when you say or type “busty lush” enough times, you end up saying or writing “lusty bush”. I don’t recommend that, but what I do recommend is this delightfully full, yet surprisingly satisfying blonde ale. How Does it Pour? Busty Lush’s She’s Golden blonde ale pours with a stark white head and a strikingly…

Athletic Brewing is a long-familiar name here, already. If you haven’t checked it out yet, read my review of Free Wave, their Hazy IPA, and my all-time favorite IPA in the NA craft beer world. Athletic is also one of the only non-alcoholic craft breweries that regularly makes limited releases, similar to traditional alcoholic breweries. While there are new beers available all the time, this time around, we are going to sample Athletic Brewing’s Two Trellises, Lemon Radler, Chocolate Cherry Stout, and Nature Nut. These spectacular options range in color, flavor, and variety and are sure to knock your socks…

This week’s NA craft brew comes to us from Anaheim, California, and Bravus Brewing Co. Bravus has been in the non-alcoholic craft beer game for longer than others. However, they are still in their infancy, celebrating six years since their 2015 founding by Philip Brendes. Bravus Blonde This week’s beer is Bravus Blonde. It is a light and refreshing beer with hints of banana and sweet malt. While this is a new beer to the Bravus collection, it is reminiscent of their White Ale, a beer with a similar palate currently not listed on their site, though I imagine we’ll…

It’s always Happy Every Hour when the beverages you choose to drink are non-alcoholic. This week, Sober Curator Justin Lamb brings us the 4-1-1 on Mikkeller Brewing Limbo Series with Yuzu Fruit.

This week we are drinking Madagascar Vanilla Cream Ale by WellBeing Brewing. Cream Ales are tricky because they always seem different, and you never know what you’ll get outside of the initial description in the name, i.e., vanilla. Cream Ale is the American in-between of a lager and an English Pale Ale. With this knowledge in hand, it is expected to drink like a lager but holds its own in the flavor category like an ale. Let’s see if that’s true this time around. How Does It Pour? Upon cracking the can, you can immediately smell the vanilla, which mixes…

Friend Request is not a podcast that’s new to sober stories. Many previous guests are sober and have told their stories on the show, including the creator of The Sober Curator, Alysse Bryson (Episode 071). To celebrate the pop culture staple of Dry January this month, though, every guest on the podcast is sober. Whether it’s the inspiration you’re looking for or just comradery, you are sure to find a story you’ll relate to on some level each week. The month kicks off with Dana Krull, a former army chaplain who found community in alcohol when he lost the community…

Bravus Brewing is from California and has been around in the NA beer space for a long time, but once a year, they put out an exceptional NA beer that takes the entire game to the next level. For this 100th Beer review, we are drinking this year’s version and going to a dreamy land of flavor that was previously not possible. The limited beer we’re talking about has been featured here before during their third iteration, but this year, their fourth proves to be better than ever. I am talking about Gravitas by Bravus Brewing, or in this case,…

You know them. You love them. You want some more of them. I am, of course, talking about Athletic Brewing out of Connecticut. Athletic Brewing continues to grow and be the largest craft brewery in the non-alcoholic space. Dr. Pepper purchased a minority stake in Athletic Brewing for $50 million. That should tell you how good their product is. With all their limited-edition beers offered throughout the year and their awesome flagship beers, it’s no wonder they are doing so well. How Does It Pour? This week we are drinking Stump Jump by Athletic Brewing. Stump Jump is an autumn…

Once again, we are being joined by BrewDog. BrewDog, as you may remember, comes to us from Columbus, Ohio, but originally from across the pond. They have a fantastic selection of non-alcoholic beers but specialize in alcoholic beers. However, they specialize in both, considering that they have an entire pub dedicated to non-alcoholic beer. I am excited to bring you the latest in a long line of limited-edition non-alcoholic beers from BrewDog. This week we are drinking Faux Fox Black Cherry by BrewDog. Faux Fox is their flagship non-alcoholic sour beer, usually with raspberry flavor. This limited edition features black…

Typically, we are always excited to see a new brewery in the NA space. Even more so to see a new brewery in the NA space from England. They are, after all, the beer people. They essentially made beer, right? Who knows. Anyway, as I was strolling the local store for the latest selection, one set of cans caught my eye, and not just because they were five dollars PER CAN! It was because they were all mushroomy. At closer inspection, I saw that these were all beers from a brewery called Fungtn (pronounced ‘function’). This brewery made exclusively NA…

It’s always a good time to get a new brew from Untitled Art. You know this brewery because they have been on The Sober Curator about a billion times with all their delicious NA offerings. (Click here to see the billion times) You also understand that these brews and Untitled Art come from the mystifying land of Waunakee, Wisconsin. It is a fantasy town that doesn’t exist because if it did, it would house a million breweries and a hundred million people (100 workers per brewery). I imagine they would also need a dragon slayer to fetch the dragon eggs…

We are once again being graced with the presence of Athletic Brewing and all they have to offer. I’ll be honest; as much of a pain in the ass as it has been trying to get to 100 beers, I think I could at least do one per month in just Athletic Brewing limited runs. This one is one of those that comes around and smooches your taste buds. This week, we are drinking Dark & Gourdy by Athletic Brewing. Dark & Gourdy is Athletic Brewing’s take on a festive fall beer. Unlike some of the milder lighter pumpkin ales,…

If you’re not new here, you know we’re already big fans of St. Louis’ own WellBeing Brewing. They have a solid lineup of staples you’ve seen here, including my favorite, Intentional IPA. Still, they also come out with limited runs and collaborations like this week’s pick that always blow your mind and leave your taste buds wanting more. I keep coming back with them and finally got them to partner with me to bring you a better beer at lower prices. Hooray! This week we are drinking Match Day Light by WellBeing Brewing. This beer calls itself an English Premier…