Restaurant operator and breathwork instructor Cesar Vallin joins the Sober Curator Podcast to share transformative insights on choosing clarity, building resilience, and living a fulfilling sober lifestyle—one cold plunge at a time.
The Pivotal Moment: Facing the Truth About Substance Use
On the latest episode of The Sober Curator, host Alysse Bryson, co-host Kim Parsley, and guest Cesar Vallin dive headfirst into the complexities and revelations of sobriety, especially when it comes to working in environments where drinking is often considered the norm. Cesar, known for his entrepreneurial ventures like San Diego’s Cloak and Petal and for embracing cutting-edge wellness routines, shares a deeply personal story of his first New Year’s Eve after committing to sobriety.
It wasn’t a dramatic intervention or a public rock bottom that awakened Cesar, but rather an intimate, visceral response to a glass of premium tequila. As he describes holding—then contemplating—a shot of 1942, he’s struck by an outpouring of emotion and flashbacks to solitary, destructive drinking. The internal debate mirrored that familiar “life flashing before your eyes” near-death experience. “It’s not about now, it’s about tomorrow. How will you feel about this tomorrow?” a friend observed, nudging him toward self-awareness. It was this moment that Cesar reclaimed agency over his life, recognizing not only his alcoholism, but a deeper pattern of self-medication across substances.
Sobriety in a Booze-Fueled Industry
Hospitality is infused with celebration—and often with alcohol. So, how does someone in Cesar’s position navigate such a charged environment, day in and day out? Surprisingly, Cesar insists that abstaining is easy now, but it’s less about battling temptation and more about cultivating presence and authenticity.
He notes that many of the social pressures around drinking stem from unresolved trauma and social anxiety, which he’s learned to manage through vulnerability, professional development, and routine. He’s invested heavily in personal growth, attending emotional intelligence workshops and training in modalities like Wim Hof breathwork. It’s this multidimensional approach—not just giving up alcohol, but engaging deeply with clarity and self-examination—that has fueled his continued professional and personal success.
A New Way to Lead: Sobriety and Business Transformation
For a long time, Cesar admits, sobriety didn’t immediately “fix” his business habits. He brought old patterns—impatience, narcissism, lashing out—into his ventures. But sobriety offered the foundation to evolve into a leader with genuine emotional intelligence, empathy, and a willingness to accept feedback. Consulting and business growth followed as an organic byproduct of this transformation.
“I’ve developed, through my experiences, into a tour guide. I could take you to a place where most travel agents have never traveled,” Cesar explains, highlighting the authenticity and lived wisdom he brings to his clients. Habits, routines, and honest self-inquiry are as vital as sound business systems in entrepreneurial growth.
Breathwork and Cold Plunges: Tools for Resilience
Cesar’s daily routine includes Wim Hof breathwork and cold plunges, practices he attributes to fostering the mindfulness and composure that sobriety first unlocked. His morning breathwork ritual grounds him, helping him gracefully process stress, loss, and adversity. These “habit stacks” aren’t just about physical health—they’re crucial for maintaining mental clarity and emotional resilience, especially during life’s most challenging stretches.
He doesn’t promote these practices as cure-alls or obligations; rather, they’re anchors that help him navigate both personal and professional storms. He’s witnessed firsthand their transformative influence on family life, with even his children participating in breathwork and cold plunging.
Embracing Change in Hospitality: The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Menus
As a restaurateur, Cesar observes that the hospitality industry is slowly transforming, too. Cloak and Petal’s non-alcoholic offerings have expanded from a single beer to a dedicated menu section with multiple cocktails and zero-proof beers. While alcohol sales remain dominant, demand for sober options is growing, especially among younger generations. The new sober-curious movement, Cesar predicts, mirrors the decades-long shift in attitudes towards smoking.
“It’s not about being better or worse; it’s about having options,” he reflects, echoing Alysse’s excitement over the increasing visibility of creative, festive, alcohol-free drinks in mainstream restaurants.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Defining Fun in Sobriety
In closing, Cesar embodies a profoundly rewarding sober lifestyle rooted in presence, family, and simple pleasures—like indulging a sweet tooth with his loved ones or savoring quiet moments with his dog. Once overshadowed by high-octane nightlife, these everyday joys now define his sense of fun and fulfillment.
His message is clear: sobriety isn’t just about abstaining from substances. It’s about building a life that embraces all the “ordinary” moments—and turns them into something extraordinary.
Connect with Cesar Vallin
You can follow Cesar’s journey and updates about his wellness platform “Ready For All” on Instagram at @cesar_readyforall. If you’re in San Diego, swing by Cloak and Petal, and stay tuned for his upcoming ventures blending Japanese and Latino subcultures.
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. That’s the whole premise.
The Sober Curator Podcast brings sober lifestyle, pop culture and recovery to the mic with personality, perspective and a glitter bomb of honesty. Founder and host Alysse Bryson (sober since May 1, 2006, and self-described Kevin Bacon of Recovery) is joined by co-host and show producer Tamar Routly of Podcast Impact Studio, plus a rotating bench of global Sober Curator contributors who pull up a chair as co-hosts.
What we cover, episode to episode:
Happy Every Hour: zero-proof drinks, NA beer, spirits and cocktails, reviewed by people who actually drink them.
Health and Wellness: mental health, physical health and what recovery looks like on a Tuesday.
Lifestyle: dating, parenting, shopping, style and the everyday logistics of alcohol-free living.
Entertainment: quit lit, movies, TV, music, sports and celebrity sobriety, rated with our proprietary Sobees.
Spiritual Gangster: Jesus to astrology, stoicism to the Celtic calendar.
Travel: sober events, sober retreats, Sobriety in the City and global travel without a drink in hand.
We also review other sober podcasts on Recovery Podcastland, dig into sponsored product spotlights, and go deep with contributors on how they got sober and what keeps them there. New episodes drop as video on YouTube and audio everywhere you listen.
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Whether you’re sober curious or decades in, we’ve got you. We’re not here to help you get sober. We’re here to help you live sober and love it.
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Every October, half the internet finds out what it’s like to be the one holding a club soda at a party. Some of us have been doing Sober October for years, and the drinks have gotten a lot better since the O’Doul’s days.
This week, Alysse and Tamar sit down with the two people who know exactly what to pour: Kim Parsley and Justin Lamb, who hold down The Sober Curator’s Happy Every Hour section. Kim covers NA spirits and cocktails. Justin is roughly 150 NA beer reviews in and still can’t find a non-alcoholic single malt scotch.
In this episode:
– Sober October, Dry January, and “the always forgotten Dry July”: eye roll, gateway drug, or marketing?
– Justin’s fall NA beer list from 2024 still pops off, and some of the breweries on it are gone
– Why celebrity NA beer brands might not want sober customers (and why there should be room at the table)
– The “drink as prescribed” rule for trying NA spirits for the first time
– Kim builds Justin an NA Negroni and Alysse a pink Barbie Cosmo on the spot
– The one drink each of us is pouring for the rest of fall, plus what we’re eating with it
CHAPTERS
00:00 Club soda at the party
02:01 The Sober Curator Mixtape
04:16 Sober October: eye roll or gateway drug?
09:44 From craft beer to NA beer
13:36 Kim’s piano bar and Tanqueray 0.0
17:55 The 2024 fall beer list, two years later
20:22 “The War on Alcohol” and the SNL sketch
23:37 “They don’t want recovered addicts”
25:23 TOMONOTOMO: drink as prescribed
29:30 What drink are you?
30:57 Which NA spirits can you sip neat?
33:41 “I drink Diet Coke”
37:48 One drink for the rest of fall
TSC Articles mentioned in this episode:
– Justin’s Top 10 Non-Alcoholic Beers for Fall
– Kim’s TOMONOTOMO Tobalá review
– SNL’s “Non-Non Alcoholic Beer” sketch, pro or con
– “It’s Always Sunny,” NA Beer and the Joke That Didn’t Land for Me
– The Sober Curator Mixtape (Sober Snail Mail)
– Backstage with The Sober Curator
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more.
SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/
SC RESOURCES:
– Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide
– Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide
– LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide
CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest
Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: thesobercurator@gmail.com
Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice.
Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.
SOBRIETY IN THE CITY – SAN DIEGO: Owning a Successful Bar While Maintaining Sobriety – Cesar Vallin’s Story at Cloak & Petal
Welcome to HAPPY EVERY HOUR, your go-to hub for all things NA (non-alcoholic). We review alcohol-free beers, ciders, wines, spirits, RTDs (ready-to-drink), and share NA cocktail recipes that taste just as good—if not better—than the boozy originals. Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or just taking a break, this is where great taste meets zero proof.
TRIGGER WARNING: People in early sobriety may want to proceed with caution. Always read labels. Please hydrate responsibly … #becausedrunkneverlooksgood.
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