Nobody makes mixtapes anymore.

Not real ones. Not the kind where you sat on the floor next to the stereo with your finger hovering over the record button, waiting for the DJ to stop talking so you could catch the first note clean. Not the kind where the track order was the whole message. Not the kind where you wrote the song titles on the little paper insert in your best handwriting because the person you were giving it to was going to read every word.

You did not make a mixtape for someone you sort of liked. You made one for someone you were paying attention to.

Six years ago, on August 1, 2020, The Sober Curator went live in the middle of a pandemic, with no funding, no staff, and no real plan beyond a very stubborn belief that sober people deserved something better to read than another list of reasons to quit drinking.

Six years later there are 30-plus active contributors on this thing. More than 500 combined years of lived sobriety. Nearly a million people have come through the site. And somewhere in year five it stopped being a website and started being a room full of people.

So for our sixth anniversary, we did the only appropriate thing.

We made you a mixtape.

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Introducing The Sober Curator Mixtape

The Sober Curator Mixtape is a curated collection of seven mini zines, printed on paper, nestled into a real cassette tape case, and mailed to your actual mailbox. Because yes, I have fallen down the #SnailMailTok algorithm and I’m not mad about it.

Not a PDF. Not a link. Not a newsletter with a nice header image. A physical object you can hold, dog-ear, spill coffee on, and leave on the counter where a house guest will pick it up and say “wait, what is this?”

It runs as a six-month series. Six tapes, six themes, six months of your mailbox being the best part of your day. August is Volume 001, and it is the anniversary issue.

Here is why paper: recovery happens in your hands as much as it happens in your head. Screens are very good at making us feel like we did the thing. Paper is harder to fake. (I’m looking at you, 4th step.)

Also, and let us be honest about this part, it is fun. It is a cassette tape full of zines. Everything about that is fun.

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Volume 001: The Anniversary Issue Tracklist

Every tape holds seven mini zines. Here is what is in the first one.

Track 1: Liner Notes.
The welcome letter, the map of what is inside, and where the Easter eggs are hiding. Yes, there are Easter eggs. No, we are not telling you where.

Track 2: The Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Chronicles.
Sober Curator Contributor Kim Parsley, The Happy Traveler and resident Vintage Travel Bar Curator, takes you on a spirit-free adventure with recipes you will actually make more than once.

Track 3: Index Cards from the Edge.
Art journal prompts from Sober Curator Contributor Krysty Krywko. No talent required, no critics allowed, no wrong way to do it.

Track 4: Celebration Is a Way of Seeing.
A meditation from Lane Kennedy, our Senior Sober Curator, on treating celebration as a practice rather than an occasion. She also drops a hint about her new Sober in San Francisco guide, which we are not spoiling here.

Track 5: A Celtic Ritual for Celebration.
Senior Sober Curator Contributor Anne Marie Cribbin of Thirsty for Wonder brings the ceremony. Small, old, and surprisingly moving for something that fits on a few pages.

Track 6: Writing Prompts.
Senior Sober Curator Contributor Amy Liz Harrison hands you the questions. You already know which one you are going to avoid. Start there.

Track 7: Lifestyle and Entertainment.
By yours truly, because curating is my cardio. Shopping, travel, what we are reading, what we are watching, and what we are listening to. The Sober Curator house special.

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Plus the Digital B-Side

Every tape unlocks a members-only page online. That is where the analog and the internet shake hands.

The B-Side holds the month’s official playlist, digital editions of all seven zines, printable extras, and one bonus track that never made the physical cut. There is also a crossword puzzle and a word search, because we are cool like that. And because a printed page is a beautiful dead end, every single thing we mention in print becomes clickable on the B-Side. We would rather hand you the link.

Your password ships inside the case, on a card. Like a spy movie. It also comes with stickers, because sticker art is fully our thing.

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How to Get One

If you are a BACKSTAGE member: it is yours. Free, every month, for as long as you are a member. You cover shipping only. Your passcode to order your free copy is waiting in the members area.

If you are not yet a BACKSTAGE member, you have three options:

#ADDTOCART: The Monthly CLICK HERE
$24.95 a month plus $9 shipping. A new tape every month, skip or cancel whenever.

#ADDTOCART: The Full Six-Month Series CLICK HERE
$19.95 an issue, one payment, shipping included. Five dollars off every tape, and you lock in all six volumes.

Join BACKSTAGE CLICK HERE
$19/month for the first 200 Founding Members, then it goes up to $27/month. Over half the spots are already filled. Your membership includes the free monthly mixtape, access to multiple free virtual events (think masterclass but everyone in the room is sober), and exclusive content and perks for BACKSTAGE eyes only.

Volume 001 ships Thursday, August 20. Order by Monday, August 10 to be in the first print run. After the tenth, you start with September’s tape — though your Digital B-Side access unlocks the moment you subscribe, so nobody is left standing outside.

One more thing worth saying out loud: Volume 001 is the anniversary issue, and we are printing it once. There will never be another 001.

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Six Years of Getting Sober Mattering

I got sober on May 1, 2006. This past May I hit 20 years, which is a number I genuinely never thought I would type about myself.

Sobriety did not save my life. It gave me a life I never imagined possible. This publication, these contributors, and the ridiculous privilege of putting a cassette tape full of zines in your mailbox are all part of that life.

Six years ago, I launched this site — accidentally, if we’re being honest, and then couldn’t figure out how to unpublish it, so here we are — hoping a few people would read one article. This month we are mailing you something we made by hand because a screen felt too small for what we wanted to say. Plus, most of our volunteer staff identifies as Gen X, so there’s also that.

Thank you for six years of showing up. Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more.

So: when was the last time somebody made something for you, on purpose, with your name on the envelope?

XOXO, Alysse

Get the Mixtape | Join BACKSTAGE

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You’re not new to this. You’re ready for what’s next.

And not everyone gets here.

You’ve done the hard part.

You’re sober. You’re clear.
You’ve built a life that no longer revolves around alcohol.

Now you’re ready for something more.

You want better conversations.
More connection.
More culture.
More expansion.

You’re not looking for another recovery meeting.

You’re looking for a room that reflects who you are now.

This is for you if this sounds like you:

• You’re sober and stable.
• You’ve outgrown. traditional recovery spaces.
• You want more than support — you want connection, culture, and momentum.
• You’re ready for what comes after survival.

That’s exactly what BACKSTAGE was built for. LEARN MORE AND JOIN US TODAY →

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PLAY IT AGAIN is The Sober Curator’s curated playlist of sobriety anthems—songs that capture the essence of recovery journeys and lift the spirit. From timeless classics to modern hits, these tracks inspire, heal, and motivate, no matter what genre of choice. Each song is handpicked for its power to transport you to another state of mind and remind you why living alcohol-free rocks.

Got a favorite sobriety theme song? We want to hear it! Send your picks to thesobercurator@gmail.com and help us keep the playlist growing.

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Your Go-To Guide for All Things Recovery & Sober Living

The Sober Curator’s PILLAR Content Hub is your one-stop guide for sobriety resources, addiction recovery resources, and sober living tips. From non-alcoholic drink guides to sober travel, entertainment, and lifestyle inspiration, our curated cornerstone articles are regularly updated to keep you informed, inspired, and connected. Whether you’re in recovery, sober curious, or supporting someone you love, this hub offers the sober lifestyle guide you’ve been looking for.

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Resources Are Available

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

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