I come from a long line of Guinness drinkers. Sundays after church, my siblings and I would Irish step dance at the local Irish bar while the grown-ups threw back pints, the rich scent of Guinness lingering in the air. I have vivid memories of picking daffodils outside The Dubliner in Washington, D.C., wearing my green dancing dress, my shawl fastened with Celtic cross pins with little emerald shamrocks. I dreamed of one day visiting Ireland, the land of my ancestors, and drinking Guinness at every pub along the way.
And then I got sober. And I thought that dream had shattered.
For years, Guinness represented more than just a drink; it was legacy, tradition, belonging. It was a rite of passage, an unspoken connection to the people who came before me. When I stopped drinking, I thought I had lost my place in that story. How could I go to Ireland and not partake in what felt like such an essential part of the experience?
Then, this past summer, I was able to take that trip. And to my complete shock and delight, Guinness 0.0 was everywhere. Every single pub, every restaurant, even the Guinness Storehouse tour—where you can sip a pint of it while taking in the breathtaking view from the Gravity Bar. The tour, by the way, is incredible. Walking through the halls of Guinness history, seeing the craft and care that goes into every pour, I felt something I hadn’t expected: inclusion. I hadn’t lost my place in the story after all.
Sobriety, for me, has been about reclaiming my agency. It has been about taking back the narrative and realizing I don’t have to be excluded from anything. I’m still Irish. I still get to step into a pub in Dublin, order a pint, and toast to the night. Only now, my pint doesn’t come with a side of regret, a foggy memory, or a hangover.
So when I saw that Diageo (the parent company of Guinness) had raised the price of Guinness 0.0 by 9 cents—more than the 6-cent increase on a standard pint of Guinness—it stung in a way that was hard to put into words. The sober and sober-curious movement is growing—fast. In the U.S., a 2023 Gallup poll found that 39% of adults were actively trying to cut back on drinking. In the UK, Alcohol Change UK reported that 29% of adults intended to reduce their alcohol consumption in 2024. The non-alcoholic beer market has grown by 7% in volume globally. The demand is there. The cultural shift is happening. And yet, decisions like this make it feel like we are being punished for making a different choice.
It already takes extra effort to be sober in a drinking culture. It means showing up to social gatherings where people sometimes don’t know how to interact with someone who isn’t drinking. It means dealing with the occasional look of confusion or pity when ordering a non-alcoholic drink at a bar. It means having fewer options—sometimes none at all. And now, it also means paying more for a product that doesn’t contain alcohol, even though the production costs are lower.
The price hike isn’t just about money. It’s about what it signals. It tells people like me—who are choosing to live fully present, who are rewriting our stories—that we are still an afterthought. It says, “You can be included, but you’ll pay extra for it.” And I don’t think that’s right.
When I was in Ireland, I felt something I never expected to feel in my sobriety: a deep sense of belonging. Sobriety can sometimes feel like a lonely road, one that separates you from the culture you grew up in. But standing in a pub in Dublin, raising a pint of Guinness 0.0 with friends—some who drank, some who didn’t—it reaffirmed that belonging isn’t about alcohol. It’s about being present, about connection, about tradition that goes beyond what’s in the glass.
That’s why this price hike feels personal. It’s a reminder that, even as the world shifts toward more inclusive drinking options, those of us choosing not to drink are still being asked to pay more, work harder, and justify our choices. Why should a non-alcoholic option, which doesn’t include the costly process of alcohol fermentation and aging, cost more? Why should our decision to drink something that doesn’t alter our minds be met with an extra fee?
The reality is that the demand for non-alcoholic options is only going to grow. A 2023 report from IWSR (International Wine and Spirits Record) found that the no- and low-alcohol beverage sector is expected to grow by 25% by 2027. Younger generations are drinking less, prioritizing wellness, and looking for ways to socialize without alcohol. This isn’t a trend; it’s a shift in the way people relate to drinking culture. And companies that don’t recognize this will be left behind.
It’s not just about the money. It’s about what it says to those of us who are forging a different path, one that is just as valid, just as joyful, and just as deserving of respect. The world is changing, and our choices should be honored—not taxed.
HAPPY EVERY HOUR THROWBACK POST: It’s FINALLY HERE! Guinness 0.0 (Zero) Is Finally Available in the US of A! (February 2022)
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