Latest news with #soberCurious
Japan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Sober clubbing brews fresh beat for Singapore's Gen Z
Swaying to dance music and TikTok-fueled pop under a disco ball, young punters are packed shoulder to shoulder while sipping on coffee, their energy powered by pour-overs rather than pints. This is no underground rave, nor a brunch gone wild. It's a caffeine-powered daytime clubbing sesh — part of a growing wave of alcohol-free, Gen Z-driven events gaining traction in Singapore and elsewhere in the world. At a recent event in Singapore's trendy Duxton district, the space was jammed by 4 p.m., with baristas churning out fancy coffees and DJs spinning back-to-back sets. The crowd grooved with energy, even without the usual liquid courage. "A lot of people think alcohol gives you the high, but caffeine sometimes can do that too," says Aden Low, 21, co-founder of Beans and Beats, which organizes coffee raves at different venues. "That's why the atmosphere at our events tends to be quite energetic." The parties blend curated music with specialty coffee served in white paper cups. The vibe is light, friendly and very Gen Z. "It's also the idea that this is a safe space," says Esther Low, 31, who was at the event in Duxton. "When you go to a club setting, there's usually this underlying intention to hook up. So, for me, that's personally why I would prefer this." Several reports say Gen Z is chugging fewer pints than previous generations, with the sober curious movement gaining popularity on social media. Sober curious people cut back on drinking or abstain altogether, often citing health reasons and better mental acuity. "Changes in alcohol use have been observed in population surveys and cohort studies. Generally, alcohol use among young adults has decreased," the World Health Organization said in a 2024 report. Barristas prepare drinks at one of Beans and Beats' coffee raves in Singapore's Duxton area. | AFP-JIJI From London to Los Angeles and Melbourne, similar coffee raves have swept up the social scene, appealing to young partygoers who also want to avoid hangovers. Ashley Chean, a Singaporean student who has been alcohol-free for a year, said she appreciates these sober gatherings. "When I lived in Paris, I realized I had a lot of alcoholic tendencies and I didn't want that to be my lifestyle," the 20-year-old says. "More and more of my friends are sober or sober curious." The coffee clubbing events are usually held in cafes and other spaces such as rooftop bars — as long as there's room for DJs and baristas to do their thing while people dance. The parties typically end by late afternoon, just in time for golden hour selfies. Besides the health benefits of avoiding alcohol, the events appeal to cost-conscious youth in Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world. The excess drinking and hard-partying ways of Gen X — fueled by anthems like the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right (to Party)" and hip-hop videos glamorizing club culture — are fading for members of Gen Z. While organizers don't see Singapore's glitzy nightlife and clubbing being replaced, they hope their combination of beats and brews will keep the dance floor buzzing. "As long as we bring the vibes, we'll be OK," says Chean.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sober clubbing brews fresh beat for Singapore Gen Z
Swaying to dance music and TikTok-fuelled pop under a disco ball, young punters are packed shoulder to shoulder while sipping on coffee, their energy powered by pour-overs rather than pints. This is no underground rave, nor a brunch gone wild. It's a caffeine-powered daytime clubbing sesh —- part of a growing wave of alcohol-free, Gen Z-driven events gaining traction in Singapore and elsewhere in the world. At a recent event in Singapore's trendy Duxton district, the space was jammed by 4:00 pm, with baristas churning out fancy coffees and DJs spinning back-to-back sets. The crowd grooved with energy, even without the usual liquid courage. "A lot of people think alcohol gives you the high, but caffeine sometimes can do that too," said Aden Low, 21, co-founder of Beans and Beats which organises coffee raves at different venues. "That's why the atmosphere at our events tends to be quite energetic." The parties blend curated music with specialty coffee served in white paper cups. The vibe is light, friendly and very Gen Z. "It's also the idea that this is a safe space," said Esther Low, 31, who was at the event in Duxton. "When you go to a club setting, there's usually this underlying intention to hook up. So, for me, that's personally why I would prefer this." Several reports say Gen Z is chugging fewer pints than previous generations, with the sober curious movement gaining popularity on social media. Sober curious people cut back on drinking or abstain altogether, often citing health reasons and better mental acuity. "Changes in alcohol use have been observed in population surveys and cohort studies. Generally, alcohol use among young adults has decreased," the World Health Organization said in a 2024 report. - Club culture update - From London to Los Angeles and Melbourne, similar coffee raves have swept up the social scene, appealing to young partygoers who also want to avoid hangovers. Ashley Chean, a Singaporean student who has been alcohol-free for a year, said she appreciates these sober gatherings. "When I lived in Paris, I realised I had a lot of alcoholic tendencies and I didn't want that to be my lifestyle," the 20-year-old told AFP. "More and more of my friends are sober or sober curious." The coffee clubbing events are usually held in cafes and other spaces such as rooftop bars -- as long as there's room for DJs and baristas to do their thing while people dance. The parties typically end by late afternoon, just in time for golden hour selfies. Besides the health benefits of avoiding alcohol, the events appeal to cost-conscious youth in Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world. The excess drinking and hard-partying ways of Gen X —- fuelled by anthems like the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right (to Party)" and hip-hop videos glamorising club culture —- are fading for members of Gen Z. While organisers don't see Singapore's glitzy nightlife and clubbing being replaced, they hope their combination of beats and brews will keep the dance floor buzzing. "As long as we bring the vibes, we'll be OK," said Ashley. skc/mba/cms/ecl
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sober clubbing brews fresh beat for Singapore Gen Z
Swaying to dance music and TikTok-fuelled pop under a disco ball, young punters are packed shoulder to shoulder while sipping on coffee, their energy powered by pour-overs rather than pints. This is no underground rave, nor a brunch gone wild. It's a caffeine-powered daytime clubbing sesh —- part of a growing wave of alcohol-free, Gen Z-driven events gaining traction in Singapore and elsewhere in the world. At a recent event in Singapore's trendy Duxton district, the space was jammed by 4:00 pm, with baristas churning out fancy coffees and DJs spinning back-to-back sets. The crowd grooved with energy, even without the usual liquid courage. "A lot of people think alcohol gives you the high, but caffeine sometimes can do that too," said Aden Low, 21, co-founder of Beans and Beats which organises coffee raves at different venues. "That's why the atmosphere at our events tends to be quite energetic." The parties blend curated music with specialty coffee served in white paper cups. The vibe is light, friendly and very Gen Z. "It's also the idea that this is a safe space," said Esther Low, 31, who was at the event in Duxton. "When you go to a club setting, there's usually this underlying intention to hook up. So, for me, that's personally why I would prefer this." Several reports say Gen Z is chugging fewer pints than previous generations, with the sober curious movement gaining popularity on social media. Sober curious people cut back on drinking or abstain altogether, often citing health reasons and better mental acuity. "Changes in alcohol use have been observed in population surveys and cohort studies. Generally, alcohol use among young adults has decreased," the World Health Organization said in a 2024 report. - Club culture update - From London to Los Angeles and Melbourne, similar coffee raves have swept up the social scene, appealing to young partygoers who also want to avoid hangovers. Ashley Chean, a Singaporean student who has been alcohol-free for a year, said she appreciates these sober gatherings. "When I lived in Paris, I realised I had a lot of alcoholic tendencies and I didn't want that to be my lifestyle," the 20-year-old told AFP. "More and more of my friends are sober or sober curious." The coffee clubbing events are usually held in cafes and other spaces such as rooftop bars -- as long as there's room for DJs and baristas to do their thing while people dance. The parties typically end by late afternoon, just in time for golden hour selfies. Besides the health benefits of avoiding alcohol, the events appeal to cost-conscious youth in Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world. The excess drinking and hard-partying ways of Gen X —- fuelled by anthems like the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right (to Party)" and hip-hop videos glamorising club culture —- are fading for members of Gen Z. While organisers don't see Singapore's glitzy nightlife and clubbing being replaced, they hope their combination of beats and brews will keep the dance floor buzzing. "As long as we bring the vibes, we'll be OK," said Ashley. skc/mba/cms/ecl
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Young men are binge drinking less than young women for the 1st time. What's going on?
Gen Z has been hailed as the 'sober-curious' generation, with rates of risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol, as well as having sex and using drugs, falling to historically low rates. But one study recently put an even finer point on the trend: Young men in particular are the ones giving up binge drinking, defined as having five or more alcoholic beverages in one sitting for men, or four or more for women. Fewer Gen Z men than women reported binge drinking in the last month between 2021 and 2023, according to the April 2025 study in JAMA. Though the gap between men's and women's drinking rates has been narrowing over the past several decades, in recent years women's alcohol use has outpaced men's for the first time ever. The findings have raised alarm bells over women's high binge-drinking rates. But a closer look shows that the closing gender gap is driven as much, if not more so, by falling bingeing rates among men, especially young adult males. So what's inspiring young men to drink less or not at all? We looked into it. All young adults were drinking less between 2021 and 2023, compared with the 2017-19 period, according to the study. Young women were binge drinking 13% less, but young men saw an even bigger drop — nearly 21%. So it's not that more women are necessarily binge drinking now — it's that fewer men are, and that shift has made women's rates seem higher in comparison. Why young men are drinking less is still up for debate, notes study author and University of Pittsburgh internist Dr. Bryant Shuey. Though he sees the declining rates of binge drinking among young men as a 'public health success,' Shuey wonders if it's more complicated than a pure win. 'Are young people happy, socially connected and drinking less, or is it that middle-aged and young men are more lonely, less social and less willing to call up a friend for drinks,' he says. 'There's potential that there is a tradeoff here: Less alcohol and more loneliness, and we need to think about addressing both.' There's no shortage of theories behind Gen Z's relative sobriety: Young people are big on prioritizing their health, and there's a booming health and wellness industry to meet the demand; the loneliness epidemic that Shuey noted; rising rates of young people choosing cannabis over alcohol; and Gen Z-ers choosing to scroll on a smartphone rather than partying with friends. A recent Dutch study suggested it may be simpler than all that: Young people are just too broke to buy drinks (and costs are rising). Dry January and "sober-curious" posts on social media may also play a role, experts and men who have gotten sober suggest. Brandan Saho, a sports journalist and host of the podcast The Mental Game, says both trends have inspired a lot of young people to not drink. 'And once they see that their personal life is better and their physical health is better and that no one cares that they don't drink,' then picturing a sober life becomes that much easier, says Saho. 'It's not a defining thing like it would've been 10 or 15 years ago, when you weren't cool if you didn't drink.' Fellow podcaster Shane Ramer says there was a 'lack of the cool element' to sobriety when he quit drinking. A decade later, he's hosting the That Sober Guy podcast and thinks that 'people are waking up to the fact that … it's so much cooler and respectable and how many more opportunities there are,' when you don't drink, he says. Ramer, 43, and Saho, 31, are recovering alcoholics. Both grew up in households where drinking — often heavy drinking — was the norm, but it wasn't talked about. While they're not part of Gen Z, Ramer and Saho suspect that some of the younger generation had similar experiences. 'It took me hitting my rock bottom and almost not being alive for me to tell my dad,' says Saho, referring to his drinking. 'You should be able to talk to the men in your life, but until the past five or 10 years, no one did.' That's changing with social media, podcasts and vodcasts, especially given that many influential (and, in some cases, controversial) male podcasters with large followings of young men are sober and vocal about it: Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Andrew Huberman, for example, have all quit drinking. On Reddit, several people said that Huberman's episode on the effects of alcohol have gotten them to quit drinking. Hearing some of them talk about giving up alcohol to focus on the work they enjoy doing resonated with Saho. As he says in one TikTok, it helped inspire him to stay sober. While social media certainly has its downsides and dangers, Ramer describes a 'cultural shift' around drinking that's having a positive effect on young men. 'You have a lot of media and podcasts and celebrity people who are sober and open about it,' he says, adding that this openness provides a sense of community and a path forward for people, including young men, who are considering drinking less — or not at all.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Why this 26-year-old will never give us booze like her boring fellow Gen Zers
I recently invited an old school friend round for alfresco Aperol spritzes. Even if we don't see each other for the rest of the year, reuniting for outdoor cocktails as soon as the warm weather comes is an annual tradition. I went all out with the preparations: enough chips and dips to sustain an entire family for a week and bottles upon bottles of the Italian apéritif that is summer's go-to tipple. My friend arrived and we exchanged the cursory questions: I asked her, 'How's your boyfriend?', she asked me, 'How's your cat?' That indignity alone was enough to have me reaching for the bottle. But as I went to pour, out came the sentence no 20something wants to hear: 'None for me, thanks. I've stopped drinking.' As she explained how her newfangled soberdom had led to such improvements in her half-marathon training plan, my flatmate Pia and I exchanged a secret look of sympathy, as if she'd just told us she had kidney failure or hadn't got tickets for Sabrina Carpenter's tour. But my sober friend is not alone. A recent poll found 39 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds never drink, compared to just eight per cent of over 55s. Then there are the 60 per cent of Gen Zers who are 'sober curious' or interested in reducing their alcohol intake and 'mindfully' drinking. I would also describe myself as 'sober curious', in that I'm curious why anyone with a functioning liver would choose to ditch booze. Between everything this generation has to worry about – catastrophic climate change, AI taking our jobs, never being able to afford a house – the torture of going teetotal is surely a battle we needn't fight. Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to plenty of nasties, from cancer to heart disease and mental health issues. But that's years of excessive drinking, not a cheeky couple after a hellish workday when you're not even 30. My main gripe is how smug the non-drinker is. If you've ever met a partner you felt attracted to while sober, good for you. (Apparently, 65 per cent of Gen Zers prefer a 'dry' first date. Reader, 65 per cent of Gen Z are delusional.) Because there is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting stone-cold sober with a stranger, while asking each other questions that sound like the patchy French from your GCSE oral exam ('Yes, I have two siblings, and at the weekend we go to the cinema together'). My friend Pia once went on a Hinge date with a sober guy who a) refused to pay for a round because her alcoholic beverages were more expensive, b) kept pointing at her gin and lemonade and whispering, 'That stuff's lethal', and c) spoke for 90 minutes about his play, which involved talking animals trying to convert the audience to veganism. Another time she told a 'mindful' drinker she was dating that she'd finished work at lunchtime and gone for a G&T in the sunshine. When she later made up some rubbishy excuse to never see him again, he sympathetically asked: 'Is it because you're going to rehab?' We now pay money for an upgraded dating app to filter out non-drinkers from our feeds, a move we've christened pro-boozer prejudice. I'm not gagging for a drink the second I clock off on a Monday. My drinking practices are much more sophisticated. When Pia and I were 18, we'd take water bottles full of straight vodka in the taxi on the way into town and swig from them in the queue for the club. Now, we stick to two-for-one cocktails or the handy supply of aeroplane minis (perfect for sneaking into a bar for G&Ts) we stock up on every holiday. I'm also relatively healthy, given my love of alcohol is matched by my love of spin classes, which acts as a counterbalance. But however sad it sounds, there is no better feeling than being tipsy. Take Glastonbury, one of the funnest places on earth. Imagine wading through mud and navigating loos covered in strangers' wee sober. It stops being cool in a Kate Moss way and starts being about survival, like some Bear Grylls documentary. In my opinion Gen Zers have given up on booze because they are fixated on being in control, whether it's their protein intake, carbon footprint or extensive array of named houseplants. I, meanwhile, am desperate to relinquish control for a while, which sometimes ends with chatting to strangers in a kebab shop. My old school friend might now have a renewed liver, the radiant skin of a newborn and a half-marathon time to impress Paula Radcliffe. But what I have is better: the ability to endure a first date without clawing my own eyes out, the skill to survive a festival without thinking too hard about embracing a Portaloo, and the joy of the first Aperol spritz of summer. Besides, I'm going to see Oasis in July – and there is no way the band that sings 'Cigarettes & Alcohol' is going to be playing Wembley to a crowd of kombucha drinkers.
