Do you have a friend, family member, or loved one who has sworn off alcohol for 30 days? A year? Or maybe they’re pregnant? These thoughtful gifts can help them steer the course!
As someone who has just completed over 465 days sober and counting, I can attest that I would gladly receive these gifts any day, and, I HAVE! Every single thing on here has been a special token on my journey to being alcohol-free!
So, I will admit that these items and experiences all go hand-in-hand with living a better, healthier, and more intentional life. What could make for a more perfect gift than that?
Gifts for People Who Are Taking a Break from Alcohol
A Dri/Kit Gift Set
Dri/kit offers thoughtful beverage gift sets that are what non-drinkers’ dreams are made of. They curate the best non-alcoholic drinks on the market and pair them masterfully for whatever vibe you’re seeking! Whether it’s for a birthday or a holiday like Christmas, Dri/Kit puts together beautiful gift boxes that can help your sober friend beat any craving.
They have gift sets starting at $25 but can go up to $100.
A Massage Envy Gift Card
Instead of taking the edge off with a can of beer, a massage or facial can help your friend relax like nothing else!
Massage Envy has locations all over the US. A gift card for Massage Envy is like giving the gift of “me time.” It’s self-care that is 100% good for you. I would know—I go all the time!
Dessert Night
Does your friend have a sweet tooth? If they didn’t before, they might now, making this a prime opportunity to explore the most delectable desserts in town together. Here in San Diego, we have a cult favorite, Extraordinary Desserts.
Tell your friend to get dressed up and surprise them by going to a special bakery or fine restaurant serving world-class desserts. You could even order it to-go and bring it somewhere nice to watch the sunset. (Okay, maybe this is more date vibes, but it’s a great idea nonetheless!)
Cooking Classes or New Kitchen Tools
When I stopped drinking, I threw myself into cooking to signal that the work day was over instead of opening a bottle of wine. There is something meditative about whipping out recipe books, chopping vegetables, measuring ingredients, and fully dedicating oneself to the task at hand that helps my brain switch into relaxation mode.
Getting into cooking helps shake off lingering thoughts about work, closing that “tab” in your mental “browser” for the night! I know this is true for me since I am not exactly a natural in the kitchen. I have to actually concentrate when I’m cooking if I want it to result in something edible. 😂
One possible gift idea is helping your friend level up their kitchen game with a cooking class. It’s a unique experience that will create a lasting memory and build a new skill.
Check out the in-person cooking classes by Sur La Table if you’re in Southern California or their online classes. You could also check out AirBnB’s cooking experiences.
Alternatively, you can gift them a fun tool or gadget to add to their kitchen’s repertoire, such as a pasta maker or a slow cooker.
This will give them some new things to try and experiment with at home. I got the slow cooker from GreenPan and have since made some of my best dinners! This week, I bought a jar of salsa and chicken breasts and threw them in the pot with some red pepper flakes and made the yummiest chicken tacos that my boyfriend and I have ever had.
Tickets to See a Musician They Love in Concert
Part of the journey of going alcohol-free is doing things that you would normally drink at but sober. One big milestone is going to a concert without booze. It is a great feeling once you’ve done it to know that you can fully enjoy the moment without alcohol. If it’s a band that’s close to your heart, the fact that you’re not drinking becomes completely irrelevant. The music takes the stage, not the opportunity to drink.
The night before my 21st birthday, my favorite musician, Paolo Nutini, came to San Diego and, as part of my birthday celebration, I took my family to go see him in concert. We had some champagne at home beforehand, but once we got there, I knew I wanted to be as sober as possible.
This was the musician I loved most in this world. No way would I let booze dull any of the experience or get in my way of taking it all in exactly as it was. It was like experiencing the show in HD—that’s how it is when you don’t drink!
What that experience proved to me was life is worth experiencing in the moment with all your senses. Maybe your friend just needs to seek out things that are actually worth being present for. Help them do things that are AWESOME more often, not just okay with a beer or wine to make it more fun, but things that are actually fun in and of themselves. Help them seek out more bucket list experiences!
A Calm Meditation App Subscription
When someone is going alcohol-free, chances are they’re making some big changes in their life. To be successful in the long-term, these changes are absolutely necessary! Giving up alcohol is not just about avoiding booze, it’s about unlocking the potential to live more consciously and build deeper relationships with others and oneself.
Ruby Warrington explained it well in her book, Sober Curious:
“You can’t quit the sauce without spiritual inquiry. It just won’t happen, or else you’ll be a dry drunk.”
– Ruby Warrington
Hence why engaging in mindfulness practices, aka meditation, is the perfect complement to sobriety since it helps you to stop trusting your thoughts.
This is handy when the thought arises, “Man, I need a drink!” Meditation helps you to remember it’s simply not true. This thought, too, shall pass.
Even if someone is giving up drinking temporarily, it’s an important practice to build during that time and keep up with afterward. Meditation is linked to so many benefits, like reduced anxiety, improved concentration, and a greater sense of well-being.
Purchase a gift card to Calm.
The Miracle Morning Book
The crown jewel item, perhaps on this whole list, is the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. The revelations I got from this book were the catalyst that sent me down the path of being sober-curious.
The Miracle Morning outlines steps you take to be more conscious of how you start your day and set yourself up for success. It’s all about forming habits that create virtuous cycles instead of vicious ones. Ultimately, you can completely transform your life with just six 10-minute practices you implement each morning.
I recommend gifting The Miracle Morning in paperback form so your friend can highlight passages, take notes, and easily revisit pages that stood out to them.
The Passion Planner
With all the new-found free time your friend has, they might want to conquer some big, hairy goal like starting a business or, in the case of the creator of the Passion Planner, Angelia Trinidad, hike the Himalayas! Trinidad developed the Passion Planner, a paper planner to help anyone focus on what really matters, when she was working toward her ambitious climbing goal.
I love this planner because it packs all the learnings from nearly every single self-help book into a planner that is versatile and customizable. We’re talking about incorporating the power of atomic habits, manifestation, and SMART goal setting to make even our biggest dreams come true.
On the Passion Planner website, you can purchase physical planners or download free digital versions for either daily or weekly planning. Offer your friend either option and help them set off on their next big project!
Luxury Bath Tray and Bath Bombs
Another way to unwind after a long day? A good old-fashioned spa-day-inspired bubble bath! If your friend has a tub, getting a nice bamboo bath tray to hold a cup of tea, an essential oil diffuser, and a book is just the thing.
You could take it a step further with a set of bath bombs from Amazon that foam and release a pleasant aroma, creating a soothing, spa-level experience.
Or, you can grab this personalized bath bomb gift box from Etsy.
ClassPass
It’s never too late to try a new type of fitness class. A ClassPass subscription lets people try new fitness classes across multiple gyms and studios every month.
A ClassPass gift card enables your friend to explore potential new hobbies while getting their sweat on. According to ClassPass, “Whether you want to sweat it out with a HIIT class, unwind with a massage, or stream a yoga class from your home, we make it easy to prioritize your health and wellness.”
A Beginner Pickleball Class
Did you know that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the US? Nearly 5 million people are playing since the pandemic, which boosted its popularity to new heights. Tennis courts are disappearing, seemingly overnight, and being transformed into pickleball courts.
The best thing about pickleball, in my opinion, is that it’s fairly easy to start. Having played tennis for nearly a decade, I can appreciate how much less complex pickleball is comparatively, but it’s just as fun, if not more. It’s fast-paced, friendly for all ages, and relatively low-cost to start.
Find a pickleball clinic for you and your friend at a nearby center!
Quit-Lit Books
Encourage your friend to stay motivated on their alcohol-free journey with books aimed at doing just that.
Quit-lit books contain invaluable knowledge whether you’re a sober person, in addiction recovery, or just want to learn about how alcohol can impact mental health.
There are so many amazing reads that are both funny, relatable, and deeply profound from Alcohol Explained to Drinking Sucks! to Quit Like a Woman.
Check out our top 5 books to stop drinking booze.
A SodaStream for Limitless Mocktails
Since quitting alcohol, fizzy water has been my new OBSESSION. But, when you go through three cans a day, stocking up becomes quite the chore. New research suggests that some of the most popular sparkling water brands contain PFAS, aka “forever chemicals.”
Yuck!
It’s better to make sparkling water from home—no hidden chemicals added—with a SodaStream Art Sparkling Water Maker. The best part is you can drink your sparkling water as is or use it as a base for any mocktail.
That’s all for today’s list of best gifts for someone who’s not drinking! What would you add to this gift guide for non-drinkers? I’d love to know! Leave a comment below.
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