Forget the Fake Fizz

Sobriety Coaching| Life Coaching

October 05, 2025•3 min read

Mocktails Aren't Always The Answer.

A Social Media Marketing expert recently suggested I use mocktail recipes for post inspiration on my IG page.

Nothing wrong with that at all and I understood where she was coming from – but it’s not what I’m about.

For a couple of reasons.

Now before you jump down my throat, I’m not saying AF options are a terrible idea.

LISTEN TO THE 8 MIN AUDIO

1. I refuse to spend a fortune on fake fizz

I’m certainly not spending a fortune on trying all the 0% options out there for the sake of an Instagram photo.

I’ve already spent a pretty penny on trying out different options, and ended up pouring most of them down the drain anyway. And I hate waste!

There are only a couple of AF options that I really like; Peroni 0% beer and Noughty Alcohol-Free Fizz… that’s it.

2. Replacing alcohol isn’t the same as being free from it

Secondly, the idea that replacing alcohol with alcohol-free options is a way to long lasting sobriety can be unhelpful and even harmful.

Given the proper consideration, they can have a place in someone’s journey to freedom, but I do recommend avoiding these for the most part in the first 3 months.

Why?

Because the early part of this process is about clarity, and for many people, AF options can actually cause confusion and even trigger desire for the real thing.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and this is simply my observations and experience.

Personally, it wasn’t until a few months into my sober journey that I felt confident enough not to be triggered by the taste of say a Heineken Zero.

The question that changed everything for me

And, because I’m fascinated about how my brain works, I questioned why was something, trying so hard to look and taste like alcohol, attractive to me in the first place?

At a sub-conscious level, was I still believing the liquid in the bottle would change the way I was feeling?

If I simply wanted to quench my thirst, there are much better, cheaper and healthier options I could choose – right?

Changing what’s underneath the habit

I see it all the time — we try to change the habit without changing the belief.

We swap wine for kombucha, gin for Seedlip, thinking we’re being “good,” but underneath it, the same pattern is running: “I need something to take the edge off.”

That’s the sneaky part. Because until we challenge that belief, we’re still handing our power over to something outside ourselves to fix how we feel.

And that’s where the real work – and the real freedom – begins.

The uncomfortable truth

My role as a coach is to help people understand their thinking and beliefs around drinking alcohol, and shift those beliefs in a way that they live their lives not feeling like they are missing out, but fully present in the joy and vitality that comes from being totally free from the desire to ever drink again.

Doing the work to make shifts at this deeper level is uncomfortable and at times shit scary.

But there’s no getting around it – there is no shortcut.

And trust me, the sooner you’re willing to sit with and process the uncomfortable feelings, the faster you’ll get to really enjoy your life again.

What’s really in your glass?

When you strip it all back, this isn’t about what’s in your glass.
It’s about who you get to become when you stop needing anything to change the way you feel.

That’s when life starts tasting bloody brilliant again — and not because of what’s in your glass, but because of what’s in your heart, your head, and your day-to-day life.