Thriving Alcohol-Free with Mocktail Mom

EP 90 Celebrating Life (And Weddings) Without The Alcohol with Maddie Eller

• Deb, Mocktail Mom • Season 1 • Episode 90

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I’ve got such a fun and feel-good episode for you! I’m joined by the fabulous Maddie from Mocktails with Maddie, who’s here to share her incredible story of embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle before hitting her 30s. 

Growing up in an environment where drinking was the norm, Maddie candidly opens up about the pressures that led to blackout drinking and feelings of insecurity. But getting engaged was the catalyst to rethinking her future and making the empowering decision to quit alcohol, despite the fears of losing her social identity.

We dive into everything from staying fully present, making real connections, and having ALL the wedding fun while avoiding alcohol! Maddie also gives us the scoop on her favorite mocktail brands, her go-to drinks when dining out, and how she’s built a beautiful sober community that’s all about connection and joy. You’re going to love the energy she brings to the conversation, so tune in now and let’s toast to living our one life to the fullest!


Get in touch with Maddie! @mocktailswithmaddie

Order a copy of The Happiest Hour: Delicious Mocktails for a Fabulous Moms' Night In

A huge thank you to the sponsors of the Thriving Alcohol-Free podcast!
Sunnyside | Giesen 0% Wines

You are loved. Big Time Cheers!

Deb:

Buckle up, friends, and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I'm your host, deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, a retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on life's broken record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you. If alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you, where you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass, I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober, fun guide. So sit back and relax or keep doing whatever it is you're doing.

Deb:

This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers. Okay, hey friends, it's Deb. Welcome back to Thriving Alcohol-Free. I am so happy you're here. I am making a new friend and you're all going to make a new friend with me, or you already are friends with her. You're probably following her on Instagram. She's amazing Mocktails with Maddie. Maddie is here in the house. Well, she's in her house in Chicago. I'm in my house in Kentucky and, maddie, thank you for joining me.

Maddie:

Yay, thank you so much. I'm so honored to be here. I love what you're doing in this space. I've listened to your podcast before and I am just inspired by your journey and everything that you've been able to do, and so I'm just really honored to be here today and kind of just have a girl's chat and talk all things sobriety and mocktails.

Deb:

Seriously like. You're such a light and you give so much hope to others who are just starting out on this journey and who are young like you. I mean, you came on the screen. I'm just like, oh my gosh, who's this beautiful young girl?

Maddie:

I mean I could be your mom, and so to have you here. You're the mocktail mom, yeah.

Deb:

I guess I am your mocktail mom, right, but it really is. It's fun because we're at such different stages in life, like you're newly married and living the life in Chicago and stuff, and so I'm really, really excited to have you share your story about being alcohol-free and all things mocktails and fun. Can I share your bio? Can I try to read your bio with the people? Okay, everybody, maddie, she's 29. She's a Libra living in vibrant Chicago. As a dedicated yoga and Pilates instructor, she finds joy in guiding others towards wellness while embracing a sober lifestyle. She cherishes time with her husband, family, friends and thrives on being outdoors, making the most of every moment. I love that Making the most of every moment in the Windy City. So, all right, I want to hear I don't think I know your story about becoming alcohol-free and getting sober before you're turning 30. So can you tell everybody about your journey?

Maddie:

Yeah, of course. So I'll do kind of like a little bit of a background and then get us up to speed. But I grew up with alcoholism. So both of my parents were alcoholics and both of their families. I. You know, when you're young though you don't really notice it you don't realize that that's what alcoholism is, and so when I was younger, alcohol was just always around, being drunk was always normalized, and so I think for the longest time, that just kind of became my life no-transcript, and so I just was.

Maddie:

I was a social drinker, but I had no off button, and so all through high school, all through college, I noticed that I was always drinking and always having to limit myself, like, okay, I'm only going to have five drinks, I'm only going to have six drinks, or, you know, I'm only going to drink beer, I'm only going to drink beer, I'm not going to black out. And I think just time and time and time again, I was the girl that blacked out. I was the friend that other friends are having to take care of. I was the girl that would wake up and be like what happened last night? And you know, after so many years of it being funny, it starts to turn really dark and not so funny anymore and all of these things that I've learned. I've learned it on the back end, but now, looking back, I can see like, wow, like I was so deeply insecure and I was so happy but unhappy at the same time with like what my life was like. I had all these amazing friends and these amazing opportunities. I had graduated college and I was teaching pre-K and I absolutely loved it, but I was spending my time outside of the classroom just wasting it.

Maddie:

I was getting drunk and I was looking for the next opportunity to get drunk because I think for the longest time, I saw it again as a way to like just be more sparkly, like have a little bit more like energy and more light in life, not realizing that really every single time I drank, or every single time I went out and decided to just continue to drink because I didn't feel like I had that off switch, I was actually like dimming my light so much more and you know I just it started to get to be one of those things. I was like this just isn't fun anymore. So fast forward through, you know, a lot of blackouts, a lot of social nights out and you know, I think I grappled a couple different times, both in college and then post college, of like I want to stop drinking, but like, what does that look like? And I can't you know. Like I in my mind I was like I cannot stop drinking because that means I lose my friends, I'm not fun anymore, I don't know how to go out. I have to join a program and work the steps, and that's what my life becomes Right. And so I won't tell my parents story. But, like my mom, she's a recovering alcoholic. She's been alcohol free for 10 plus years. She's amazing. I work up to her in so many ways and she did work a program.

Maddie:

So for the longest time that was my only real look into it I didn't realize that there was so much modern sobriety and sober curiosity and just different ways to remove alcohol from your life, and so I think that old aged way of being sober really scared me because I only saw one avenue. I didn't see that there were so many different options. And so I met my husband when I had graduated college and we started dating and we moved to Chicago and we had been living here for about two years and we got engaged. And he really, truly is like my best friend and like makes me the best version of myself, Like he's the best supporter, he's hilarious, he's the best partner, he truly like he cares more about me than he cares more about himself, and like he shows that every single day. And so we get engaged. It's this fairy tale.

Maddie:

We were out in Palm Springs and that night like I didn't even remember going to bed, and I think that was a moment that I started to realize, oh my gosh, we have a crazy year ahead. We have so many parties and we're going to have our wedding and I really don't drink without blacking out. And so I think that started to kind of be in the forefront of my mind, but I kept pushing it back because I was like we have to celebrate, we have parties, people want to take us out, this is going to be amazing. This is about to be the best year of my life, and St Patrick's Day rolls around. So we got engaged in February. St Patrick's Day rolls around, and it was just a tale as old as time, right, we start drinking at 7 am and we go out all day, and next thing, you know, I wake up. It's the next day, it's like 2pm and I remember nothing and I think You're like was the river green?

Deb:

Did it happen this year? Yeah, Did they really make it green again this year?

Maddie:

Yeah, I'm like did I see the river, did I go out with my friends, did I even have fun? And I remember just I woke up and I was terrified, like, truly, truly my core. Terrified of, like one I'm thankful I'm alive, right, like, and I was like anything could have happened to me, and I think for so many years I had had that thought when I would wake up like, oh my gosh, thank God I didn't like choke on my own vomit or somebody didn't take advantage, like there's just so many things that could happen. And I think as you get older, you hear so many other stories so you become so much more aware. And so I think that was the first thing that came to my mind. But then I was like I can't do this again. I really can't wake up and not know what I did, who I was with, where I was, also knowing that I had this part of me that I know once that switch flipped, because alcohol literally changes your brain chemistry, right?

Maddie:

I I think for so long everyone's like drunk actions or sober thoughts and all this stuff, and it's like you're right, it's fun, it's like you're a different version of yourself and really for me, like I wasn't myself, I was a completely different person, like Maddie didn't exist anymore. Somebody else started kind of playing out through my body, you know, and the actions and things. And so I just really kind of had a moment where I was like this isn't rock bottom, I'm safe, you know, like there's things that I'm going to have to repair, things that I said or did you know that I'm going to have to work through, but I'm okay and I'm here and I want to still be here and I want to marry my husband and I want to a mom and I want to be a good sister and a good friend and a good daughter. And so I called my mom and I was in my bathtub and I was like I just can't do this anymore. And she just on the phone, was like you don't have to, you literally don't have to.

Maddie:

And I think she had said it to me before, but I think so many times I was younger or I wasn't in the place to hear it and my world just kind of opened up and I think at that moment I was like you're right, I actually don't have to. I have the ability to take the power back, like alcohol has power and control over me, but I'm really powerful in myself and when I'm not drinking I have the control, and so that was kind of the start of my journey and it was definitely scary and it was hard and it was definitely kind of just earth shattering right. It's like we just got engaged. My husband's like oh my gosh like you know, you've kind of said things like this before when you're really hung over but just kind of kept going in our life.

Maddie:

You know, it's like the next game day rolls around, you're like, well, we're going out, exactly, exactly. So it really just opened both of our eyes to like what we wanted our life to look like and I think that's one of the big reasons we fell in love is like we had the same morals and we wanted the same things and we have these big aspirations and dreams, and like we really want each other to be able to get them and have them. And so that just kind of started the conversation of like what does our life look like now? And if I'm not drinking, like how can he best support me? And like how can my family best support me and my friends? And I think I just so quickly realized that, like the people around you just want what's best for you, and I think I'm really lucky that I have some amazing people in my life, that that's truly what they want and that's the only thing that they care about.

Maddie:

And for so long, I think, just my own insecurities and my own fear of like having a different life or like not being the fun girl or not being the one that wants to go out all the time, or not being the one that's creating these plans, like that all started to fade and so I wanted to just create a fun avenue to really get myself more comfortable, because I was like I feel so uncomfortable, like I know I don't want to drink and I don't want to be like feel pressure to drink. And I know that I don't, I know I don't have to drink, but like how can I have fun without drinking? How can I normalize this conversation? Because anytime someone would ask me I would be like frozen, I'd be like oh, I'm just I'm not feeling good, or like I just don't want to, or I'm taking a break, or you know it. Just it felt really stiff and it felt stuffy and I felt like I was in this box. I felt like I was like okay, you're choosing to not drink anymore. So like you're an alcoholic, you have a problem and that's that's who you are now. And I didn't want that to be me, because I was like that's not me, I just don't have control over alcohol.

Maddie:

Like I never really drank by myself, I never really turned towards alcohol to like deal with my feelings. I definitely fell in love with the feeling I got, but I didn't use it to necessarily escape. It was just always there and I loved the feeling once it kind of hit, which I think in and of itself like it was an escape, but I just I wasn't utilizing it for that, consciously I guess. And so I kind of just started dabbling in like the NA world, because I was like, okay, when I go out, like maybe people won't notice, like maybe they won't notice if I order a Heineken Zero, and so I just kind of started doing my own research of like what's out there, like what non-alcoholic options are there, because growing up all I ever heard about was O'Doul's and I was like, honestly, I'm not a huge beer drinker and I don't want that to be the only thing.

Deb:

Yeah, no, thank you. Yeah, no, thank you. Is there something else on the menu?

Maddie:

Yeah, yes, there's something else. So I kind of just started finding like different pages on Instagram and I was like you know what? Like I love being creative, I love like being active and I've really always been kind of wellness centered anyways, and so I think that was always like a struggle that I had with alcohol, as well as like I would always beat myself up the next day Like I would be hung over and I'd be in bed and I'd be so mad that I wasted this like beautiful day outside, or that I didn't exercise or that I didn't go to the class I had signed up for. So then you get charged the late fee and it's like it just you know, it was this whole other thing that would start to happen and that I would spiral about. That created just really non-healthy toxic behaviors in my mind, in my body.

Maddie:

So that's kind of how I came to do mocktails. I was like I just want a fun, a fun outlet, and so I was like you know what? I'm just going to create a mocktail page just for fun. If I even have zero followers, I don't even care. I just want this so that I have a connection point with so many other people that are out there, Because I knew that people had to be out there doing this right, Like I was like it's 2022. At the time, I was like, okay, people have to be not drinking. Like there's got to be a world in which people are out here living fun lives and not drinking alcohol, whether it's like for health reasons or because their parents don't drink. I felt like there had to be something, and so that's kind of how I started my Mocktail page and just since then, I have been introduced to a world of amazing people much like yourself, and brands and things that have really kind of disrupted the industry and really started to break the stigma of what it means to be alcohol free.

Deb:

I love it. I love it. Yeah, so that was 2022 when you got sober, was that 2022? Yep.

Maddie:

I was 27. And so I'm turning 29 in October. So yeah, it was an interesting time of life to get rid of alcohol Amazing.

Deb:

Amazing. Okay. So then you got married. I know I want to talk about your page. I love it. Yes, because just to have a fun space for you to create, for you to explore that creative outlet and, you know, to bring in wellness and healthy mocktails and stuff, I mean what a, what a gift to those who have found your page. So thank you yeah.

Deb:

I love that your mom said to you you don't have to. I love that she said that and for you to take your power back right. What an encouragement for others that you know. Maybe are you know sober shopping right now, or window shopping sobriety, like you don't have to keep drinking, you can stop, you know Right. And I love that you let like your attitude of bring the fun.

Maddie:

Like this is not wah-wah, we're not stuck with our own tools in the corner, right, right, and I think, like there was just so much, I had done so much research, and like I actually like so, in high school, whenever I would get in trouble for drinking, I would go to AA meetings with my mom, and it was just like her way of just kind of being, like this is something that's out there If you ever need it. There is a world in which people don't drink, and so I think I have a really interesting background having that, knowing that like there is a space in the world where people don't drink, and so that kind of was always something that was in my mind, and I think, at the same time, though, what I saw was a lot of people that gave a lot of things up, and what I didn't want to do was have to give things up, like kind of thinking about taking my power back Like I really was, like I get to be the decider of my life, like I finally get to be the one making these decisions, because for so long when I was drinking, I truly felt like I wasn't the one making those decisions, like I was like something is happening. There's a switch that's going off and I'm not the one doing this anymore, and that was really scary and I was like I don't want to live like that anymore. And so being able to take that power back and really make those decisions, and so I realized it doesn't have to be boring. Life doesn't have to be where you cut all of these things out. I'm cutting alcohol out, so that's what I'm doing, that's what I'm removing so that all of these other things can come into my life.

Maddie:

I really was like what can I remove so that I can add, add, add. I didn't want to think of that in this negative mindset anymore. I was like I really want to have abundance, thinking I'm going to open myself, open my mind, open my heart and my life to just what it can give me. And so I didn't eliminate going out with friends and I didn't eliminate the parties going out with friends and I didn't eliminate the parties and like the engagement, fun and all of those things, like the bridal showers, the bachelorettes, I was like no, I can still do this and I can still go and like the best thing about this is like I get to remember it.

Deb:

You'll remember it yeah.

Maddie:

I'll remember everything.

Deb:

You remember your wedding, you remember your reception, right? Yes?

Maddie:

Everything, and for years years. Deb and I have an anxious personality to begin with. I overthink a lot of things. I'm constantly thinking 10 steps ahead while also thinking 10 steps behind.

Deb:

That's a gift. You're forward and backward thinking at the same time. Yeah.

Maddie:

Pros and cons for sure. But I remember thinking like, oh my gosh, am I going to be the bride that gets so blacked out that she passes out on the dance floor or doesn't remember going home? There's all these things, and I'm like what a crazy, anxious thought. But then I'm like, well, it's not crazy and anxious because your behaviors are leading you to believe that that's possible. And so I think getting sober at the time that I got engaged, knowing that I then got a full, ended up being about a year and a half of celebrations with the people that mean the most to me, was truly a gift and I really am. Just I'm so grateful and thankful. I think it was like whether it be divine intervention, and I'm on my own kind of journey of what my faith looks like. But I think, just at the crux of it, I have people and I have things in my life that like I wouldn't be here without them, and so just holding true to like there's something bigger outside of me that I don't even know if I fully understand yet, that has allowed for me to get rid of alcohol and just really live this amazing life, because we do only get one life and it's like I think you get one life and it's like YOLO and everybody says, and it's like this joke. But I think, like I find it to be so true and I think that that is such a driving force for me of like I only get one life to live and like what is that going to look like? And I want it to be filled with memories and I want it to be loving and I want it to be happy and I don't want it to be filled with. I just started really thinking about what that meant for me and what that was going to look like, and so a lot of the things that I have realized. Obviously it's 2020, right, hide and seek, and my husband and I actually decided to do couples counseling when I decided to get sober, and it was the best thing that we've ever done.

Maddie:

And I think there's a lot of discomfort when it comes to talking about therapy, especially couples counseling, especially before you're not married. People always think like, oh, there's got to be something wrong there or maybe it's not meant to be, and really it just allowed for us to have these open, loving conversations about what we wanted and what we wanted our life to look like and how we were going to get there and how we were going to support each other. And it's just allowed for me to really think about that outside of myself too. How can I show up for others? How can I be supportive for others, even if it's not alcohol related? If anyone in my life is going through something, I now feel like I have the tools and the capacity to show up for them, because I'm not hung over anymore and I'm not choosing to drink and I'm not putting those maybe social events or activities above the people who I really care about.

Deb:

Exactly right, because you can get together with somebody and really talk to them, as opposed to like, let's go out and we can just, you know, drink our way through. Whatever your problem is, you know you can really go there.

Deb:

Yeah, yeah, to really show up. Yeah. Okay, some of you know that I accidentally stopped drinking when I did a challenge to take a month off from alcohol my BFF Chardonnay. And now I live an alcohol-free lifestyle and I absolutely love it. But I also realized that's not for everybody. Originally my goal was just to moderate. I wanted to learn how to moderate. So you might be thinking I would love to cut back a bit, but I am not ready to quit cold turkey, so you don't have to. I have a little tip for you. It's called Sunnyside. It's the number one alcohol moderation app in the United States and maybe it would be a fit for you if you're looking for no pressure, just support and tools to help you actually drink less. With Sunnyside, you set your own pace, track your drinks and connect with a community of people who get it. You pick a plan that fits your goals and, the best part, 96% of people who use Sunnyside drink less after just 90 days. That's huge. So if you're ready to cut back your drinking without feeling overwhelmed, maybe give Sunnyside a shot. Visit the link in the show notes to get a free 15-day trial and check out Sunnyside for yourself.

Deb:

As you guys know, I love Giesen 0% wines. Their Sauvignon Blanc is my go-to on a regular basis, but they recently launched a delicious sparkling brute 0%, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. I am so proud to have Giesen as the exclusive non-alcoholic wine sponsor of the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. Giesen's 0% wines are created through the magic of advanced spinning cone technology to remove the alcohol from their full-leaded wines. The award-winning winemaker Duncan Shuler and his team have done wonders in Marlborough, new Zealand, by creating an entire family of 0% wines with all the flavor and deliciousness you expect from traditional quote full-leaded wine. Their non-alcoholic wines maintain the aroma and the body to create a low-calorie wine that never contains more than 0.5 ABV.

Deb:

Globally available, look for Giesen 0% wines wherever you shop for your non-alcoholic options. Their family of alcohol-free wines include the most effervescent member of the family, the sparkling Brut 0%, which is absolutely delicious for any celebration. My personal favorite although I do love them all is the Sauvignon Blanc, coming in at only 100 calories for the entire bottle. And, not to be missed, the other members of their 0% family, the Riesling, the Premium Red Blend, the Rosé, the Pinot Gris. With Giesen's 0% wines, there's a de-alcoholized wine for everyone and every occasion. Give Giesen a try and let me know how much you love it. And if you want to meet their winemaker, go back to episode 33 of the podcast, where Duncan Shuler joined me to share about the Giesen story. What was it like? Okay, having your wedding. So what non-alcoholic drinks did you have there? What things did you bring to the wedding to share with all your friends and family?

Maddie:

Yeah, it was so fun, so we did like the signature drinks. So we did his, hers and ours and both his and hers. We had non-alcoholic options and then alcoholic options, so we did a spicy margarita with ritual zero proof, which was awesome, so good.

Deb:

And then so good, so good. That was my first, was my very first mocktail was a spicy margarita with Ritual Yep and it's mind-blowing.

Maddie:

You're like am I sure there's no alcohol in?

Deb:

this. The flavor is incredible. I can do this. I can stay sober. Yeah, we're drinking this.

Maddie:

And then we did a pink French 75 with toast and Ritual Zero Proof Gin, which was awesome, and then the Ars, the ours drink I'm sorry, it was the spicy margarita and then his was an old fashioned.

Maddie:

So we did the old fashioned with ritual zero proof as well, and it was really just fun because it it allowed for me to have a lot of fun and again kind of have that conversation of like, okay, I'm going to have a bachelorette party, I am having engagement parties, I'm having bridal showers, I'm having a wedding and I'm not drinking. And so I just felt really like inspired by kind of like getting the creative freedom to choose what that looks like. And then also knowing that I had people in my life that were going to support that, and it was just a really interesting to be able to talk to other people, and I just really found that so many people are sober, curious, even if they don't want to eliminate alcohol. It's just like wow, what's that like? What's it like to go to a party and not drink? And I just found out quickly I'm a beverage girly. It doesn't really matter what's in my hand, I just got to have something, or I have.

Deb:

Do you have like a couple of drinks at one time Always?

Maddie:

I've got like a kombucha, I've got a water, I've got two coffees, something bubbly. You know all the things, yes. So I felt like as long as I had something in my hand, like I felt more comfortable, and so I just wanted to have those options at all of my celebrations and at my wedding and throughout the planning process it was really interesting. I actually found out that my DJ was sober and then one of our bartenders was sober, both of them for like seven plus years.

Maddie:

The bartending service we hired was actually started by somebody who was sober because they were in the bar industry for 10, 15 years, ended up quitting drinking and then wanted to be able to offer bar services that also had non-alcoholic options, and I didn't even know any of that when I booked all of these services. So it was just a really cool year to be able to connect with different people that didn't drink, while also planning and getting to be creative and just have these fun mocktails and share them with all my family and friends. We also had Go Brewing beer at the reception. Yes, it was so fun.

Deb:

I'm assuming you've been out to the Go Brewing. Have you been there? I haven't been there. I have not been there yet I want to go so bad. Have you met with Ritual? Because they're up in Chicago too, right?

Maddie:

Yes, yes, so they're here and I have been able to do fun things with them, but I have not been able to go to Go Brewing. And I need to go because it's like an hour away, not even. It's like maybe 45 minutes, depending on traffic.

Deb:

I really want to make a trip up there, yeah.

Maddie:

Yes, it's been on my bucket list of things to do and I just feel like the weekends get away from us.

Deb:

Yeah, it's like oh my gosh, yeah.

Maddie:

Yeah, another weekend Can't do it. Yeah, exactly, and we've got, you know, family and out of states and we travel and all the things. But I'm like I have to get out there because I'm like beer that's not alcoholic on top Like sign me up, say no more, and then it's really good Like I love their sour, his sours and, yeah, I had you, I had him on the podcast and just love his story and love. Amazing. Yeah, yes, he's got great energy. We had the sours at our wedding reception.

Deb:

Okay, okay, so good it was really really fun.

Maddie:

So it was just a really cool journey and again I just feel I think what sobriety has given me, that I have been just so amazed by, is like true gratitude. Like I really feel like I get to wake up every day and just be so grateful and thankful to be here and it just it makes me grateful for the people in my life because I just wouldn't be here without them and I think I was so scared for so long that I wouldn't have those things anymore. I wouldn't have friends, I wouldn't have the opportunity to go out, I wouldn't attend bachelorette parties, I wouldn't necessarily find a partner and get married because, like, how do you do that sober? And so I think just through every phase of life I've been able to come back to that gratitude and like having a bachelorette party sober was like so fun. Like I was like I'm going to eat three desserts because I'm not drinking, so not drinking your calories?

Maddie:

Yes, yeah, yeah, I'm like if somebody doesn't want their dessert, I will have it. I got to truly like enjoy every moment with my friends because, I'm sure you understand, your daughter got married. It's like everything goes by so quick and you're trying to connect with everybody and you want to get caught up with your friends, but you're also trying to stay in the moment and be celebratory, and so it allowed for me to really have all of those deep connections, even through what felt like a lot of just kind of chaos of a year, and just be present and really remember every step of the way. And so I think the actual wedding itself is like it lives rent-free in my mind. It definitely went fast, but nothing was preventing me from just being totally 110% fair and present. It went by fast, of course it does. It's like one thing after the next, sure, sure, it's like oh, the day's over.

Deb:

It's over. It's like the worst feeling. Right at the end, you're like, oh my gosh, yeah, how is it over? How are they getting in the car right now? You know Right. You're like how am I saying my goodbyes?

Deb:

Yes, I know I know, oh, I love just that you've shared just modern sobriety and what that looks like, and what that looks like Because, right, I was similar to you, like I thought there was only one way, I thought there was only one program you know for so many years, and it helped me back and to share that the fun is not over, like you are living and I don't mean to sound silly, but like living your best life.

Maddie:

You are living, you're not waking up with regret.

Deb:

You're not waking up missing classes. You know you're living your healthy lifestyle. And how beautiful that is because, right, we get one shot. We get one shot, you know, and God made us for a reason, created us with purpose. You know, we're not an accent, it's not an accent.

Maddie:

Yeah, I truly believe that and I really think that there is something to be said about modern sobriety, because I think that that's kind of where I found like a little bit of like a niche. I was like I was like, okay, like this mocktail movement, non-alcoholic like that's where I'm gonna kind of like find my lane, because, while I don't drink alcohol, I still want to live life to the fullest. I still want to drink things that have body and elegance and, like you know, variety and taste and flavor and fun, and so, knowing that there's life outside of just like not choosing to drink or, you know, maybe judging people or whatever it may be that people have in their minds of people that don't drink do I was like that's not what it is Like. These people are out here having a great time. They're they're, they're great time, they're enjoying their lives, they're starting podcasts, they're going to their daughter's weddings.

Deb:

You've been able to do Right, we're doing new things. Yeah, we're living life.

Deb:

We're living life yeah, doing new things, Because we're not zoned out in the evening and then we're not dragging all morning trying to catch up or whatever it's like. You can start new hobbies. Yeah, Starting your Instagram. How fun. What a fun outlet and all the people to meet. I love the connections on Instagram. I love the sober community. People are so supportive. It's been wonderful. All right, I want to ask you before we finish. I would love to hear do you have like some favorites? Or, like when you go out to a restaurant and they don't have a mocktail on the menu, is there something you like to order? What are kind of a couple of your favorites to share with the audience?

Maddie:

Of course I have lots of favorites. I'm like somebody who I'm like I try something once and I'm like I love it.

Deb:

I've got it. I'm literally holding better than booze right now. This is my favorite. Yeah, and then I'll try it. Yeah, there, there's so many good favorites, right.

Maddie:

I'm like I have a favorite of like the day, or like a favorite like of my feelings. You know, I'm like I'm waking up feeling like spunky today, so I'm on like a little spritz, but then one day I might be like you know what. I'm feeling a little bit more like demure. Today I might have like a glass of NA red wine, but I love Toast was like the first non-alcoholic.

Deb:

Oh, my daughter loves Toast. It's delicious.

Maddie:

It's delicious. It's delicious. I actually have to like tell my husband like you can only have three of these because I just bought them, which means you get three and I get one, like I love you. But like he literally drinks them, like they're like waters, like it's hilarious, he absolutely loves them. So good, yes, like they're like waters, like it's hilarious, like he absolutely loves them. So good, yes, so good. So I love toast. They were the first yeah, they were the first any brand and drink that I tried. So they were just like, kind of like my forever favorite Cause they're, they're my OGs, yeah, yeah.

Maddie:

And then I love Gia. I think those are so fun. That's like ready to go is like so nice for me, because I feel like I'm constantly on the go and I have kind of I don't know if this is good or bad, but I've just kind of adapted this Like I'm going to bring a mocktail wherever I go. So I actually will like bring them to restaurants in my bag, because if they don't have a mocktail on the menu, I'm like hey, I actually have this in my bag. Do you mind if I just drink this?

Deb:

That's really good, that's really good.

Maddie:

I will try and call if it's like a really nice restaurant before I'll be like, hey, do you mind if I bring my own NA wine? You know I never want to be like rude or dismissive and I always, you know, want to be mindful of like a waiter or waitress, of how that might impact them and their serving experience. But I've like always got something in my bag just so that I have it.

Deb:

That's so good, that's so good. Yeah, you have to be prepared. And two, I find that I'm not tempted when I have an option, or I have a drink that I'm enjoying, you know, if there's an event going on or a dinner I'm at or something it's like it's nice to have my own drink, you know, or that they have something that they can offer. Yeah, yeah, some options.

Maddie:

So of course, I love water and sometimes I'm like, okay, I've had some bubblies with a little bit of cranberry or lime. I'm like I need a water now because I need to just palate cleanse. But yeah, I love toast, I love groovy, I love go brewing, I love ritual, zero proof, I love Aplos, and then there's so many Aplos is so good.

Deb:

Aplos is really good. I like the cans they're ready to. Drinks are delicious. Yeah, yes, they're so great Everything.

Maddie:

I feel like I could name everything. Oddbird is one of my favorite NA wines because I just think that it's really good. They do a great job. Yes, and then Recessed is a fun, ready to drink, one that I love, that I feel like I've always got on my fridge.

Deb:

I'm sure you've tried Moment. Yes, I love Drink Moment Moment. Really good Kind of right there with Recess to me, yes, similar.

Maddie:

Yes, yep, so good. And then, like, the Mocktail Club is so good, they're at Target now and they're amazing.

Deb:

Their espresso. They have an espresso martini, I think right, or an espresso martini, yes, so good, really so good.

Maddie:

So I have a bunch of different favorites and then really when I'm going out, if they don't have a mocktail on the menu, like, I kind of like to ask if they have like a house favorite or one that like is easy for a bartender to make. Otherwise, like my go-to is just club soda, lime juice, a lime and a splash of cranberry and like perfect. Like kind of yeah, it's like the vibe of a vodka soda, but like there's no vodka, and honestly it tastes way better.

Deb:

Yeah, yeah, just scratches that itch too to have, you know, to have a little bit of an elevated drink at the table. Yeah, yes, for sure yeah yeah, maddie, okay, you are such a delight. I am so happy thank you so much for coming on the podcast.

Deb:

I cannot thank you enough, I mean really really I want everybody to make sure, make sure you guys are following maddie. She's on instagram. Instagram Mocktails with Maddie. No underscores, nothing spelled exactly as it sounds. So find her, make sure you're following her. But your account is just so encouraging and you're just being light to those who are looking for non-alcoholic drinks here on the Gram Gram.

Maddie:

Thank you so much. Well, you're amazing. Thank you so much for having me on the show. I absolutely love following you and everything you're doing, so thank you so much for having me today.

Deb:

Thank you. Thank you. We're just having fun. We're just having a good time Big time. Cheers to you for tuning in to the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flair or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the world of non-alcoholic drinks and as you journey towards authentic freedom. See you in the next episode.