I stopped drinking a few years back, after some (unrelated) health stuff. I don't miss wine, beer, that stopped - like for the author - after a relatively short amount of time. But interestingly I still really miss the feeling of a good scotch after a long day. Not being buzzed, but the sharpness mixed with interesting tastes.

My sleep has gotten so much better. I really didn't realize that alcohol didn't affect just the night after I had a drink, but even the next one or two nights..

Have you tried loose leaf green tea? Fermented and aged tea like pu'er has very complex flavors. The caffeine content can be quite low so its safe to drink in the evening. Found it to be even more fun and interesting than tasting e.g. wine.

I’ve stopped drinking several times for longer stretches and I can feel a difference after a couple months in overall energy levels and sleep. It seems to have some pretty long tail effects that are subtle, but noticeable. If anyone hasn’t tried cutting it out for 3+ months, I would recommend running a little experiment.

My bloodwork improved a lot as well. I had actually completely forgot I stopped drinking when I had it done, so when the doctor asked what I did to see such an improvement, I had no idea. I had gained weight during this period as well, so the alcohol had a bigger negative impact than the weight… though neither is ideal.

100% on sleep. I drink regularly, and very much enjoy it, but I'm always cognizant of the price I'm going to pay in good sleep.

I've started not drinking at home as simple way to curb consumption without giving it up entirely.