This may seem like a strange thing to post on an author blog, but I promise that it’s relevant. Longtime readers will know that my entire authorship was launched with alcohol, specifically through the craft beer movement. It’s been a fairly large part of my persona for decades. But after several years of dwindling consumption and increased health concerns, I have officially reached the end.

And don’t worry, this isn’t a lecture post. No one is under the delusion that drinking is healthy. (At least, not anymore. Looking at you, France.) We all know the pitfalls. This is a story about how I ended up where I did. An unexpected journey, if you will. And if it helps someone else make sense of their own journey, then I’m happy to share it.

First, some backstory. As with most drinkers, I started in my teens and really enjoyed it. My consumption peaked in college, when the party lifestyle kicked in. Dependency was never an issue because I don’t have an addictive personality (thank goodness). My drinking softened in my 20s, but then something magical happened. I discovered craft beer.

This was a pivotal moment in my life because craft beer scratched many itches. I like bold and interesting flavors. I like learning about the “craft” of any product. (How It’s Made is still one of my favorite shows.) I like to study culture and history. Craft beer had everything. Before long, I was deep in the lore of Trappist ales (“liquid bread” made by Belgian monks). I started going to beer festivals. I got to know my local breweries. I special-ordered unique beers. I even brewed my own. And then, I started a review blog.

That was the moment when my authorship began. I have told this story many times, so I’ll keep it brief. My buddy and I started writing about the craft beer movement. We posted reviews that focused more on the experience rather than style scores. Breweries took notice and we grew into a notable competitor to the major review sites. I wrote over a thousand articles, several of which got spotlighted by the industry. At the peak, breweries around the world were sending us beers to review. I had to buy a new fridge just to house the queue.

But as with all good things, it came to a regrettable end. The entire process became a chore and the pressure to keep up broke our friendship. The website was shut down and we went our separate ways. While it was sad to lose the project, I had also learned a great deal about writing. On a whim, I decided to apply those skills to an idea I had for a story. Years later, that story became my debut novel Transient (Book One of the Immortal Wake).

My drinking continued into my 30s, which settled into moderation. But alas, my stint in the craft beer scene had created some very expensive tastes. Gone were the days of enjoying a six-pack of lagers. I was drinking Barrel-Aged Stouts, Imperial IPAs, and Belgian Quads, often with double-digit ABVs. They were strong, complex, and utterly delicious.

And then I hit my 40s. Younger me could metabolize a few strong beers and be fine in the morning. Middle-age me cannot. My sleep was degrading. My weight was harder to manage. My lipid profile was steadily getting worse. I was starting to feel the direct health impacts of moderate consumption. That slowed me to casual consumption, i.e. 3-4 per week, mostly on weekends. That worked for several years, until I reached my late 40s. Ugh.

I started to notice that even one drink, no matter when in the day, was wrecking my sleep. Even worse, the big hoppy brews started giving me reflux. It was super frustrating because there was no mitigation, just pain. My drinking slowed from 3-4 per week to 3-4 per month. Eventually, I reached the next pivotal moment. I wanted a tasty beer, but I wanted a good night’s sleep more. So I didn’t have the beer.

That was last summer, and I haven’t had a beer since.

Fast forward to the holidays, when I decided to enjoy a few drinks with a vacation buffer. I firmly expected to sleep like crap, but it was even worse. After months of abstinence, it took several days to get back to baseline. What was tolerable in my 20s had become paralyzing in my 40s. The writing was on the wall. Now that I’m pushing 50, I have reached a new milestone in my consumption: non-consumption. I am officially sober, which I never planned to be. I just weighed the pros and cons and the cons finally won out.

This will be the first year since my teens where I don’t have a single drop of alcohol. I’m not fighting addiction. I’m not setting a challenge. I’m not changing my lifestyle or mentality. I’m just turning the page on something that harms me. Good sleep has become so much more important than good beer. My 20s self would have gasped at this reality, but my soon-to-be 50s self is sighing with relief.

Another major factor has been my general health. One of my favorite jokes: “If you are in your 40s and don’t have a chronic condition, please be patient, one will be assigned to you shortly.” It’s funny because it’s depressingly true. A few years ago, my wife and I embraced a 5-day gym routine that we knock out first thing in the morning. It’s a delightful way to start the day and I actually look forward to it. And do you know what poisons that experience? I’ll give you three guesses, but you’ll only need one.

And then there’s the giant elephant in the room: healthcare. As the saying goes, “The best healthcare is not to need healthcare.” We live in America, so it should go without saying that healthcare scares the crap out of us. We are doing our best to avoid that horror with regular exercise and proper nutrition. We have eliminated numerous bad habits over the years, and alcohol was just the latest on the chopping block.

A new era has begun and I’m excited to be a part of it. I played the first nine holes with a cooler of beer and youthful vigor. But now that I’m on the back nine, I’m playing with a clear head and a stronger body. Let’s see how long I can keep them.