I’m painfully early and alone. Cucci’s Critter Barn at Kremwerk, 7 p.m., the invite said. I should have known drag queens wouldn’t start until at least 8:30. The room is empty, but sultry crimson and lavender LEDs keep me company. The music is a presence, but I don’t have to shout when ordering a tonic and lime at the bar. As if not to offend, I add “for now,” and the bartender laughs. “I like that. You’ll get to the liquor eventually,” she says, and tells me no charge. For a moment I’m flustered and feel conspicuous. I find a seat in a corner and wait.
Sobriety came to me first as an exercise in financial restraint. I had been spending roughly $200 a month on alcohol—not an outlandish amount, but it adds up. There were other reasons to experiment with being dry, too, like physical and mental health, but when it came to telling friends, frugality seemed like the simplest rationale.