I took a year off drinking in support of someone special in my life who needed to quit. That was back in 2006. And even though I had a healthy relationship with alcohol, that year showed me the benefits of sobriety. It took a bit to get comfortable. I had to learn to be 'myself' in some social settings when I would normally have a few drinks on board. But it wasn't long before I was the guy with the lampshade on my head again even without the influence of alcohol.
When the year was up, I reflected on the benefits (and there were a lot!). Waking up feeling fresh instead of hungover was a big one. Being able to drive myself home after a night out. Keeping up with my three young children. Not having to worry how things went the night before, and not putting on weight like I had in the past. Even though there were huge benefits, I still missed the social side of 'going for a beer'. At the time, the non-alcoholic beer selection was lacking. I thought that there had to be better options, hence, One For The Road Brewing was born.