7 Years 172 days Sober - Ask Boyle7 Years 172 days Sober - Ask Boyle
I'm Quitting Alcohol
David Boyle reflects on awkward sober socialising as a working comedian and answers a listener’s question about how cold weather and holidays stir old drinking urges. He shares vivid memories of his past drinking rituals, contrasting them with life over seven years sober.
10:11•3 Nov 2026
Cold Weather Cravings and Awkward Chats: Boyle at 7 Years Sober
Episode Overview
- Social situations can feel more frightening than quitting drinking itself, but repeated awkward conversations gradually reduce that fear.
- Introducing yourself, riding out silence and returning to clarify who you are can lead to new opportunities, such as booking gigs.
- Cold weather, holidays and festive events can still trigger memories and urges linked to past drinking habits even after years sober.
- Rituals like pre-pre-drinks and walking to meet friends with drinks in hand can remain emotionally vivid long after stopping alcohol.
- Recognising how wide-ranging past drinking was – across climates and places – highlights how deeply embedded the habit once was.
“Anywhere between 10 negative 10 and 55 degrees celsius I'm pretty excited about drinking.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This short, punchy episode of "I'm Quitting Alcohol" drops you straight into David Boyle’s life as a sober comedian hustling for gigs in the US and wrestling with social anxiety without a liquid crutch. You’ll hear Boyle describe himself as "the king of the awkward conversation", poking his head into comedy rooms, introducing himself, riding out long silences and bailing before things get "ultra awkward".
He talks about how these interactions used to terrify him far more than quitting drinking, and how he now faces them head-on, even re-introducing himself to a comedian who didn’t recognise him without his trademark hat. The backbone of the episode is an "Ask Boyle" question from Steve, who asks whether cold weather or the holiday season stirs up the urge to drink.
Boyle’s answer is brutally honest and pretty funny: "Anywhere between 10 negative 10 and 55 degrees celsius I'm pretty excited about drinking." He runs through hot-day beers, cosy couch sessions in a sleeping bag, snow drinking, desert drinking, street drinking, plane drinking and everything from a little below sea level to 30,000 feet in the air. He also admits that Halloween recently stirred old feelings, watching parents casually drink on the street while taking kids trick-or-treating.
Boyle vividly recalls his old ritual of pre-pre-drinks at home, the buzz of walking to meet his mates with a few cans in hand, and the thrill of anticipating a big night. This episode suits anyone who wants a raw, quick-hit reflection on how drinking urges can still appear years into sobriety, especially around seasons, rituals and social situations.
It’s messy, honest and very human, and might leave you asking: what old drinking rituals still tug at your memory—and what are you doing with that energy now?
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