For the love of AF Beer - Ben Gibbs

For the love of AF Beer - Ben Gibbs

Curious about how others handle their love of beer once they stop drinking? This chat between host Janey Lee Grace and alcohol-free beer writer Ben Gibbs might be right up your street. Janey sets the scene with a nostalgic look back at her Wham! touring days, reflecting on shaky self-esteem, early patterns of using wine to “take the edge off”, and the huge shift that came when she finally quit alcohol.

She reminds anyone at any age that “it doesn’t matter what stage you reinvent yourself,” sharing the story of a new sober coach trainee in her late seventies as proof that change isn’t just for the young. Ben then shares a very different journey. He describes peering “through the veil” of rock bottom, turning from laid-back weed smoker to spiteful drunk fuelled by strong craft beers and Covid-era habits. One of his final straws?

Kicking off at friends because he lost a game of bowling. The next day he woke up thinking, “Never again,” and this time meant it. You’ll hear how he white-knuckled the early months, hid away to reset, and used alcohol-free beer as a lifeline, saying without it he would probably have relapsed in that first year.

Now he’s tasted over a thousand AF beers, champions brands like We Can Be Friends and Jump Ship, and runs Sober Boozers Club as “a beer account that just happens to be alcohol free.” There’s a lively back-and-forth near the end as Janey challenges Ben’s ongoing use of the word “alcoholic” and his belief he could have “just one” pint.

She pushes the idea that even a single drink is self-harm, while he shares how that very thought reminds him why he doesn’t want to go back. Blending honest war stories, geeky beer chat and plenty of humour, this episode is ideal if you miss pub culture, love AF options, or just want reassurance that sobriety doesn’t have to mean boring. So, what ritual are you ready to keep – and which ingredients are you finally changing?