You say: "Milwaukee." They think: "beer." It’s nearly automatic.

Beer and alcohol have been ingrained in Milwaukee culture for as long as anyone can remember. Pabst, Miller, Schlitz, Blatz – the list goes on, and with the recent explosion of craft breweries popping up on every block, that connection isn’t going away any time soon.

Now, I’m not knocking the city’s love affair with alcohol by any means; I dig our hometown beers and quality micro brews as much as the next Milwaukeean. I’d even consider myself a craft cocktail enthusiast with a big Bittercube Bitters obsession.

But, like plenty of folks, I tend to overindulge from time to time. And the morning after those nights, I usually swear the sauce off for good – at least until the next weekend rolls around.

So, what happens when someone does decide to stick to their gumption and leave the hard stuff behind? What’s it like to be sober in a city built for a beer lover?

As you’d expect, being a sober young person in Milwaukee comes with its fair share of misconceptions. Some assume you have a dark past with alcohol, or that you’re a wet blanket, there to wring yourself out on the parade. Erik Kennedy and Sarah Hofman are two young, active, sober Milwaukeeans who hopped on the mic to clear the air.

They don’t care if you drink around them. Heck, they’ll go out and party with you – just with a mocktail in hand. As long as they’re able to pop out of bed in the morning, feel great and get stuff done, they’re happy campers.

Tune in to this week’s episode of The GoGedders podcast, and we’ll dive into sober first dates, how college social norms shape our adult habits, and why it’s important to keep happiness and health at the forefront.

Listen to the full podcast here.