The Culture of Alcohol

Episode 222: The Culture of Alcohol

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“Alcohol culture convinces us drinking is part of our identity —
mama needs wine, rosé all day, it’s five o’clock somewhere. It’s all a joke until it’s not.”

Here’s a glance at this episode...

In this episode, Courtney zooms out from individual drinking habits to expose the larger alcohol culture we all live in. From family systems to media portrayals to big alcohol’s grip on society, she explains how drinking has been normalized as identity, reward, and coping mechanism. Courtney also gets real about how that culture seeps into families, creates dysfunction, and gets passed down through generations. She reminds listeners that questioning drinking doesn’t make you crazy, it makes you awake.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Alcohol is more than a beverage, it’s a cultural system shaping identity, celebration, and coping.
• Society normalizes drinking for every occasion while media glamorizes it and hides the gray area between “casual” and “rock bottom.”
• Family patterns and industry influence fuel dysfunction, yet questioning alcohol is often taboo.
• Choosing sobriety isn’t about catastrophe, it’s about deciding you’ve had enough and breaking generational cycles.

Alcohol as a Culture

Alcohol is everywhere. Weddings mean champagne, brunch means mimosas, a long day with kids means “wine o’clock.” Promotions call for shots, breakups call for a bottle of wine with friends.

We’ve been taught that drinking is how you celebrate, how you grieve, how you relax, and even how you survive parenthood. Over time, alcohol becomes a belief system. It becomes a lifestyle and eventually, it becomes an identity.

When you start to pull away from this culture, people may act like you’re the strange one. But the truth is you are simply choosing not to subscribe to something that has been forced on all of us as “normal.”

Media and Marketing’s Role

The way alcohol is marketed is nothing short of masterful. Ads make it look sexy, powerful, rebellious, or relaxing. Think of the iconic Corona commercials, the wine-in-a-bubble-bath trope, or the scotch-sipping CEO.

But underneath the glamour is the reality: alcohol is still a drug. It creates dependency, fuels shame cycles, and damages our health. Yet the media rarely shows that. Instead, we get extremes. Either alcohol is glamorous, or the person who has a “problem” is portrayed as homeless, violent, or completely out of control.

This leaves millions of gray-area drinkers unseen. Women who drink a bottle of wine at night, high achievers who secretly spiral with shame, parents numbing out after long days. When you don’t see your story represented, it’s easy to think “I’m not bad enough to quit.” But that is a lie alcohol culture has sold us.

Alcohol in the Family System

Alcohol doesn’t just shape individuals, it shapes families. Maybe you grew up with daily drinking in your home, or maybe it was more subtle, like wine hidden in the basement or a dad who always had a beer in hand. Children learn early on to “read the room,” to brace for chaos, to adapt to unpredictability.

These patterns often create adults who are people pleasers, codependent, or high achievers — constantly trying to control what feels uncontrollable. If this is you, you are not alone. Breaking away from family drinking patterns is one of the hardest things you can do, but it is also one of the bravest.

Sobriety isn’t just about you. It’s about ending cycles that have been running for generations.

Rock Bottom is a Myth

One of the biggest lies alcohol culture has fed us is the myth of rock bottom. You do not need to lose your job, destroy relationships, or end up homeless to justify quitting drinking.

Rock bottom is simply the moment you are good and tired. It’s the morning you wake up and realize, “I can’t do this anymore.”

For Courtney, that moment came at 29. She was exhausted, her body felt decades older, and she knew the cycle had to end. That was her rock bottom — not a dramatic crash, but a deep, tired knowing.

You don’t need a catastrophe to quit. You just need the courage to listen to your gut when it tells you this isn’t working anymore.

Detaching with Love and Boundaries

Leaving alcohol behind can feel lonely, especially if your family or social circle is still drinking. You may feel like the black sheep, or like you’re breaking away from everything you once knew.

This is where boundaries come in. It’s okay to limit your time at family events, to detach with love, or to create new spaces where alcohol is not the centerpiece. Books like Codependent No More can be powerful tools in learning how to detach without resentment.

You don’t have to stay in environments that jeopardize your healing. Protecting your peace is not selfish, it’s survival.

A New Culture of Sobriety

Here’s the good news: as loud as alcohol culture is, sobriety culture is growing louder. Podcasts, social media communities, mocktails, and support groups are creating a new narrative — one where living alcohol-free is celebrated, not stigmatized.

We are creating a counter-culture that says sobriety is normal. That questioning alcohol is not weird, it’s wise. That choosing yourself over a drink is an act of strength.

Conclusion

Alcohol is more than a drink, it’s a culture that has been keeping us small for far too long. But you don’t have to stay stuck in it. If alcohol has stopped feeling fun, if it’s become more of a crutch than a treat, or if you just feel misaligned with the world around you… you are not crazy. You are waking up.

Breaking free is brave. It’s transformative. And it’s the start of creating a life that feels aligned, clear, and truly yours.

Keep on trucking.

Thank you for listening!

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Listen to episode 127 with Thomas White to learn more about CBD.

Resources Mentioned:

• Prohibition Documentary 
• Flaked & Loudermilk are on Netflix 
• Codependent No More