Photo courtesy of Leia Ferrari Traner, Sober in the Brew City
Sober in the Brew City
Sober in the Brew City Crafternoon at Mitchell Street Library in November 2023
Sober in the Brew City (SITBC) is a collective of women and non-binary folks who cultivate sober spaces in Milwaukee. In the midst of Wisconsin’s social culture where alcohol is often centered or at least involved, SITBC creates an alternative social environment independent of alcohol. Those who are sober-curious are welcome at SIBC events as well.
In 2019, Leia Ferrari Traner decided to start Sober in the Brew City as a way to connect with more like-minded folks in Milwaukee. “About 10 to 15 people showed up to the first event,” she recalls. “We did several different self-care and self-discovery exercises, and then people started asking “what’s next?” but I didn’t have a plan so I had to make one (laughs).”
Ferrari Traner felt it was important to specifically center women and non-binary folks with SITBC because other sober spaces she found often to be mostly attended by men, explaining, “It’s not to take away from AA or anywhere else that clinically treats addiction, but I wanted to create this for those who often don’t feel they have a space.”
Having Fun Soberly
SITBC spaces have looked like NA happy hours, rock climbing, hiking, craft nights, wellness gatherings and more. “We’re all about having fun and getting to do things together in Milwaukee, even in spaces where you might have memories of drinking in but want to create new memories there,” Ferrari Traner explains.
After several years of running SITBC by herself, Ferrari Traner put out feelers on social media for others to help, at which point Wesley Hoffmann raised her hand. “I really liked what Leia and the group was doing,” Hoffmann says. “It really made me think about my own relationship with drinking and how embedded drinking is in Wisconsin culture.”
SITBC’s current leadership consists of Ferrari Traner and Hoffmann as well as Aly Miller, Carrie O’Connor and YoMo Castellano. “It’s been getting a little more common,” Ferrari Traner notes about sober spaces in general. “Everyone has different reasons for going sober, but I do sense a bit of a change. I’m starting to see many more NA options on menus which is a huge difference from even just five to ten years ago.”
Quit Like a Woman
Ferrari Traner highly recommends Holly Whittaker’s 2019 book Quit Like a Woman for women exploring or thinking about sobriety. “She makes so many great points about sobriety being a healthy lifestyle choice that we feel we need to defend,” she shares.
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The collective emphasizes that no one is owed someone’s sobriety story in their spaces. “We don’t place any judgment on those who do choose to drink,” Ferrari Traner assures. “It’s just not the right choice for ourselves.”
Sober in the Brew City is open to suggestions for future events, particularly from local businesses and organizations that would like to co-host an event. “We’ve got a lot of flexibility,” Hoffmann affirms. “We want to be as effective as possible in giving people a safe space where they can ask questions, get advice or just feel a sense of community.”
Follow Sober in the Brew City on Instagram @soberinthebrewcity.
