Editor’s Note: Going Alcohol-Free

THE BEGINNING OF a new year brings with it a fresh opportunity to reflect on the past, hit the reset button, and set new intentions for the future. As such, gyms experience an annual January flurry of activity thanks to so many well-intentioned, if short-lived, resolutions. While I have mostly eschewed the habit of setting “new year, new me” initiatives, I made a midyear decision last summer to stop drinking. For many years, I thought I could easily live without alcohol if not for the social pressure to fit in at gatherings and dinners. But I see the old norms and standards starting to fall by the wayside. Shops that specialize in no-ABV products have opened, restaurants are adding more alcohol-free selections to their drink menus, and I’m able to identify more and more nondrinking peers in my network. Is it hip and cool to skip the booze these days? If I wasn’t convinced before, our cover feature reinforces the notion by putting mocktails on full, gorgeous display. Contributor Eve Batey talked with local bar and restaurant owners about shifts in drinking trends, pulling together a dazzling array of zero-proof libations that taste indulgent without inducing unpleasant aftereffects like impaired brain function, sleeplessness, and hangovers. I’ll certainly raise a glass to that.

If spending more time at your local library is aligned with your goals for 2026, we also shine the spotlight on a handful of progressive librarians who bring new life to bookshelves and online collections, inspiring and serving patrons of all ages. Check out these literacy champions who are writing a new chapter for library culture, services, and accessibility in Central Indiana.

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