Tom Holland's Sobriety Journey: The Year That Nearly Broke Him

There’s a particular kind of loneliness that comes with being the only sober person in the room. Actor Tom Holland learned that the hard way when he quit drinking in January 2022 — a decision he recently opened up about on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, revealing that the first year of sobriety proved to be the toughest challenge he’d ever faced.

Holland didn’t shy away from the raw reality of it all. He acknowledged that alcohol had begun creeping into both his personal life and his career, signaling that something needed to change. But knowing it’s time to quit and actually living sober in a world built around drinking are two entirely different animals. Standing at a party with a lemonade while everyone around you is knocking back drinks? That’s a special kind of awkward that no one really prepares you for.

That struggle, though, became the seed of something bigger. Instead of just white-knuckling his way through social situations, Holland channeled his experience into launching Bero, his non-alcoholic beer brand. It’s not just a vanity project — it’s a direct response to a genuine gap in the market, born from his own sobriety journey. The brand has found its audience among people like him who want to participate in the social experience of drinking without actually drinking.

What’s particularly cool is how it’s bringing people together in unexpected ways. Zendaya, who’s never been much of a drinker herself, became an early supporter. They even collaborated on a shandy — a blend of Bero and lemonade — designed to give her a drink that felt natural for her too. It’s a small detail, but it speaks volumes: sobriety doesn’t have to be isolating, and the solutions we create for ourselves can end up serving others in ways we never anticipated.

Holland’s willingness to be candid about his struggle — and his smart, entrepreneurial response to it — sends a message that deserves more attention. Getting sober is hard. Staying sober in a culture that treats alcohol as the default social lubricant is harder. But sometimes the toughest years turn into the ones that matter most.