Actor Tom Holland opens up about sobriety journey as he launches non-alcoholic beer

English actor Tom Holland has launched his own non-alcoholic beer line as part of his sobriety journey.

“Bero was born out of a personal journey and I couldn’t be prouder to be launching it today,” the 28-year-old posted on social media on Oct 16 about the brand he created.

The star first opened up about his battle with alcohol during an appearance on English podcaster and author Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast in July 2023.

Best known for playing the superhero Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Holland said then that he had not had an alcoholic drink in 18 months and that quitting alcohol was “the best thing I’ve ever done”.

He elaborated on his sobriety journey during an interview with Forbes magazine published on Oct 16.

“My first year sober was really difficult, and had I had Bero, I think it would have been easier,” he said.

“It’s a pretty generic story. I was drinking too much. I was the type of person that, when I’d have one beer, I couldn’t just have one beer. I knew I’d had a bit of a problem for a while.”

Holland said the turning point for him was Dry January in 2022, a campaign launched in 2013 by British charity and campaign group Alcohol Change UK, in which people sign up to abstain from alcohol for the month of January.

“Dry January was really tough, so I ended up spilling over into February,” Holland told Forbes. “February was no easier. Then I did March, and I sort of said to myself, look, if I can do six months without drinking, I get to June 1, which is my birthday, and I would have proved to myself that I don’t have a problem.”

Holland said he began to feel great after he reached the sixth month.

“It was very difficult, it has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and arguably the greatest achievement of my life,” he added. “I’m very proud to be sober today.”

Holland said he began exploring the world of non-alcoholic beers when he was sober and realised there were very few high-quality non-alcoholic beverages on the market.

“For me, Bero is personal,” he said in a press statement. “After two years on my sobriety journey, I wanted to create something that reflected my lifestyle and values.”

He added: “This beer isn’t just for those on a similar path, but for everyone who appreciates quality, craftsmanship and living life to the fullest.”

Bero posted on Instagram on Oct 14 a photo of a female tennis player holding a Bero can without revealing her face.

Many fans said that it was reminiscent of the role played by Holland’s Spider-Man co-star and real-life girlfriend Zendaya in the film Challengers (2024).

The 28-year-old American actress played a former tennis prodigy involved in a complicated relationship with two tennis players – her husband (Mike Faist) and former boyfriend (Josh O’Connor) – in the romantic sports drama.

Holland made no mention about the Bero photo in the interview with Forbes, but he did joke about a role she played in the taste tests for Bero.

“Zendaya hates beer, like, absolutely hates beer,” he said. “She does not drink beer at all, and the first round of testing she was like, ‘wow, these are really tasty’, and I was like, ‘well, that’s probably not a good sign’.”