In most cases,. After a beer or glass of wine, it takes 1 to 2 hours for the body to be alcohol-free. Contrary to popular belief, only time will sober you up. Someone who is sober is intoxication-free, not drunk.
But does being sober or having a sober lifestyle require continuous abstinence from alcohol? Yes, at least according to the standard medical definition of sobriety, a common view shared by popular recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.