Reviewing a memoir feels a bit like wading through a minefield, but in the case of Kyle Kouri‘s The Problem Drinker, not writing about such a book feels like a crime. Even as I sit here and try to summarize all that I’ve read within these pages, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no easy way to sum up a book like this, a collection of reflections on life’s biggest problems we universally, yet solitarily face. But what I can promise to unpack here is how The Problem Drinker made me feel, and boy, did I feel a lot.
If there was a version of Fox Mulder who searched for the truth in bars, then it’s safe to say that version would be named Kyle Kouri. And what truth does he seek? While UFOs are cool, Kouri ponders other questions that you and I have probably pondered before as well. Why is addiction a thing? How come grief feels like this? Does anyone every really understand us the way we think we should? Will I ever make it?
A man who is driven by his craft in a few artistic fields, Kouri pens this book with equal parts stern reality and vivacious romanticism. The Problem Drinker is a book that unpacks what it means to be human, to be an artist, in all its impulsive, raw, beautiful, and sometimes ugly ways. And like a true artist, both emotional events and small mundanities are held equal in Kouri’s eyes, instances that are rife with possible meaning and impactful ramifications. This plight for understanding, for truth, in all things proves that answers are sometimes found in glass bottles, sometimes on days of sobriety. Never has such pondering felt so relatable.
The smallest moments are those that shine in this debut memoir, the contemplations of first sips of a drink, recalling bittersweet memories, and the rawness in which these are recounted. This is a book that explores a tenuous relationship with art, the desire to create with meaning, and the fickle need to be accepted, to attain, to accomplish. Kouri is honest about the uncertainties we face in this life, the toll of loss, and the accumulation of grief. This is not a book sprinkled with sugar, rather a cocktail poured with a heavy, bitter hand.
Doused in relatable honesty, Kyle Kouri’s The Problem Drinker offers no solutions; no, it offers something better. It is a weathered face at the local dive bar, a gruff bartender pouring your favorite cocktail in the way only they can. It is a drinking buddy, the best kind of company that may encourage you to pick up an ink pen and jot that idea that’s been rattling around in your brain on a cheap paper napkin. It is a strong shot of liquor, a shock to the system that is equally grounding and otherworldly all at once. And it nearly guarantees a hangover, a wish for more writing like this.
The Problem Drinker by Kyle Kouri releases on June 2, 2026 from CLASH Books.
