This year we are embracing the “Flexi-Drinking” mindset. We’re not going total sober, nor are we going full boozy — we are just being more conscious about what we drink.
While we used to practice Dry January, we found that total removal of alcohol only led to a mass addition for the rest of the year. We are not going fully “dry” or sober, but rather drinking more consciously. We believe that to consciously drink means that we are adults with a choice. You should have the option to add booze or not, to know what and how many ingredients are in our drink and to feel like we can add sugar or not.
So this year we are going to be talking about all the things you mix with spirits, from the ingredients to the places and the people that make it come alive. A couple of tips from our team:
1. Make a plan. We plan what we drink a bit like a to-do list, a workout schedule, or anything similar. Pick the maximum number of drinks in a week then plan from there. Only want to do 5 drinks this week, but know you have a big night out on Thursday? Pace it out. Maybe 3 that night, a dry day, and then 2 another night. Do remember though that more than 4-5 drinks within two hours are considered binge drinking.
2.Recognize Alcohol-Free aka “NA” spirits/beverages are a thing. Maybe you know about this but since 58%* of people don’t have a clue — there is a whole category of booze-free spirits. They can be things like tequila alternatives or wholly functional spirits that use herbs and supplements to get a buzz sans alcohol. Sub ‘em in at the start of a big night or drink them when you just don’t feel like drinking.
3. How much matters. Sometimes just go for a low-alc option — a bubbly/wine cocktail, a half shot. You get a kick but not as much booze.
4.Look at more than just booze. Sugar is a big part of what makes hangovers happen. We try to keep it at 5g of sugar or less, per drink. That is roughly the equivalent of a cube of sugar or less. We try to get as much sugar as naturally occurring from real juice as possible, as well as staying clear of fake sugars, artificial preservatives, and too many “natural flavors” – we like drinking real stuff.
5.People may ask why and what you're doing. Feel free to explain… or don't. You are just doing you. It's hard because you don't want to seem better than thou but also you want to explain why you're working on your intake. If anything, you're just being mindful about consumption, whether it be consumption of alcohol, processed ingredients, etc.
Cheers to 2022! May we drink avec each other soon.
*According to a 2021 study by Distill Ventures, 58% of the public has yet to hear about the Non-Alcoholic Category.
