Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
**A Spotify 'Rising Star' show** Practical moderation for the way you want to live.
Why can't I drink like I used to? How do I drink less without quitting completely? Should I go for low, no or light alcohol drinks? Why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much?
If you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond and asking these questions, this is your podcast.
Welcome to the essential show for midlife adults who want to drink less, on their own terms—without the pressure to quit completely, follow rigid rules, or label themselves as sober.
I'm Denise Hamilton-Mace, your mindful drinking mentor, writer and public speaker on all things low, no and light. Each week, I help stressed parents and busy midlife adults navigate their relationship with alcohol through practical approaches grounded in real-world experience and behaviour change strategy, not willpower or wellness culture
What you'll get:
Mindful Moderation Solo Episodes – Deep-dives answering the questions that matter to sophisticated drinkers who want to moderate smartly:
- How do I cut back when my partner still drinks at home?
- What really works: willpower vs. strategy?
- Why do premium alcohol-free drinks cost the same as full-strength versions?
- How do I navigate social situations when I'm the only one moderating?
This podcast is for you if:
- You're looking for practical advice that fits your demanding life, not another wellness overhaul
- You recognise that coasting with mid-strength drinks, zebra-striping, or bookending your evening with something non-alcoholic are all valid strategies
- You want better mornings without giving up celebrating life's special moments
This isn't about going completely dry or reinventing yourself. It's about keeping energy for what matters most: family, health, career, and living life on your own terms.
Join the moderation revolution happening in midlife – because while Gen Z gets the headlines, you're the one actually doing it.
Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
#60. What Are Alcohol-Free RTDs? (& Where Can I Find Them?)
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In this FAQ episode, we cover:
0:21 What are RTDs?
2:19 Modern convenience
4:14 RTD brand recommendations
5:54 Always check the label
6:50 Where to find them
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Best episode to listen to next:
#29 The rise and rise of Mocktails with Pooja Sharma-Jones
#44 Wholefoods to Harrods - & - creating diversity in non-alc cocktails
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Also mentioned:
Ish*
Myth*
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✅ Get the Beginner's Guide to Mindful Drinking - https://lownodrinker.com/mindful-drinking-beginners-guide/
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❓ Take the Midlife Drinking Triggers Quiz - https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/68dd33385bb4a20015996a13
Hello and welcome to Low no Drinker FAQ , a weekly look at the world of low no and light drinks , drinkers and drinking , where , each week , I'll help you find , understand and enjoy the amazing drinks that allow us all to live a life less intoxicated . I'm Denise Hamilton-Mace and I'm the founder , editor and host of all things Low no Drinker
What are RTDs?
Speaker 0this week's FAQ . What are RTDs ? Okay , so RTD is a term that we use in the drinks industry , whether it's full strength drinks or alcohol free drinks . That , I think , is one of those terms that professionals use and assume that everybody knows what it means , but I've recently realized that a lot of people do not , including a member of my own team who , when she came on board to start working with me on the magazine , had never heard the phrase RTD before and just looked at me blankly when I said it to her . So RTD stands for ready to drink and it simply refers to drinks that have been pre-mixed and pre-made and then bottled or canned for you to enjoy on the go . They are exploding in popularity at the moment and I'm not surprised really , because even if you pop into your sort of local I don't know Marks and Spencers at a train station you'll see shelves and shelves of ready-to-drink alcoholic drinks and cocktails like your Jack Daniels and Cokes and your Smirnoff Vodka and Coke and they're getting really popular at the moment for people that want to grab a drink to have on the train , on the way to somewhere or whatever it is that you're doing . So it's little wonder that the alcohol-free versions are getting just as popular as well , and they are really convenient . They are really portable . They're easy for you to have portion control , so you know how much you want to have and how many drinks you're going to have .
Speaker 0I interviewed Pooja Sharma-Jones recently on the podcast actually quite a few weeks back now and she is the CMO for Mocktails , who are one of the leading ready-to-drink cocktail brands in the alcohol-free space , and she's got a really cute way of referring to them . She calls them pop and pour drinks , because you do you just pop them open and you don't even have to pour them out . You can just drink straight from the can or straight from the bottle , but you can
Modern convenience
Speaker 0pour these drinks out and they can make for a really nice way to enjoy an evening , because if you grab yourself a really nice glass and you get yourself some good quality ice and , yes , the quality of ice that you use does matter . When you're making your drink you want to use large , chunky ice rather than small little bits of it . Um , but you know , you pour that into a nice glass , you get yourself a nice garnish , you know a bit of mint if you're having a mojito , a nice lime wedge if you're having a G&T , and you can make yourself a really nice drinking experience . In fact , mocktails the brand I was just talking about their cans , their RTD cans , come with a widget inside so you can actually shake the can and sort of wake up the drink and make it really lively . And when you pour out say , their espresso martini into a lovely martini glass , you get that thick , white , creamy head that you get when you get a cocktail from the bar . So you can really have a nice adult , enjoyable experience with these drinks . But it's just so much easier .
Speaker 0In a previous life , many , many moons ago , in the start of my hospitality career , I did work as a cocktail bartender for some years and don't get me wrong absolutely loved slinging cocktails behind the bar , as the kids would say . It was a vibe and I had a wealth of drinks in my head and recipes that I could just create at the drop of a hat . But that was a very long time ago in my early 20s , but that was a very long time ago in my early twenties . Now , as a 45 year old mother to a five and a seven year old , I can't think of anything more annoying than having to go and make my own cocktails . You know , having to get all the right ingredients in , pour them out in the right measurements , get your eyes , shake it up , pour your drink . Then you clean up after yourself , go and sit down and enjoy it and , yes , it's going to taste fantastic . But then , if I want another one , I've got to get up and do it all over again and I just can't be bothered . So these drinks , these ready-to-drinks , these pop and pour cans and bottles make life so much
RTD brand recommendations
Speaker 0easier .
Speaker 0So there's quite a few brands that are doing this at the moment and there's a lot of brands in the low-no and light space who are only making RTD drinks . So I mentioned mocktails already . There's also a brand called Savile , who I interviewed their founder , avnish , on the podcast a few episodes ago and I will Link to those episodes in the show notes for you below , so if you want to go and check them out . You can do . There's other brands like Hyball and Ish I-S-H , who are dedicated producers of alcohol-free ready-to-drink cocktails , and Liars , who are adding RTD versions of their big bottle drinks to their offering so that you can go and enjoy their drinks the way that they think they taste best . So that's Caleño and Liars are two that I've mentioned . Also , brands like Myth , who have won sort of every award , going and Pentire .
Speaker 0So there's a lot of brands out there who are recognizing that , particularly in the low , no and light space , where people might be new to it and not sure how to mix these drinks because higher . So there's a lot of brands out there who are recognizing that , particularly in the low , no and light space , where people might be new to it and not sure how to mix these drinks because alcohol free spirits do mix differently than full alcohol drinks . So they're going right . Well , let's do this for you , let's make it easier for you . And wherever you're going , whether it's to a barbecue , whether it's to a picnic , whether it's to a house party , whether it's to a barbecue , whether it's to a picnic , whether it's to a house party Do people still go to house parties ? I don't know I don't , but you might , and if you are going , these make it so much easier for you to know that you're going to have something that's really tasty , really adult and that you can really
Always check the label
Speaker 0enjoy .
Speaker 0Now , as with anything that is produced in the food and beverage space for quick and easy consumption , my advice would always be to check the ingredients labels and make sure you're happy with the ingredients in there . The good thing about the low , no and light space is that the majority of producers recognize that most people , or a lot of people , I should say , who are coming to the low , no and light space are doing it because they're trying to make healthier choices for themselves , and so , therefore , producers are really priding themselves on only using the best quality ingredients . They're staying away from all the E numbers and all the other nasties and all the man-made sugars and alternatives and things like that , to make sure that these drinks can be as healthy as possible for you . So , generally in the low no and light space , I think you'll find that the ingredients on most RTD drinks are positive and you'll be happy with them , but obviously always check that list for yourself first
Where to find them
Speaker 0. So where do you find these drinks ? Well , some of these brands are doing really well and making it into our supermarkets . Saville have recently launched into Sainsbury's and I think they're also available in Whole Foods . But supermarkets only tell part of the story because most independent alcohol-free brands can't get into the supermarkets because it just costs too much money . That might be a topic for another episode .
Speaker 0So the best place to find these drinks are in the dedicated online retailers that are popping up that are specifically stocking low , no and light drinks for people who are on a mindful or sober , curious or alcohol free drinking journey . I have created a guide which is available for free for you to download from the website . It is the Lone no Drinker New Citizen Quick Start Resource Guide and in it one of the guides . It's got several guides in there and one of those is a guide to some online retailers that you can use here in the UK . Plus there's some advice on some places to look worldwide as well , but mostly here in the UK , and in it I've included a couple of exclusive low no drinker discount codes so that you can go to these online stores and you can go and find some of these RTD cocktails and give them a try , because they are truly a great way for you to dip your toes into the low , no light alcohol space and go and try a mixed pack of , you know , a brand's selection of alcohol-free cocktails in a can or in a bottle , so you can try different things and different flavors and you go like , oh okay , that one's really nice .
Speaker 0I really like the Moscow Mule , but I don't like the Mojito or you know whatever it is , because they're covering all of these different classic cocktails , which is fun . So , whether you like drinking margaritas or spritzes , spritzes are super popular in the RTD space . Like I said , moscow mules , palomas , espresso martinis there's just so many of them out there that they are definitely worth a try . So , on that note , make sure you go to the website , download your free New Citizen Quick Start Guide at lonodrinkermagazinecom . Forward , slash free gifts and I will catch you next time .
