Why we need a mindset shift

Speaker 1 1:13

Hello , hello and welcome to the Low no Drinker podcast , the only twice weekly podcast helping you find , understand and enjoy the world of low , no and light drinks , drinkers and drinking . My name is Denise Hamilton-Mace and I am the founder , editor and host of all things Low no Drinker . This week , I thought we should have a look at some of the mindset shifts that it could really benefit you to embrace when it comes to looking at low , no and light drinks . We all know that a journey to a life less intoxicated isn't just about making one singular decision and then everything comes good the way we want it to . It is a process that happens over days , weeks , months and years , and we've all got different end goals . Some of us might want full sobriety , some people want to become mindful drinkers , some people just want to be able to drink a little bit less when they go out , and other people just want to know that they've got an option for that odd working lunch that they have to do . So whatever your reasons are , they are all valid reasons , but I think that there is a lot that can get in the way of allowing those reasons to just be enough , and we sometimes feel that we've got to justify things a little bit further . We've got to come up with excuses , and that's partially the fault of people like me in the social media sphere that come up with articles and Instagram posts saying things like 10 excuses for when you feel like drinking less . You don't need an excuse , you just tell people I don't want to drink , and if they don't get it , they can bugger off . I know , I know it can be easier said than done for some people , but that is why I think that looking at some of these mindset shifts might be a real game changer for you when it comes to appreciating the world of low and low and light drinks and then incorporating them into the way that you want to live Now .

Speaker 1 3:12

When I started putting this episode together , when I started typing out a few ideas , there were just one or two , and now it's turned into a rather long list . But , as has always been my promise with these episodes to keep them slightly shorter than the interview episodes what I thought I might do is possibly turn this into a two-part series for you , so we'll get started now . We'll see how far down we get through the list , but , as I said , there are quite a few of them . So let's see what we get through today , and then I might turn this into a part one and part two for you . Okay , so are you ready to go

Shift 1 - It's not a real drink

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Speaker 1 3:49

The first mindset shift that we need to have a look at and I think that this is one of the biggest and most important , which is why it's number one on the list is that it is not a real drink if there is no alcohol , and the shift that needs to take place there is that a good drink is about flavor . It's not about ABV . Okay , so the alcohol content of a drink is not what defines what makes it special . That is flavor and mouthfeel and temperature and aroma and experience and the way it looks and the way it makes you feel . It's about the ingredients that are in the drink and producers and bartenders using premium ingredients that can actually make a drink shine , with or without alcohol . If a drink makes you pause and sip and you know that thing that you do when you raise an eyebrow and you go , okay , that's quite nice , that's a proper drink . It is not the ABV count of your drink that makes it a proper drink . Okay , got it . Okay .

Shift 2 - I know what I like

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Mindset shift number two almost said the wrong thing . There is I know what I like , you know , I know what I'm used to which needs to shift to . I'm allowed to rediscover my tastes .

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I've done an episode for you on taste buds and how our taste buds change when we start looking at the way we drink and reducing our alcohol content . Part of that whole journey is taking you from what you used to like , or what you do still currently like , to what you could be liking in the future . Many of us and I know I used to do this all the time is to default to the same drink when we're out , without actually giving it much thought and actually really paying attention to how it tastes wine , whether it was my go-to cocktails , which was either a margarita or an old fashioned , or , you know , I even had my go-to I'm drunk drinks that I knew that would be easier for me to drink if I was already pissed because there wasn't so much in it and I wouldn't spill it all over the place . So you know it's a lot of habit in the way that we used to drink and when we start looking at new ways to drink , you've got a whole new world of taste to explore . In my episode about how our taste buds change . I talk about the fact that alcohol does numb the taste buds , just like smoking numbs our taste buds , and actually when you start removing alcohol , you open your mouth up to a whole new world of taste sensations . And so that mindset shift from I already know what I like to actually it's time to rediscover new flavors that I might like helps you open up the world of low-no drinks to things that you may never , ever have considered before , because I know that the way that I drink and the things that I enjoy have changed a lot , and I speak to a lot of people who have said things . Like you know , I never used to drink lager , for example , when I was drinking full strength , but now that I'm drinking alcohol free , I really enjoy drinking alcohol free beers . So it changes and that experimentation is half the fun ,

Shift 3 - Perfect swaps

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right . Mindset shift number three and this is a really important one , so I would love for you to just pay extra attention here and that is the shift from thinking that it has to be a perfect like-for-like swap to understanding that it just has to be satisfying , it just has to be something that you enjoy .

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Expecting to find exact replicas for your previous full strength favorites is a recipe for disappointment . That is not to say that you can't find alcohol-free drinks out there that can have amazing taste experiences . But when you are removing a large chunk of the drink the alcohol content whether you're removing it through de-alcoholization or you're just not putting it in the first place you are not only removing anywhere from four or five percent of the drink if it's a beer , to 14 if it's a wine , to 40 of the drink if it's a spirit , but you're also removing one of the components that carries flavors and changes the very makeup of the drink . So it is unlikely that you are going to find something that tastes exactly like your previous favorite drinks . But that's okay as long as you can find something that you enjoy . It is so much better when you start to judge low-no and light drinks on their own merits for what they are providing you , and not when you compare them to their full strength counterparts . When you're looking for pleasure in the experience rather than perfection , then you get to find a whole world of new drinks to enjoy . Some alcohol-free drinks offer entirely , entirely new and different flavor experiences . I know I have drunk more wide and varied drinks since I've started this path of drinking than I ever did before , because there's so much more to experiment with out there . So it's so important that we stop expecting it to be a perfect swap and just start expecting it to be a damn tasty drink .

Shift 4 - Soft drinks are for kids

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Mindset shift number four and this one . I think the wording of this one is sensitive , and that is that your preconceived idea that soft drinks are for kids . So the thought that a drink that doesn't have alcohol in it is automatically a soft drink and therefore it's for kids is something we need to shift to thinking of . Low . No drinks as an adult upgrade , grown-up soft drinks exist that have complex and sophisticated flavor profiles . We're talking botanicals and bitters and fermented bases and subtle sweetnesses and complexity and layers of flavor and balance . We're talking about drinks that are specifically crafted for adult palates . These are not drinks I've got a five and a seven year old and these are not drinks that they would enjoy . I wouldn't give them to them because it would just be a waste . These are not drinks for children . You know children like squashes and juices and one-dimensional flavors that are the same every time , that don't have long finishes , that don't have depth , that don't have complexity , that don't have mouthfeel . You know they just want to be able to chug something sweet and juicy and call it a day . But the premium ingredients and the premium craftsmanship in adult soft non-alcoholic drinks are decidedly non-childlike and I give you my word on that .

Shift 5 - I'll just grab whatever's available

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Mindset shift number five is I'll just grab whatever's available to . I deserve to be picky . You've made the decision to drink less . You deserve to be rewarded for putting yourself first . Whether or not you are doing this for an evening , a weekend , a dry month challenge , a one year no beer challenge , whatever it is , it doesn't matter . But just because you've decided that you want to drink less alcohol doesn't mean that you should just be saddled with whatever is available . It is no longer acceptable and okay to just be saddled with a pint of Coke in a dirty glass . It's no longer acceptable to just be given a lime and soda in a plastic cup with a straw . Don't give me an umbrella and tell me that it makes it fancy , because it doesn't . I want a proper menu with considered drinks and I want nice glassware and I want decent ice and I want a smile when you serve it . And just because my drink doesn't have alcohol in it doesn't mean that I don't get to be just as catered for and as cared for as everybody else .

Shift 6 - Drinking to impress

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Mindset shift number six , and this is more about your the way that we socialize with these drinks and shifting your perspective from this drink has to impress everyone . I have to order the coolest drink . I have to be the person that drinks old fashions or orders martinis to . This . Just has to be a drink that pleases me .

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Not everyone that you socialize with is going to understand your drink choices and I know I said earlier on you know , oh , bugger them , it doesn't matter . But I understand . I do understand that for some people that's a really important element . But it's important that you understand that not everybody is going to get it and that that's okay . You don't need everybody to understand why you're choosing to drink less . You just need them to respect your choice and if they don't respect your choice , that's when they can bugger off . But you don't need to justify yourself and you also don't need to convert others to your way of doing things . You know it's not your job on a night out to get all of your friends to drink your alcohol-free mojito and decide to come and join you on the sober train . That's not what this is about . This is about doing what's best for you , and they've got to do what's best for them . So it doesn't matter if it's the coolest drink in the room , as long as it's the best drink for you .

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I spoke to somebody on the podcast , one of the founders that I interviewed . It was the lovely Amanda Thompson from Naughty Alcohol-Free Wines , which is one of the biggest , most successful alcohol-free wine brands in the UK and in the US , and at the end of every episode , as you'll know , I ask people what they like to drink other than their own drinks . If they were at a barbecue , what would they bring with them ? And Amanda said very unapologetically she said you know what , whilst I do like the odd alcohol free drink . I really like sparkling water when it's a hot sunny day . So I'd like a really nice , really tasty sparkling water , and that's fine because that's what works for her . Now , for me , I don't personally like sparkling waters . They taste weird and I don't get them . But it's what works for her and she has every right to choose that , without trying to justify to me or to anybody else what it is that she'd like to have , and the same applies to you . This is a personal choice , it's not a performance . It doesn't matter what everybody else thinks .

Shift 7 - Ritual behaviour

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Okay , mindset shift . Number seven we are flying through these , aren't we ? Number seven is taking us from a place of feeling that drinking low-no means that we're missing out on the ritual to and this is important I can still have the ritual , I'm just changing the drink . This is so important . A lot of the way that we drink is about ritual . It's about how we mark occasions . It's about how we celebrate , how we commiserate . We drink certain things at certain times . We only have Pimms in summertime . We only have Baileys at Christmas time . All of these things are rituals and these rituals are based on the actions that we take . It's not about the ABV of the drink in your glass whilst you're taking that action .

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So whether your ritual is around a seasonal occasion , like I've just mentioned , whether it is your end of the workday ritual , whether it is're meeting up with the girls or the guys on the weekend ritual , you can still keep all of those . You're just changing the drink that you have inside . You're just tweaking it slightly . You can still grab yourself a really nice glass . You can still make sure your drink is chilled the way that it should be , the way that the producers advise Make sure that it's got the right garnish in it , make sure you've got good ice in it , make sure that you've got drinks that you actually enjoy or that you're really excited to try , pour it and let it sit to where it's supposed to be . Give it that time , give it that care , give it that attention that it deserves , and you'll soon find that your brain is still associating that ritual with that feeling and you are not missing out on anything at all .

Shift 8 - Bland & unsophisticated

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Mindset shift number eight drinking low no means drinking dry , bland or sweet drinks . To drinking low-no can be as sophisticated as I want it to be . There are so many drinks , there are so many different types of drinks for different types of drinkers and different types of occasions . It is no longer a valid , viable excuse to say that low-no drinks are boring , because there's no way you could have tried them all to know that low-note drinks are boring , because there's just there's no way you could have tried them all to know that we've got today drinks that are sweet , that are sour , that are bitter , that are savory , spiced , herbal , smoky , layered , complex , herbaceous , botanical . There's just so many different types of drinks out there and you can make or order a drink to be as sophisticated and layered as you want it to be . It's really , really important that , when it comes to low no drinking , that we don't let past disappointments sully future drinking experiences .

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You may well have tried an alcohol free , non-alcoholic , low alcohol whatever term you want to use drink in the past that you didn't enjoy . I have . I've tasted loads that I don't like , but the category is growing and evolving daily . There are so many drinks out there and just because you've tried one that you don't like it doesn't mean that you won't like anything else . I often say it's like going to a restaurant and ordering yourself your favorite meal . So you know you're heading out and you've ordered yourself a burger for argument's sake and you get the burger and it's crap and you don't like it . The bread's a bit hard , the burger's a bit dry , the lettuce is all limp . Do you then turn around and say , well , I've had one burger , never having another one ever again . They're all terrible . Or do you say , hmm , didn't like that burger there . Maybe next week I'll try a burger in a different place or I'll try a different dish . You know there are options and we're so , so very lucky to be living in a time where we get to enjoy these options and can have them be , as I said , as sophisticated and adult as we want them to be .

Shift 9 - They don't pair with food

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Speaking of food , the last mindset shift that I want to leave you with today is the shift from thinking that only alcoholic drinks compare well with food to understanding that low-no options can create amazing , amazing food pairings . To stick and adhere to centuries of tradition about how something should taste , and instead they can be created and crafted with food in mind . There are so many amazing brand founders that I've spoken to on this very podcast to whom food is an integral part of what they're doing and what they're trying to create , because they want to create drinks and these aren't just wine style drinks as well . These are other types of drinks that can pair well with food and help to expand your social experiences . Remember , all of these founders are people just like you who are wanting to have great nights out , great lunches , great meals , but just want to have something that they can drink with it that's not going to get them intoxicated . There are some loaner options out there that enhance the flavors of food that pair perfectly with your whitefish , with your red beet , with your Mediterranean vegetables with whatever it is that you enjoy .

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Eating Less alcohol means that there is more ability for these subtle flavors to come through in your food and your drink and to work really well together . So actually removing the alcohol from a drink means that you can find drinks that pair even better with food After years and years of working in hospitality and working in restaurants and events . Actually , the alcohol content of wine can impair your enjoyment of food if you don't get it just right , whereas with low and no and even light alcohol drinks , there is more room for you to explore the pairings and combinations that can work really well together . And there are some producers out there who are using incredible ingredients to create these drinks , using things from various teas to stewed cherries to dried fruits . There's just so many amazing ingredients going into so many wonderful drinks that the idea that you can't find anything that pairs with food is is . It's crazy , because these drinks are the perfect accompaniment to you being able to enjoy an evening and , better still , you're not going to end the night completely devoid of all the flavor that you had before because you've forgotten all about it , because you had a few too many uh digestifs afterwards . So you know there's a wonderful opportunity for adventurous pairings that allow everybody to enjoy the way that food and drink can come together when you're looking at low no and light drinks .

Food pairings in Low No Drinker Magazine

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Speaking of which , if you are looking for some more advice and guidance on pairing different types of foods with different types of low no drinks , I have an amazing regular column inside low no drinker magazine written by Billy Wright . Billy is the founder of 10% spirit brand Desem and he's also a master chef finalist , and when we met , we spoke a couple of years ago , we met in person , person and then , about a year or so ago , he was on the Lono Drinker podcast talking about his brand . And then , a few months after that , I had to reach out with the request that if he would ever be interested in writing for the magazine about some of those food and drink pairings , and I'm so pleased to say that he said yes , he's done some fantastic stuff for us . And the last issue it was all about birthdays , because it was Lono Drinker's second birthday .

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If you would like to check out his article , either his last one or any of his previous , then you can do so by subscribing now to Lono Drinker magazine . If you go for a digital subscription , you can see every single issue that's ever been published online . All you've got to do is go to lonodrinkermagazinecom , forward , slash , subscribe and you can start that subscription for free , with a seven day free trial , and still have access to every single issue ever published . That is it for me for this week . I will come back with the second half of this mindset shift list . Had to be really careful how I said that . But until next time , my dear cheers to a life less intoxicated .