Dry January. Are you doing it? I am.
Admittedly it may seem a little odd that a blogger who writes about the joys and enjoyment created by fantastically crafted cocktails should talk about abstaining for 31 days. And no, I haven’t gone off cocktails. I’m looking forward to restarting in February – slowly probably.
Why do it?
It’s difficult to write this entry without sounding ‘preachy.’ You will do what you feel is right for you. For me and BECAUSE I enjoy alcohol – that is a reason to ‘test’ myself and ‘prove’ to myself that I’m not dependent on it. That I don’t have a problem relationship with alcohol. I did it last year for the first time. During that time, I think I had a couple of low-alcohol or alcohol-free beers but it still amounted to less than 1 unit. For you, I can’t speculate but it’s fun doing some different things in January. I like the contrast with all the indulgence of December and particularly Christmas. I drink more in December than any other month as I’m sure many of us do, around the same as I do in the preceding 2 months. So I like to swing the pendulum back the other way in January. It’s also a good month to do some winter walks – wrapped up warm – when again December is all about staying in and socialising. So January can be about many things – other than simply not drinking.
Counting units
I started counting units back in June 2011, about 18 months after I set up the cocktail business. It was a Wednesday evening and I’d been experimenting with some cocktails. I worked out later that I’d had 11 units that evening. I decided that although I wasn’t going to stop drinking alcohol, I did at least want to keep an eye on it. So I have. Ever since. I have many rules for myself that should all ensure I don’t let it become a problem.
I don’t tend to drink during the week. Again, I’m not too hard on this. On the rare occasions I’m out with friends having a meal on a ‘school night’ I will likely have a glass of red or a beer. So I’m flexible. I also play sport so I don’t drink on a night when I’m playing sport.
Friday and Saturday nights tend to be my nights when I’ll make up some cocktails. And I enjoy them! I also look forward to relaxing with a cocktail on those 2 nights of the week. So it keeps drinking special. If I poured myself one, two or three of an evening – every day, it would stop being special. It’s nice to have things to look forward to.
Medical benefits
We’re all aware of the benefits of cutting down our alcohol consumption, so I’m not even going to follow that path. I’m not intending to become preachy or evangelical. There was a quote I heard many years ago which I thought was attributed to Michael Caine. But I’ve looked for it since and can’t find it, so maybe it wasn’t. He was asked by the interviewer “how come you’ve never become an alcoholic with the type of glamourous life you lead, with constant access to alcohol?” I’ve paraphrased that but I’m sure you get the gist. The reply was that “I’ve never let alcohol rule my life because I don’t want a doctor to be able to say to me that I can never drink again.” I like that angle.
Counting units
There are many sites where you can read up on what constitutes a unit. There are even apps which do it. All you really need to know is the volume you’ve consumed and the alcoholic content in %.
The rule of thumb for spirits is that 25ml @ 40% ABV = 1 unit
If you measure what you pour into your glass or you’re buying it in a bar, it’s pretty straightforward. There are other times I find when it is devilishly difficult. Being at dinner or a party where the host keeps topping up your wine glass is an example.
Club Soda
Club Soda is an organisation who help people who want to change their drinking habits. And based on the stuff I’ve heard and read about them, I’m quite impressed so far. I’d like to do more research on this. You can find out more by visiting the Club Soda website
Mocktails
There are also a range of great mocktails available too – if you still want the glamour, exoticism or just plain ol’ change. Must admit I’m not making these this month but I did stock up on non-alcoholic beers and cans of fizz in December. Keep them in your garage (if you have one.) It acts as a great fridge. Drinks are beautifully chilled at this time of year. There aren’t many benefits to January weather but that is one!
An in-house creation the China Blue is a bit of bright coloured fun. Click on the link to find out more. I merely took the old 80s classic the Blue Lagoon and replaced the vodka with Rubicon lychee juice. It works well.