Sobriety, “Wine Moms”, Booze & Drinking Culture with Lucy Moon!

[@ReadingAce]

Heeey you're wearing the sweater! Good job!

[@morehannah]

Thanks ☺️

[@MsKHBJ]

That was the first thing I thought when I saw the thumbnail!

[@Tandarok]

Aww this brings me back to drunk advice... but sober. Love you guys together!

[@Tazziii]

Exactly what I was thinking! So wholesome.

[@lucymoon]

Thank you so much for having meeee 🫶

[@Wheeze_NL]

Hi, it's been so long since I've seen you around. Lovely to see you and Hannah chattering, feels like old times.

[@16ilovevampires]

I've never had alcohol, for various reasons, and the explaining gets SO EXHAUSTING. Like why do people care, it doesn't affect them in any way.

[@elena0351]

Fair, but I must say depending where you live etc it's just "shocking" to people in a way? Like at least where I live I don't know anyone who hasn't tried alcohol that isn't very religious. So I reckon if someone told me they never had alcohol, I would be suprised, just because it feels very inevidable to the place where I live

[@16ilovevampires]

@elena0351 Still, it's not anyone else's business.

[@BrassLock]

If it's that exhausting, why do you tell them? I don't drink alcohol because it's unhealthy and harms my brain (and many other organs). But I used to drink it from the days when I was in the Army, and "peer pressure" during the early 1960's felt insurmountable to my 19 year old mind. As an Officer Cadet at the School of Artillery, in Sydney, Australia, (Australia has a very strong intolerance to abstaining males), we were expected to drink in various "games" during formal dinners, where if a cadet made some social mistake, or failed to amuse their dinner-mates with an anecdote or joke, they were required to drink "three rounds of gunfire" in quick succession (usually shots of rum). I continued to consume alcohol in civilian life thereafter until I retired early at age 55, and eventually quit altogether. As an 80 year old, I never bother to give any explanation whatsoever to anyone about my non-drinking behavior, and either have a plain bottle of soda water, water in a glass of ice, or a cup of coffee. Stuff what people think, I don't bloody care. So I don't see why you bother to set yourself up by saying, "I've NEVER EVER had an alcoholic drink in my life!" (Boom! Boom! curiosity raised in the recipient's mind instantly responds with "Good God! Why didn't you EVER have a drink?") Just say, "No thanks, I don't drink alcohol (these days)." And simply leave it at that. Job Done 😊 No exhaustion.

[@huehnerfressenponies]

This was such a lovely video. I would watch you two chatting about anything for hours!

[@user-vq9lx6zq4k]

I don’t enjoy drinking and was looking for a new social lubricant, and I’ve found that board/card games are so good at that! They give you something to talk about when you can’t come up with anything, but you can still chat if you do!

[@roisinshaw3032]

ahh they’re the best!! totally agree. Anomia is one of my favourites for a quick-paced quick-to-learn game that fits easily in your bag

[@grainnegallagher676]

Love this as a sequel to Drunk Advice! Where Lucy's ep was "in the spirit of drunk" for the both of you then too

[@CorinneDemyanovich]

I basically never drink. Have only ever tried sips of things. I also find it hard to explain because I don’t have a reason outside of not being interested. 🤷‍♀️ I guess health is the reason, but it wasn’t super intentional.

[@ForTheLoveOfMusicals]

Yeah same. For me it’s mainly picky eating includes alcohol and that feels like a useless thing to learn to consume

[@erjusik]

Same

[@MustBeM]

I drink like once a month and truly no one asks?? I just order my drinks. On the rare occasion someone asks I just say I dont feel like it

[@Demi327SWS]

My ex used to simply say “i dont like the taste and it gives me headaches”

[@silvercookies]

If asked can say you don't care for alcohol or don't enjoy it.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

Loved this video! I love that this type of content is becoming more visible. I have never been interested in drinking and it does make one feel a bit like an oddity when alcohol is so omnipresent in people's minds.

[@emmacowley4701]

On finding community outside of a religious context but still getting a lot of the benefits like support and meaning-making in a community: Casper ter Kuile has an amazing book called The Power of Ritual which is all about fostering that connection through the secular things in our lives, he talks about viewing things like going to book clubs or group exercise classes or brunch with friends as "rituals" in our lives that can build that type of community that we are all missing since church/religion is no longer central to many people. I highly recommend!

[@cariiinen]

Love this! Thanks for sharing

[@MorganK4]

On the point about calorie labels - they're not actually very helpful on either alcohol or foods. Australia implemented calorie labels about a decade ago and it has changed nothing. Those things are useless if you don't know how many calories are healthy for you (which is very individual and not something that is easy to work out - more on that in a minute) and just makes it harder for people who are trying to recover from EDs. Besides which - the calorie as a measure was invented before we knew about the gut micro biome. We now know that there are microscopic animals living inside us that eat some of the food we eat! And everyone has a different set of species that are capable of evolving in different ways! We haven't known about this for long enough to know how it affects us completely but we know that it does affect us! There are so many variables at play that I'd argue that calorie as a measurement is no longer fit for purpose. If you want your population to be healthier you're way better off addressing labour rights (so people have the time to make their own food at home, have living wages that allows them to buy the right ingredients to make that food, and have time to be active), education (teaching kids how to cook meals in school so they have that basic knowledge set as an adult), housing (so everyone has access to a kitchen to cook said food in), and cost of the ingredient in the first place (making everyday food less expensive which is different to making sometimes food more expensive, which does absolutely nothing). Loved the video

[@JasmineStrongman]

I came over from Lucy’s community post, I really enjoyed this video! My husband is sober and I’m now pregnant with baby #2 I also breastfed my 1st till he was 19 months (now 26 months old) so I’ve gone a very long time without drinking. It’s been so eye opening for me. Naturally without having the company to drink which was always my husband the social aspect of drinking just isn’t present. Anytime I do drink now I find it makes me feel so unwell and I’m not willing to trade feeling sick with a toddler for a drink. I think wine mummy culture is such an issue in our society and quite recently panorama did a documentary on how alcohol related diseases have increased in woman - mostly due to binge drinking. The parameters for being an alcoholic have really changed from when I was younger in thinking it’s “the old man who need a whiskey in the morning to survive”. I really glad gen z is just n it as infatuated with drinking. My go to non alcoholic drink is the champagne from belle and co. I was served it in a fancy hotel in Ascot on my babymoon it’s under £5 on Ocado and is the most delicious fun drink. Will be trying some the recommendations on the video. Good luck with your fertility journey, this is my rainbow baby so there is a layer of feeling extra grateful.

[@Cat-sw3jn]

I absolutely loved Lucy's take, especially on drinking alone. Half the time when I drink, it'll be alone. On a quiet weekend night, I'll be watching telly or reading a book and having a glass of wine. I really love drinking alone. I also know that I don't have a problem with alcohol. I can (and I have just recently) stop drinking at any point in time for weeks on end. I often decide one day to the next to stop drinking for a while. And I'll stop for a couple of months. I won't really crave it. It won't bother me. I love an elderflower cordial mocktail if I want a fun drink or a Leffe 0% if I feel like having a "wine down" drink after a long day.

[@laulau194]

Interesting to get the perspective of people who have been more involved in drinking culture - as a never drinker my experience is defintely different.

[@lolosrainydays]

Me too!

[@kristiedeaver]

I'm new to the non-alcoholic world. I stopped drinking because it mixes badly with my migraine medication. Thanks for the recommendations!!!!

[@aerynfletcher6690]

0:56 there’s a couple of differences between lager and IPAs so here’s a couple: -Lager is brewed at colder temperatures and also for longer -With ale you use top fermenting yeast and Lager you use bottom fermenting yeast (This gives the lager the crisp and clean taste) -IPAs are usually higher ABV (from around 4% up to 14% and sometimes higher) vs Lager (which are usually below 6%) -Lager comes from Germany and IPAs were to a British export to India (which is why India Pale Ale) There’s more differences but those are some of the basics 😊

[@jenniferchristian8115]

This is such a good video! This is my first sober Christmas so I can’t wait to try many of these!

[@abbyburns3127]

As someone who didn't drink from 19 onward due to chronic illness/disability, it has got so much easier to be out and about without getting "why don't you drink?!" now that I am in my mid 30's. I've been at the odd wedding or two where the bartender can only come up with Sprite to offer me--at one he wouldn't give me a tonic water and lime even though they were making gin and tonics to order, which felt like a weird choice on his part--but the availability of non-alcoholic options has also improved so much over the years. I am excited to try some of these!

[@maggiebookworm]

Oh man your KZbin drinking stories take me back to being 18 in London on my year abroad and learning to drink. I dont drink much now and i like it that way but those were good times

[@fotographiefraeulein]

haha, same

[@emmetf.cameron1712]

Re: AA, I fully agree that it has helped so many people, including loved ones of mine & given them the opportunity to help others as well which is amazing & I would never want to take that away from them - but I think it’s also important to be aware that it has genuinely harmed people as well, not just in the sense of being “not for everybody”. The structure & lack of oversight makes it unfortunately an easy situation for people with bad intentions to exploit others, particularly the newly sober. I really recommend the documentary “the 13th step” which talks about abuse within AA. Very important for people who may be turning to a 12 step program in a very vulnerable time to be aware of red flags to watch out for.

[@kate4781]

I've never been much of a drinker, but now don't drink because of a chronic illness. When people ask if I am drinking, I'll usually answer "I'm not drinking [today/tonight/this weekend]" and people tend to just say, "oh, okay". People rarely ask me why. If they do, I just say health reasons, but generally it isn't anyone's business why I am not consuming alcohol. I know there are some exceptions, of course, but I don't think there needs to be an explanation most times.

[@ellenkarlsson9490]

When I grew up, I thought that there were only 3 reasons for adults to not drink: 1. they're driving, 2. they're pregnant/breastfeeding, 3. they're sober alcoholics. Of course, 2 and 3 you don't want to ask about because it would be really awkward to force that information out of them if they didn't volunteer it themselves. Now that I'm an adult I know that's not true at all. Funny thing is that one of my parents' best friends is sober and I never even noticed until my mom pointed it out to me.

[@kate4781]

@ellenkarlsson9490 I was raised in a part of the US that had a lot of Christians of denominations that thought drinking (alcohol) was wrong; communion/the Lords Supper used grape juice even for adults. Technically, I was raised in that too, but my parents were a bit more relaxed about the idea of adults drinking alcohol than many of my peers. My parents didn't drink, only picking it up on rare occasions after their children were nearly adults. Alcohol just wasn't part of family gatherings on either side of my family, and only one side of my family had hosts that thought drinking was always wrong. Obviously, I saw people drinking in the community, and there was peer pressure to drink at school, but I never was taught or shown that adults drink alcohol unless they have a reason not to. I know now that this upbringing is not normal either in the US or the UK (where I live now), but it did leave me with the strong feeling that people should opt in to drinking alcohol rather than needing to opt out and explain why.

[@IceNixie0102]

I really wish there were nutrition facts on alcohol. As an T1Diabetic, the carb count is needed before I eat/drink ANYTHING. I'm good at guesstimating, but actually seeing the info would be so helpful.

[@ellenkarlsson9490]

I'm alcohol intolerant and have never been able to enjoy alcohol. I get the "instant hangover" with headache, nausea and blood pressure drop. I really, really enjoy the non-alcoholic drinks boom we've been seeing in the last few years. It makes it easier and more socially acceptable to not drink. And non-alcoholic alcohol are fun and have interesting flavor profiles! One of my favorites is Nozeco Peach Bellini, I also enjoy all the spritzes and ciders. I'm going to the liquor store to load up for Christmas tomorrow! 🍹🍾🍷🍸🍺

[@colineleroux2873]

I've been sober my entire life, cause I've never enjoyed the taste of any kind of alcoholic beverage, and felt confident enough in myself to have a good time and be myself at social events without drinking. And I very much join you Hannah on having to get a "legitimate" answer to the "why are you not drinking ?". I felt people were the most judgmental during my uni time, where everyone would get hammered and I was the weird sober one ; people outside my friendship group (especially the "cool kids") would really insist on trying to understand why and having me drink nonetheless. But I felt lately (and I dunno if it is because approching the 30s, or society as a whole being fine with it now) that there is way less judgment about it. A few times I refused shots from people I didn't know, and as soon as I said "nah I'm just not into it" they immediately dropped it and moved on, which I very much appreciate. Every now and then people around me ask "but don't you feel like you're missing on that one universal experience, don't you regret never having been drunk or even tipsy ?". And part of me is a bit curious, but the taste is just a no go for me, and I can't be arsed to force this upon myself just to experience being drunk once. Maybe one day I'll have very good cocktails sweet enough to hide the alcohol taste, and that will be my way in. Anyway, very interesting video, thank you !

[@maeanden]

I feel this very much. I am actually a bit curious in a self-exploration/scientific way but the taste is just really a no. (Scientific as in I would like to set up a camera and film myself drunk once, to be able to experience myself from the outside drunk once :D) I guess by now it is also a control thing, having a substance alter myself feels weird, so that also doesn’t incentive me to actually try more alcohol to find sth I actually like

[@franny5156]

I'm in uni now and I also think people are less judgy now than when I was a teen. I also know quite a few people who don't drink a lot and don't care for the taste

[@milikoshki]

I was also a non drinker through uni and it was very character building! I felt uncool at the time, but looking back I think it's a pretty bamf move that I stuck to my guns on such a peer pressure-y topic. I also definitely feel it's waaaaay easier to be a non drinker now, in my 30s, and in this cultural "moment" where so many more people are rethinking their habits around alcohol.

[@colineleroux2873]

@@maeanden 300% me 😂😂

[@ellenkarlsson9490]

Why do we have to give a "legitimate" answer? Isn't "I don't want to" or "I don't enjoy it" enough? Where I live the legal alcohol limit for driving is really low so if you don't drink people just assume that you'll be driving. Also, if you tell people you'll be driving they won't question it. I'm alcohol intolerant and I have the exact same experiences as you. I think it's a combination of society shifting away from drinking being the norm and people being more open and accepting as they get older. Awareness of alcoholism and drinking problems is another aspect of it, I think. I had a friend in high school who got really pissed off when I didn't drink and on multiple occasions told me I wasn't welcome if I didn't drink. One time she even screamed at me to leave a friend's party because I refused to drink. That "friend" later developed an alcohol problem.

[@sleepbeehollow]

This was such a lovely conversation to see. I’m 24 and don’t drink and have never been a heavy drinker but most of my family are addicts and I was allowed to/encouraged/ forced to drink when I was young like from being a toddler all the way through high school. Mind you I’m in the U.S.

[@erica8645]

tonic and lime is without question the best sober drink. It's juuuust bitter enough to not be pop but not gross either. Yum yum

[@imtheawkbird]

I love tonic with a splash of bitters!! Sooo good

[@Merve77772]

I never understood why people even ask why others do not drink. Who cares? I sometimes drink and sometimes do not feel like it so I started asking why they are drinking. People usually don't have a proper answer and realise what a "stupid" question this is

[@kso4104]

love this convo! i decided to be sober in june because of headaches after 1 drink and it’s been the best choice! my drink of choice is a sprite and then recently the new cranberry sprite! also love the NA white claw and i’ll try NA beer but not usually my vibe. sending you baby vibes hannah!

[@sunsets.starlight]

This is lovely! I've been alcohol free since June 2019. I found out l had endometriosis and a few months later discovered what an impact alcohol has on inflammation for me. I decided it wasn't worth it so that was that.

[@katherinetrott79]

Loved this! Great chill chats between friends with an interesting topic ❤

[@ritchaye]

my two favs back together! This is the first year in my life where I've been mostly sober and will be spending most of this holiday period sober too, so double win on this watch for me! Happy holidays, lovely ladies x

[@manoune78orange]

Grew up with alcoholic parents and it made me deeply disgusted by even just the smell of alcohol so never even tasted it. I never had a Christmas where my family doesn't end up completely drunk and either angry or depressed... I also grew up in France where the drinking culture is pretty ubiquitous and aggressive. Thankfully from high school up, people got less annoying about me not drinking/I found my people. Thanks for tackling this topic!

[@GizmoAndKiwi]

I'm so sorry you had to live through that. I hope you had a nice Christmas and better experiences now!

[@cn7228]

43:07 love that Hannah reinvented the serenity prayer here 😂

[@1991KFL]

Soft drink which feels like an aperitif - crodino spritz. My fave as a bitter drinks fan

[@lucymoon]

Love a Crodino!

[@roisinshaw3032]

Crodino is soooo good!

[@rribbonss]

Hannah! if you don't like tea because you find it bitter, you should try tisanes/herbal teas but ALSO make sure to brew your tea at the best temperature for the type of tea. True teas tend to get bitter if heated above 80 degrees. I love rooibos because it's a herbal tea you can heat it to whatever temperature pretty much & it never gets bitter. Although I've heard a lot of people outside of South Africa find it bitter so maybe the rooibos there has something wrong with it lol. There's niche brands like Babylonstoren if u really wanna try the good stuff, I find theirs to be much lighter in flavour compared to normal, I prefer the normal (like freshpak) but maybe the lighter flavour is a better introduction when you haven't been drinking it your whole life. I am very averse to bitter flavours and also have quite a sweet tooth, but I love "tea" I just never drink true teas which luckily is very normal in ZA.

[@heidijoheard9705]

Your wearing the jumper! ❤

[@adrenalinjunkie9682]

Non alcoholic drinks always make me tipsy! I think I'm just the most suggestible person on the planet 😅

[@morehannah]

Hahaha same though!!

[@lylukk]

i feel like i get tipsy hanging out with drinkers lmao i get way chattier and get more relaxed when other people are drinking

[@pegaseg70]

Some non alcoholic drinks have a little alcohol in it still so that might be why if you drink a lot of them.

[@adrenalinjunkie9682]

@pegaseg70 lol nah this was half a bottle of cider at a work event. Everyone else was drinking alcohol but I went to the wrong fridge and didn't even notice.

[@priscillad.gutierrez1535]

Appreciated and enjoyed this video! Love a good no or low-alcohol option and interested to try a few of these!

[@Dani.P.F.]

This was incredible! Would love to see more talks like this. About whatever topic. So good!

[@MalinaCC]

It’s cool that the places Lucy goes to offer non-alcoholic beverages. We have tons of bars here but they currently only offer kombucha and water or very, very overpriced mocktails. I don’t drink for numerous reasons but mainly health (alcohol is a carcinogen and cancer is rampant in my family, also my immune system is sensitive), taste (hate the flavor), and supporting family members who are sober. No one really asks except for close friends but they usually ask not while we are out. You can just say for health reasons! Glad to hear Dan is drinking less during TTC. A lot of couples forget that alcohol affects male fertility which is 50% of the equation.

[@naturalexpression]

Not having sugar because you 'don't want to put poison into your body' and then drinking alcohol... WILD We used to hang out a lot in casinos as uni students because you got free beer and sandwiches hahaha

[@laurenschenck5355]

I appreciate you both so much for sharing this heavy deep topic with us thank you 🎅🏻🎄🎄☃️☃️☃️☃️🎄💚🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎄❤️❤️☃️☃️☃️☃️❄️💚💚🎁🎁🎁

[@catseathats]

SMART recovery is a secular version of AA! It’s based around CBT :))

[@lucykeller63]

Thanks for this type of content, nearly a year sober and I'm finding the festive period quite tricky to navigate! I'd highly recommend Gratien and Meyer Festillant Sparkling Sans Alcool for a proper prosecco type non-alc drink.

[@LemonSte]

On the topic of Isolation - support groups are great for this. I attend one every wednesday and its turned into us just touching base with eachother, socialisimg in the breaks and checking in on the most mentally unwell members who need our support

[@ReyBeltane]

If you are looking for a non-religious community where there are literally opportunities to take part basically every night and every weekend: support local music! I can't say this enough. You don't have to drink because going to see the band and chatting about the music gives you the activity and gives you the social lubricant of having something in common with everyone else who likes that genre. Local music scenes are a FANTASTIC source of community and the musicians appreciate it so, so, so much.

[@hollylove99]

love this video and love how long it is!

[@AnnaDeeDee]

This was so lovely! My sister doesn't drink, so I'm looking forward to trying some of these with her over the holidays :) Also, unrelated but I need to know: what is that gorgeous cardigan Lucy is wearing?!?

[@ydorri2460]

Oh i'm excited to try the baileys one! X

[@TaylahLouiseBudgets]

This was SO INTERESTING. I’m someone who doesn’t enjoy getting drunk anymore, and is happy to have 1-2 ginger beers and call it a day. But I’m also happily married to someone who likes to have 1 or 2 after work or socially but will also always offer to be DD

[@RB53637]

I stopped drinking at 18, right before uni, as I’d watched my peers at sixth form getting blackout drunk, having to be looked after by people wanting to have a nice time and just generally acting like idiots 🤣 I decided I wanted no part of that! I also watched other friends delve deeper into it with the pressure to conform. Also alcohol just makes me feel anxious, tired and keeps me awake at night! Now I’m 24 and don’t regret my choice at all, and love a mocktail or fancy non alcoholic drink when out.

[@lzlzlz347]

I can definitly drink healthily, but these kind of conversations are helpful to maintain that healthy mindset. I generally never overdrink or act out when drinking. But I do have to be alcohol-free quite often because of health issues. I'm super curious for the Botivo! On of my alcohol free faves is Chinotto

[@potatoflips2694]

I loooove the sparkling tea. The blue one is the best for sure. Just perfectly replaces champagne or prosecco. Gives exactly the same fancy vibes without the alcohol.

[@steffikaysince1996]

In my experience different countries have such a different relationship with alcohol. In france they drink loads, but they drink to enjoy - they'll have wine but drink it slowly throughout a 4 hour meal. In Spain its the same with a meal but on nights out they drink STRONG drinks, but its all about having fun. I think in England we drink to relax, to open up, to cheer up, to have fun - it sort of becomes an answer to everything.

[@melima_]

I've never been big into drinking, I couldn't really explain why, it was a mixture of not liking the taste, not liking the idea of losing control etc., in recent years I was able to narrow it down to: I will cry after one glass of wine with my partner and also my body gets achey, my partner used to joke maybe I just can metabolize it properly (caffeine as well as melatonin also dont have effects on me), this year it turned out I have a chronic illness/pain, lipaedema, which explains why I feel pain and generally worse when I drink. So my body was just telling me all along that it wasn't good for me. I do think that we as a society underestimate the health (physical and mental) effects alcohol has and how much we normalized it. I do hope that people will become more aware similar to how smoking has gone down.

[@wolfrhl5]

A lot of alcohol-free liquor substitutes use capsaicin (the spice in chilis) to mimic the 'burn' of alcohol.

[@charliebrown1184]

Any particular drinks with capsaicin that you know of? I would like to give it a try.

[@AP-yc5xk]

44:07 I’ve been thinking about this for so long! Imagine every Sunday morning going to a TED-style talk or inspiring mini-lecture (sermon equivalent), followed by a short guided meditation (prayer equivalent), interspersed with a couple of fun singalongs, followed with a cup of tea and a chat with your local community… I feel like in dropping religion we miss out on so many things that are actually good for our mental health and wellbeing… Have you read or listened to any of Alain de Botton’s work on this, e.g. Atheism 2.0?

[@aeolia80]

both me and my spouse are mostly sober, we're in out late 30s early 40s, and a couple of years ago we realized that we feel like shite after having even one drink, and we live in France, but it's becoming more common for people to go mostly sober so many pubs here have a lot of non-alcoholic options now. When we lived in Korea we drank soooooo much more alcohol, there is so much cheap alcohol too, I think every weekend I would buy soju and those Japanese alcoholic fizzy drinks, we went out to bars more often, and at work dinners it's difficult to not drink too. But here in France, first, it can be too expensive, and if at a dinner party it sometimes just keep coming, holiday dinners are the worst, a drink or 2 at apero (usually champagne or clairette or a cocktail), white wine with the fish course, red wine for the main course, and sometimes a sweet something with dessert, and I just can't do it anymore, lol, I've told my spouse to just one drink for the whole of the dinner this time around. I actually grew up in a religiously sober environment, even though there were wineries all around my town, in general I think people drank a lot less then most areas on average, and then add religious dietary rules and even less, then I moved to Korea and I think I went out of control for a bit, then moved to France where the older gen find it weird if you don't want a drink, but the younger generations are getting more ok with it.

[@louisacoote2337]

Fiery Jamaican ginger beer or pineapple juice are my go-to at my local pub. In summer, I really enjoy a diabolo, which is lemonade with a syrup ( violet, barley sugar, cherry…). So refreshing!

[@rachelcruickshank7269]

4:02 I totally got a hangover from drinking alcohol free Prosecco. Only had half a bottle but felt terrible the next day. Wonder if it’s because it was very cheap (maybe made from very cheap wine), so had some of the dodgy compounds found in cheap alcohol. Plus very sugary.

[@hannahmaggs5835]

You are both legends ❤❤

[@eleanormaddocks1834]

I don’t drink, for a combination of reasons including witnessing my dad have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and just not liking fizzy drinks or the taste of of the non fizzy stuff, and when asked why I always say that I just don’t. If pressed I’ll say I just don’t want to or don’t like it. I’m also default driver, so that does help.

[@charlieirwin1700]

Omg as a pregnant person coming up to Christmas this is what I need!

[@lucyinthesky9479]

I'm pregnant right now so am not drinking but have never been a huge drinker (bar my time at university, where I had a pretty unhealthy relationship with alcohol) and haven't ever really had anyone question why I'm not drinking. Funny that you mentioned knitting though - I have two knitting groups that are local to me and one is VERY focused on drinking! They do say you don't need to drink to attend, but it felt a bit odd the one time I went as I was the only one not drinking as far as I could tell. I've been to the other one for over a year though and much prefer it.

[@neleonie]

Alcohol killed my dad. Slowly, over years. Having to watch that growing up was and still is so painful. After his death I just couldn't enjoy drinking anymore.

[@DaSuTro]

Seeing this video is inspiring me to visit a few sober bars in my region, particularly Hekate in NYC, The Volstead in Philly, and Binge in DC. In my 44+ years on Earth, I've never had a need to drink alcohol except in certain social situations, and even if I do, it's one and done, and even so, I don't always like the taste of it.

[@izzykaii]

I loved this 🩵🩵🩵

[@sarahglenn3601]

This was such a relaxing video ❤

[@atate43]

There is something called SMART Recovery in the US at least that is a secular community recovery support group. Not as easy to find meetings as AA but they're out there, especially in larger cities.

[@louisacoote2337]

Last year, my pregnant sister introduced me o non-alcoholic rosé, which I really enjoyed. Here in France, I like Champomy, which is the kiddy non-alcoholic champagne, so basically sparkling apple juice. Delicious!

[@ToryK96]

As someone who studied food science, if you look at the alcohol content and pretend that that’s fat content, it’ll be about as calorific! Alcohol is about 7kcal per gram so look at the alcohol percentage and x7 (a 25ml shot of 40% vodka works out at 70kcal)

[@lisemartino1995]

There ARE alternatives to AA, for me it was Dharma Recovery. There are meetings in person, but also online. It’s from a Buddhist perspective, but you don’t need to be Buddhist to go to meetings.

[@monicakelly915]

New unity in Newington Green is a fantastic secular community focused on social justice and connection. In the USA Unitarian Universalism is the secular answer to church

[@OMGitsaClaire]

I have a genetic condition (alcohol flush disorder) and since I’m small and a super metabolizer it means I basically can’t drink at all. My absolute least favorite reaction to telling people I don’t drink is “I would just kill myself”. I have been told this about half a dozen times. I know it’s more of a reflection on them than me but it’s just rude! And also kind of threatening? Don’t say that. It’s just bad.

[@sarar4901]

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww 😬 and also yikes

[@paulinevanderwardt4395]

If you like the dancing part of clubs, ecstatic dancing can be a fun daytime sober substitute! It might need some getting over your own emberassment and its quite hippy culture, but anyone is respected and very welcome to join

[@sarahpriest100]

I too would like a secular version of church! Church goers have the community thing figured out

[@lerb_]

Love this conversation!!

[@lottajarvi2907]

Loved this

[@janine6779]

I’ve not been interested in drinking due to a family history of alcoholism, but it’s funny, now that I’m 30, most of my peers don’t care and don’t even ask (and many of them regularly won’t drink either), but the boomers in my life still get sooooo weirded out by it. My husbands parents especially always make comments and seem uncomfortable about it. It’s so strange.

[@staceymichelle5576]

Iv just doscovered captain morgan 0.0 spiced cola cans and i really liked them, although it doesnt taste like captain morgans to me it still had a rum flavour. I bought these, one to try it and two because i wouldnt get through a whole bottle of the stuff before it goes off, all in all a 5/5 for me.

[@vildayoga]

Lovely great video! 👌🏼💫

[@laurenschenck5355]

Love ur blue sweater hannah! So cute and festive ❤️❤️💚❄️💚☃️☃️🎅🏻❤️❤️❤️🎅🏻🎄🎄❄️☃️

[@bysarahalexander4426]

I like drinking Aura Bora seltzers as a non alcoholic alternative at parties. It looks a bit like a drink and it has a more complex flavor that mimics a cocktail better than a regular seltzer.

[@WolfishMagic]

Im british but i am not really involved in drinking culture. I drink rarely but my friends actually drink less than me. Im glad ive never been in a situation where alcohol feels 'expected'

[@brettcarruthers8838]

My aunt always suggests and wants me to join a church in terms of making friends. Community groups or meeting up with people in some way often involves money.

[@Fescueful]

A good answear for „Why don’t you drink” is just simple „I don’t want one”. People are just shoked, highly recommend

[@milikoshki]

I've never been a drinker. I think it is pretty easy socially, especially with people who already know I don't drink. Seems harder to be an occasional or light drinker, because you have to start refusing drinks at some point, and I've seen people will often try to convince someone to have another if they've already had one or two.

[@augustevarkalaite321]

Martini vibrante was my favourite during my pregnancy. Mixed with ginger ale and ice gave somewhat of a similar experience of on aperol spritz.

[@sadiedasi3]

when i tell people i dont drink, the main response i get is congratulations, which makes me really uncomfortable because i dont drink because the idea of drinking fills me with so much anxiety it's so much easier to not drink than to drink for me........

[@eivore5081]

It's interesting to me that people congratulates you. I haven't experienced that with alcohol myself, but with vegetarianism. I totally get why it makes you uncomfortable, because it others you and gives moral-points to something you don't want moral-points for. And also, it doesn't feel great to hear "I'm so happy for you having anxiety". I also have never heard anyone else give the reason "the thought of drinking makes me anxious", and I can relate to that, so thank you for sharing!

[@sadiedasi3]

@eivore5081 i dont know if congratulations is the right word, but yeah the moral-points are definitely what i eas getting at

[@daisydog]

I just do a splash of juice in my bubbly. I just really like the bubbly 😁 This was a great conversation. I learned a lot about sobriety and NA drinks.

[@tinysealooter]

Oh was it published first to patreon? It only premieres in 15 minutes, I'm in Nova Scotia!

[@daisydog]

​@@tinysealooterYes, patrons get all videos one day early.

[@nelly5376]

As a full fat full caffeine coke enjoyer only, I stand with Hannah :D

[@ellisyork1817]

Merry Christmas Hannah

[@sonjadengler806]

I normally say I don't like the taste (which is true), but sometimes people will follow that up with checking I've tried all the varieties of alcohol. But the full answer is I don't like the taste or the idea of being drunk, just the thought of not being in control of my own brain feels very unsettling.

[@jillisenberg9704]

Such a lovely conversation! ❤

[@daisydedication2890]

I’m a non drinker now haven’t drunk in like 2/3 years as I did really suffer with binge drinking and not ashamed to say it I was addicted but now if I go pub or bar with a mate I will have a Coke with ice or non alcoholic cider and I definitely feel drunk afterwards

[@Anna0x]

Just in case helpful for anyone who doesn't fancy AA / it hasn't been helpful, drug and alcohol treatment services funded by local councils/NHS are also out there (you can get referred by a doctor or other healthcare professional) 😊

[@Gwenscavenger]

I have been influenced to pick up alcohol free leffe for Christmas 😂 I've never been a big drinker and as I'm still breastfeeding and co-sleeping with my 15 month old, I'm abstaining from drinking. I used to love an occasional leffe and I didn't know they did a low / alcohol free version. My husband has also started drinking alcohol free ciders and we love trying different ones together as it's just nice to try fun drinks together.

[@nellien4802]

For anyone out there who is looking for ways to cut back but isn't totally cutting alcohol out, I love making cocktails mixing alcoholic things with non-alcoholic! So I'll do a spritz with non-alcohol aperitive and then alcohol wine.

[@zapfanzapfan]

I thought it was an excuse for day-drinking but it was all non-alcoholic 🙂 What was the Baily's-like one? Twisst caramel creme? Must see if I can find that one in my country.

[@annamariaballerina1]

In harm reduction education I remember learning about how expectation is sooooo powerful when we drink or don’t drink. I don’t recall the exact study but I’d recommend looking into experiments around this - from what I remember people who were given alcohol and knew they were drinking alcohol acted the same as people who only thought they were drinking alcohol but had been given a 0% ABV drink. Same in the reverse, those who got an alcoholic drink but thought they weren’t consuming alcohol reported feeling sober just like people who were told they weren’t getting alcohol and actually didn’t get any. Does that make sense? Haha, much to explore.