I think the number one most important thing is just to be honest about who YOU are and what works for YOU. I’m a decade and a half sober and I’ve got friends who can do a line every night or whatever their flavor is and go on about their business like it’s nothing. I can’t do that. If I get started I don’t stop. I also totally don’t do twelve step or live by twelve step rules but I know people who wouldn’t be walking the earth if that shit didn’t exist. Lately I’ve been having a half a beer once a month or so. After fifteen years without opiates I’m comfortable with that choice.
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As a 48 year old with plenty of bad habits this is an interesting thread. Lots to think about.
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Drinking is definitely a young man’s game
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100% on that.
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thanks for the recommendations , thought would try doing NYE sober free for a change, Seedlip actually was really nice with a nice tonic and ice managed to do a 6pm to 4am stint last night, this morning and feel fresh today win win.
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good luck to everyone starting Dry January today
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Going to try from the 2nd… Bit too soon to start it on New year’s Day.
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I was just going to say that 
one Guinness left and I’m watching Don’t Look Up after being recommended on here 
My Mrs is 15yr off opiates too @Doctorbrowncelray one relapse last year… 
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That shit is devilish. You tell the Mrs stay strong. It gets its hooks in you deep and even though I’ve never relapsed I probably have never gone more than two days straight without thinking about the hydrocodone 
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Will do. She was curious to try some Oxy pills a friend brought back from America (for science reasons of course). Tried them and that was it…she’s a stoner so that buzz she loves. Actually started snorting dope in America late 90s when it became a thing in certain clubs and if I remember rightly it killed the club scene at twilo, limelight and most other clubs…
One day at a time Im approcaing 10 Years sober (in Feb), I’ve chosen to stay away from the Alcohol-Free beers, I dont think they would be a good option for me.
When I got out clubbing (and Ive been clubbing and DJed a lot in sobriety) Ive gone for Energy Drinks like Red Bull ect. They are not the healthest of drinks but I find them to be a great alternative to booze when Im in a drinking enviroment.
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And imo that’s the lynchpin to sustainable sobriety. I never wanted a whole new life and to ditch all my friends. I wanted to find a version of my life that didn’t involve poisoning myself.
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That’s me gingerly starting off down the sober path. Something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, especially with my old man and dementia and contemplating my own health.
Also, I don’t even enjoy being tipsy/drunk anymore and even one drink can leave me feeling crap the next day.
The only things I will really miss is a nice wine or two with food and a cold beer on a summer’s evening, so I’m happy to get some good recommendations from here.
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Asking for a friend, does dry January start on new year day? Or the day you go back to work 
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10th Jan. Definitely.
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he’ll be glad to know… 
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Some great recommendations here, thanks chaps. Didn’t rate it at first but the Peroni is currently my favourite of the lagers, Do like the Heineken Zero but weirdly I get a right headache the day after… Tanquaray do a great 0% Gin but as one of my mates pointed out over Xmas, it’s quite pricey for just a cordial!
I’m 13 years deep now and never looked back btw, keep on trucking fellas 
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I don’t know anything about the drinks industry but it strikes me that Sipsmith is a really smart piece of marketing – sell a gin substitute that isn’t gin so doesn’t pay any alcohol duty, price it as though it did. As you say, pretty expensive for a cordial.
Quick google says that’s… quite a lot of pure profit. Current UK Alcohol Duty Rates – Hic!
others may know better
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No love for Big Drop yet?
They’ve come the closest to maintaining the mouthfeel that so many low/no-alcohol beers seem to lack.
I’ve managed to brew some fairly decent stuff that clocked in around the 2.5-2.8% mark. One of the best beers I’ve had on return trips to the UK was a Dark Mild at Euston Tap that was 2.8% but had the mouthfeel and flavour profile of something more like double that. From what I understand, it’s hard to do much below that number and keeping mouthfeel and flavour without some fairly serious witchcraft. Although Johnny from Big Drop seems to have to have that down pretty well…
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