ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME knows I enjoy a good cocktail or glass of red wine. Enjoyment really is the aim, rather than having a regrettably sore head the day after a few too many. As the celebration season approaches, having a few tipples is part of the fun but, instead of going all out and abstaining in January, we could take a more mindful approach to our drinking habits all year for a healthier, more balanced relationship with booze.
The concept of mindful drinking has gained momentum as stats show more people are drinking less amounts and lower alcohol content. There is a plethora of alcohol-free and low-alcohol alternatives that mean you can enjoy a delicious drink without feeling as if you are missing out. In her book, Mindful Drinking (Orion, £12.99), Rosamund Dean talks about a 3:3 concept, which means choosing three days a week to enjoy alcohol and sticking to only three drinks on those days - which is totally doable without giving up booze entirely, although for some people that is the right choice. If you want a healthier relationship with alcohol, this can be used as a general rule of thumb all year. Your gut, and certainly your brain, will be happier for it!
I’ve created some beautiful and mindful cocktails for you to try and also highlighted my favourite celebratory low- and no-alcohol drinks.