The Good Drinker: How I Learned to Love Drinking Less

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Just as everyone’s got a different idea of what constitutes moderate drinking, there’s plenty of disagreement as to what heavy drinking looks like. If I had to stop drinking, for whatever reason, then obviously I would do it, and most of my friends would be right on board with that. Whether this is a good or bad thing is beside the point; the reality is that this is what my life looks like, and this is what I must work with. Ever since he was a teenager, drinking was his idea of a good time – and not just his, but seemingly the whole nation’s. Join the inimitable Chiles as he sets out around Britain and plumbs his only slightly fuzzy memories of a lifetime in pubs in a quest to find the good drinker within.

Personally I think he’s consumed such large quantities of alcohol in the past stopping altogether rather than drinking in “moderation” as he likes to describe it would be more sensible. The Good Drinker also has the stories of other moderate drinkers, interviews with experts, and practical tips and strategies for cutting down.To punish myself for my stupidity I have considered abstinence, but there’s too much about drinking that I enjoy. The long subtitle of this book is All Occasion Guide to Alcohol-Free, Zero-Proof, No-Regrets, Sober-Curious Lifestyle. It's in these stitches that the quilt of life begins, and embedded in them are strength, warmth, humour and humanity. First and foremost, alcohol is so woven into the fabric of my life, in all sorts of different ways, that it would take a great deal of unpicking. A matching drinks flight to a taster menu in a lovely restaurant is one of life’s fabulous luxuries.

Always consult a suitably qualified medical professional in a timely manner before undertaking any medical-related decisions.And sober living is weaved into the text throughout; though it is not the only topic, everything supports it. This is a positive for book for all of us who drink too much, know it and want to to do something about it. Love Your Sober Year builds on their previous Love Yourself Sober book, set around the annual cycle of nature. This sentimental bird is drawn to the grieving family and threatens to stay until they no longer need him.

I knew there would be lots of nice people at the wedding but, I’m ashamed to say, I wasn’t much looking forward to it because, for me, there wouldn’t be any drink involved. I just stood in there for a couple of minutes, having a bit of a break, marvelling at how alcohol had somehow taken charge of the whole rhythm of my being. In this book, she explores how we find meaning and peace in these loud and frantic times; where we start again after personal and public devastation; how we recapture wholeness after loss; and how we locate our true identities in this frazzled age. Being a B Corp means we’re committed to being a responsible business that has a positive impact for people and the planet, as we work for a world in which people drink mindfully and live well.

I have a number of friends who have given up alcohol completely, and had various mental health issues entwined with alcohol issues (although none were lying in a doorstep alcoholics, cracking open the vodka at breakfast) but at the same time I didn’t feel my husband and I had ‘that much of a problem’.