my god, there are some people with serious tolerances here!

My thought exactly!

In some circles I would be thought of as someone who can ‘hold their own’ when it comes to the ale. In other circles I was always regarded as a lightweight (Uni mates principally) but mixing >1 bottle of wine with any spirit and/or any beer would put me on my back, especially nowadays.

More than three beers of an evening and I can definitely tell the next day. I do too much low level drinking, and I do need to get back to only having a drink 2/3 nights a week.

I used to get plastered and make a cock of myself fairly regularly, but I probably only get really pissed about once a year nowadays.

Try the CAGE questionnaire.

A good place to start for many and an indicator of how easy it can be to be blind to problem drinking.

The casual attitude to excess drinking exhibited by a lot of otherwise sensible people astounds me.

I’m in as well,if you don’t mind.

I’ve had a few false starts over the past month but I’m determined to do 30 days straight.

I’ll be leaning on this thread for support 🙏

Think I have 4 cans 5 nights a week

….

I’ve probs got about 15lbs of dad bod to get rid of

well, that’s something like 4000 – 5000 calories a week you could cut out pretty easily (so long as you don’t replace it with lemonade!) so it should help quite a bit with that 🙂

Good luck, I’m still going after packing it in at the end of June 2019, with the exception of a glass of bubbles on christmas day (and the odd erdinger alcohol free if they count). It gets easier and easier as you go along and I rarely miss it these days apart from the taste (beer/sambuca/jager oddly).

Its a good challenge which in my case has led to better quality of life.

My experience, drank far too much when I was younger.
Did go back to it but not as badly.
Have been on call since the start of lockdown so consumption way down.
Last Friday night 3 cans of cider resulted in a banging sore head most of Saturday.
Don’t think I’ll ever totally knock it on the head but will try to keep it to a couple of drinks at weekends.

I’m now 19 months sober. It gets much easier after three weeks, then you just have to remind yourself that you don’t drink alcohol. Saying that, rather than “I’ve quit drinking” really helps with the mindset.

I’m also gluten free, so can’t even indulge in alcohol free beers!

Suggestion.

I had cause to go to the doctor recently for a blood test. Whilst I was there I was told that as I’m over 40 they’d like to do an MOT and could they pull out another half pint or so for various other tests? I said fill your boots. One of those tests is liver function.

It didn’t happen to me thankfully, but a GP telling you “stop drinking or you’re gonna die” might be a bit of a motivator?

Happy to say – no beer was imbibed in the pub.
Temptation was there, but I couldn’t stand the thought of coming on here to say that I folded.
Thank you

Congratulations are in order then! Well done.

Free delivery on one full box and over at Brewdog now, just got the email.

Good luck. I’m a month away from doing a year without alcohol. I was never a big drinker, but one night out resulted in a missed days riding with mates and feeling like poo so knocked it on the head. Doubt I’ll go back.

I find Ghost Ship alcohol free good to drink when out with friends and we have some really nice alcohol free gin in the cupboard – I’d challenge anyone to be able to tell the difference.

Good one, each time you say no it gets easier

I find Ghost Ship alcohol free good to drink when out with friends and we have some really nice alcohol free gin in the cupboard – I’d challenge anyone to be able to tell the difference.

After trying lots… the Ghost Ship Low Tide is about the best i’ve found.

Cheers guys
Next challenge, bbq Friday
I may try to find some ghost ship to take-thanks for the heads up:)

I have not had a drink since 7th March. On that day, I drank about 10 cans of Stella and just was a total knobber. Alcohol for me like many people brings highs and lows. For a number of years in my early 20s it caused me nothing but misery and whilst I cut down I couldn’t stop. I would regularly drink 60 to 70 pints a week back then.

Even though I don’t drink every day I was just a classic binge drinker which is actually more dangerous. Having had children I found the hangovers horrific. One beer would leave me feeling sick and tired and next day. 5 beers would do the same so why just have one?!?

Anyways, I just got sick and tired of being sick and tired as they say. Since stopping I have lost 13kg. I am faster on the bike than I have ever been and I wake up feeling alert and far less tired. The benefits and enjoyment as a result of not drinking are now outweighing the joy of beer.

I am not saying I will never drink again but just not for now. My goal is to do a year without alcohol.I think I can do it, it’s only social situations that add pressure.

Good luck OP. As someone once said, you don’t have to get out of the lift in the basement.

This combo is quite nice and the cordial with soda and ice makes a nice fake mojito

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jrrgEW]2020-07-30_08-59-54[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

we have some really nice alcohol free gin in the cupboard – I’d challenge anyone to be able to tell the difference.

i accept that challenge….. wheres the AF gin from and ill go buy some?

I’ve tried alcohol free spirits and always been disappointed

Thats 2 nights without a drink, bit of a record lately. Thanks OP, and also to some of the helpful comments on here.

I made it from Sunday to last night without one, then had three last night. I’m pretty pleased about that because it would have usually been double.

Couple of favorites from designated driver duties. Brooklyn can be had at tesco.

This is harder to get a hold of but worth the effort

Thanks, keep the low alcohol suggestions coming in!

I bought a case of these recently – https://drydrinker.com/product/low-alcohol-mixed-ipa-box-12-x-330ml/

Which were all decent, but none blew me away. My local Tesco is a small one so doesn’t carry Brooklyn or Punk AF, but does do Ghost Ship 0.5% which is probably my favourite so far.

Someone here (Kelvin?) keeps posting that Tiny Rebel beer, but it looks a bit fruity for me!

Pistonhead .5% is decent. Crate from Amazon for 24quid. I actually like the heineken zero and it’s nice and (comparatively) cheap at 4.50 for 6.

I did 8 months dry last year. I enjoyed the benefits of being booze free but I missed the pub/socialising so on balance decided permanent abstinence is not for me, yet. And since lockdown I’ve got into home brewing which has been fun.

I’m on a bit of a hiatus at the moment. I recognise a lot of the comments made so far here, and would like to tone it down a bit. Bar two pints of shandy last Wednesday for the first visit to a pub garden for 3 months (instead of 3 pints of normal), I’ve gone without for 12 days.

I very rarely drink during the week, but tend to make up for it on a Saturday and Sunday. After just one weekend off it, I’m surprised how much more energy and motivation I have, which is helping me recognise the benefits of cutting down other than just giving my liver a break.

I’ve experimented with a few alcohol free alternatives. Most are disappointing, but an ice cold bottle of Eisberg Sauvignon Blanc last night was really very nice. The only alternative so far that i’d recommend.

Well it would appear that the wheels well and truly came off my wagon on Saturday…

Waking at 0530 on the landing floor at the top of the stair with no recollection of how I got there probably isn’t something I should be shouting about…

Time to have a word with myself I think! Even missed my sunday ride and I very rarely miss that even with a hangover!