Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: Low No Drinker Podcast

#100 Episodes, 15 Questions, 1 major update

• Denise Hamilton-Mace • Episode 100

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I’m flipping the script! To celebrate hitting an astonishing 100 episodes, today, I am testing my skills and interviewing myself.

Plus, I share some exciting news about the evolution of the Low No Drinker Podcast!

0:00 Celebrating 100 Episodes
2:49 Motivation
6:30 Toughest episodes
12:39 Best episodes
16:56 Explaining my job to my kids
19:10 Defend big alcohol
22:59 Ridiculous misconceptions
23:52 Controversial opinion
25:37 Too boozy / Too dry
29:02 Moderation is not a dirty word
30:55 Biggest mistake
31:14 What would make me quit?
32:14 Major challenges
33:21 Advice to new podcasters
33:45 Episode re-do's
34:50 The evolution of the podcast
39:18 New name & new topics
44:26 Thank you
47:53 Back to weekly
49:33 The BBQ-Q

Also mentioned:
Electric Mango Bubbaloo Sour
Lucky Saint Lemon*
Edna’s
Gentle Wines
Feragaia*
Pentire*
LND Substack

Episodes mentioned:
Big Drop / Pathfinder / Ben Branson
Martin Dixon / Myth / Talonmore / Impossibrew

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🥂 Submit your non-alc or funtional drink to the innagural Bottle Raiders Zero Proof Choice Awards by July 31st - https://bottleraiders.com/zero-proof-choice-awards/

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📰 SUBSCRIBE TO LOW NO DRINKER MAGAZINE ONLINE OR IN PRINT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

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💰 Get 10% off drinks at Wise Bartender* with code LOWNODRINKERMAGAZINE

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*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Low No Drinker may earn a commission. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Well, I have made it 100 episodes in and somehow I am still here bending your ear on all things, low, no and light, sharing my love for the drinks that you don't get drunk from. Who'd have thought it? To mark this momentous occasion, I'm doing things a bit differently today, my dear. I'm going to combine my interview episodes and my solo episodes and I'm going to interview myself. Actually, to be fair, my assistant, claude AI, and my other assistant, chatgpt, are going to interview me because I am a solo podcaster and sometimes you've got to get creative. So I have fed the machines, the AI monsters, with all the info about me and about you and about the podcast and everything that I do and this little show we have together, and asked them to generate 15 questions that I can answer for you today, so that we can have a bit of a celebration about the fact that we have been together for so long. We are going to talk about everything, from my favorite guests to times I wanted to give up and yes, there were many. And in the last question, make sure you stick around because I'm going to be sharing the next stage of the Lono Drinker podcast with you, because after today, the show is going to be evolving. As it's episode 100, I'm going to sprinkle in some of my favourite listener comments because, although I did invite you to leave me some voice notes, you guys are all a bit too shy, but I have got plenty of written comments from you instead that I will be forever grateful for. Of course, I am British, so the self-adulation and bragging will be kept to a respectable minimum and, last but not least, I will finally answer the now famous say it with me, because I say so barbecue question for myself. I'm really looking forward to spending some time with you today. Welcome to the Low no Drinker podcast, the only podcast helping you find, understand and enjoy the world of low no and light alcohol drinks, drinkers and drinking.

Speaker 1:

My name, as you'll know by now, is Denise Hamilton Mace, and I am the founder, editor and host of all things Low no Drinker. I am genuinely, genuinely over the moon to be doing this episode. I am sitting back. This is the most relaxed I've ever been whilst recording an episode. I've got a beer in my hand, the sun is shining. I am sweltering, however, because I have to keep the doors and the windows closed to make sure that you have the best audio experience, which means that I'm going to be sitting in my little faux leather chair sweating throughout this conversation. There's a lovely image for you. Let's move on from that one and let's jump in.

Speaker 1:

So we are going to crack on with the first question. So these questions are set into sections and this first section is about my personal journey and behind the scenes. And the first question for this self-interview concept is this a weird thing that I'm doing? I don't know. You'll have to tell me, but I've started now, so I'm going to finish.

Speaker 1:

The first question is podcasting isn't easy. What motivates you to keep going? So no, you're right. Chatgpt and Claude, ai podcasting isn't easy. It's bloody difficult, if I'm really honest with you. Ai podcasting isn't easy. It's bloody difficult. If I'm really honest with you, what motivates me to keep going? You do. You who's listening to me right now?

Speaker 1:

Whether you're walking the dog or you are doing a workout, or you're cleaning the house or you're driving the kids to whatever demanding activity they've got going on, because when I first started this, it was really lonely, I'll be honest with you, and it still is quite a lot of the time, because it's hard to get a lot of interaction. It's not like YouTube or social media, where you get likes on your content and you know if people are engaging with it or not. I suppose in some ways, that's actually a good thing. It means I'm not a slave to the algorithms, but knowing that I'm reaching people and that they're benefiting from what I'm doing is the biggest motivator from me. I remember when I first started getting comments and feedback in from people and it was just, it was really emotional for me and I'm not really an emotional type of person. So this is going to be the first point where I do a little bit of that bragging that I was mentioning before. This is one of the comments that I got back from a listener and it's had such an impact on me and what I'm doing and why I'm doing it, and this is a comment from Maria Easley. Now Maria has written in the magazine. Previously she shared some amazing cocktail recipes with me, but before that I received this message from her and she said I'm loving what you're doing.

Speaker 1:

I honestly can't get enough of your podcast. Every time I'm in my car. For the last two months I've had them playing. I'm learning so much and it's so brilliant that I get to hear all the inside info about a product before I speak with the brand, sometimes to the very same person who's been on the show. Thank you for that, maria.

Speaker 1:

First of all, and the reason why I love this is because it is doing what I had always set out to do, which is to bridge the gap between people who are drinking and consuming low, no and light alcohol drinks, or using them in their workplace or trying to get a better understanding of them, and the people who are making them or selling them or producing them or distributing them. I really, really want to bring those two worlds together. My focus is on consumers, on drinkers, on the people who are making use of these products and allowing and helping you to get closer to the people who are making them, so that this doesn't seem like it's such worlds apart, so that we can honestly say that we're building something together and we are changing the way that the nation is looking after themselves physically, mentally, psychologically, emotionally, their well-being, their physical health just by showing people that there is a different way of drinking and that it is cool as hell for you to make that choice when it suits you. So that's what motivates me to keep on going. That's not to say that it isn't still hard, but knowing that I'm making an impact and I guess everybody wants that right. Everybody wants to feel like they're making a difference, and I think I've just found that this is the way that I can do that.

Speaker 1:

Okay, let's do question two which episode nearly broke you and did it ever make you feel like giving up? Okay, which episode nearly broke me? I don't know that. There's a specific episode that nearly broke me. Those of you who've listened's a specific episode that nearly broke me. Those of you who've listened for a while will know that I did give up at one point.

Speaker 1:

So I started this podcast in, I think, august 2023. And I produced about five or six episodes I can't quite remember and then I realized it was bloody hard and I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and so I stopped. But something kept calling me back and so I came back to it and, as you know, I'm still going now. That's why we're together today. But there have been some episodes that have been really, really difficult In the beginning. The hardest thing has been the editing and putting it all together, but that is because I had really lofty ideas that I was going to be not only a podcaster but a YouTube. Whatever you call a YouTuber, I guess, is what the kids are using. And so, as you'll know, this podcast, the interviews for this podcast, go out on my YouTube channel, which is also Low no Drinker, if you didn't know. You can go and check that out now.

Speaker 1:

And so initially, what I was doing was when I was recording the audio episodes. I would do the basic editing for the audio, but I would also edit the videos, and I thought I had to do all this stuff. So I was trying to put transitions in, trying to do the swipey thing across the screen, trying to make things fly in. Every time we mentioned something, I was trying to cut to an image to zoom in, zoom out, pan left. I am not an editor, I don't know what I'm doing, and I remember the first one that I did. It took me and this is no word of a lie three days to edit the video and I was like what the hell? This is not sustainable, but I'm really stupid. So I kept doing that for a little while and I really tried to keep pushing forward on that, and it was one of the things that that has caused me to consider whether I should keep going. I've now changed my attitude since then and basically the interview version of that. So basically, the video version of these interviews goes up pretty much as is.

Speaker 1:

I do the least amount of editing possible and rely on the fact that my guests and my conversation will carry you through, and if it doesn't, then I need to get better at that, because I am not an editor, I don't want to learn editing and at the moment I can't afford to hire somebody. If you are out there in editing land and would like to come and offer your services and use me as your guinea pig, then we can talk about that, but professional editors are very expensive, so that's not been an option. So that's really been a struggle for me and making the decision to step away from doing things like that. Other things, other episodes that have broken me or been not broken me, but have been difficult, have been the solo episodes. For the solo episodes, my first few solo episodes were just terrifying, absolutely terrifying, and as a a result, they were absolutely shocking. So if you have stuck with me throughout those and thank you very much for still being here you deserve some sort of medal.

Speaker 1:

Um, but, as is the way with anything we do in life, when we first start it we're not very good at it and as time goes on we get better, we practice, we iterate, we hopefully improve, and I hope that's what I've done. So that's been stressful in terms of the interviews. Um, I suppose the most challenging times are when you have a guest that either doesn't talk very much at all or, on the other hand, doesn't shut up. It's interesting because the ones who talk a lot, you get lots of great stuff out of them. But it's very difficult to edit it because it's hard to jump in and get them, to steer them back onto the right path so that you can get the conversation to go where it needs to go without stifling what they want to say, because people have a lot to say, there's a reason behind it and I never want a guest to feel like they're being censored in any way. Um, but I have had a couple of interviews where, um, I asked a question and I didn't speak again for about 15 minutes. So that's quite interesting learning how to navigate that. And then on the flip side, obviously there's people that sort of give you one word answers or a very brief, not one word answers, but people who are very brief and that can be challenging. That's all about sort of trying to build a rapport and make people feel comfortable, which is another skill that I'm having to learn. So I love podcasting because it teaches me these skills that I never knew that I needed and I thought I had them all from years of working in hospitality. But, as I've always said, every day is a school day.

Speaker 1:

Okay, question three what episodes have you most enjoyed creating and sharing? So there've been some fun ones. There really have. The most fun ones to do are the interviews, because obviously I get to bounce off other people and you know, I think I'm funny, I think I'm hilarious. I love my own company, but I appreciate that out there you might prefer me sharing that company with other people. So some of the ones that are most memorable, first and foremost, is always always my episode with Rob Fink, who is the founder of Big Drop, which is a wonderful alcohol-free beer company, and Rob is just a lovely bloke. He's just one of those people you could. It just felt like we were sitting down the pub and having a chat and that was really great.

Speaker 1:

If you have watched these interviews on YouTube, you'll know that behind me is a shelf full of lots of drinks. So I always record against a backdrop of lots of alcohol-free or light alcohol drinks. And then when my guest speaks, I bring their drinks down to the camera and show them and twist them and turn them, then I put them back on the shelf. Well, when I was doing that with Rob, I misplaced the beer on the shelf and it fell to the floor now you wouldn't think that's a problem because I've got a carpeted floor but it hit something on the way down and cracked open and started spraying beer all over me, all over my feet, all over the wires, and I didn't know what to do and I just I had to laugh it off and Rob, thankfully, was so kind about it you know he saw the humor in it I spent the entire day stinking of beer and I spent the entire day stinking of beer. It was a stout, so I smelt of milk stouts and you know, half paranoid that it might have got onto the wires or something. So I kept sort of furtively looking down for the rest of the conversation, but we managed to sail through. So thank you, rob.

Speaker 1:

Another memorable interview has got to be my one with Rishi Ravalia, who is from the Pathfinder Drink the Pathfinder, who are a very unique individual brand out of the States who recently launched in the UK. And when I invited Rishi on to the show, his opening statement was yeah, well, non-alcohol is just a bit boring, isn't it? And I was like, right, we are in for a good conversation here, and we were. It was brilliant. I'm trying to answer these questions as naturally as I can, so I haven't got to mind the episode number, but what I will do is link all of these in the show notes for you afterwards. Some other memorable episodes Ben Branson, the godfather of alcohol free, was absolutely amazing to interview, but I was so nervous I needn't have been. He was absolutely lovely. He might have been super lovely because he did cancel on me a few times. I think it was like three or four times we had to reschedule. So actually maybe that might have helped a little bit, but um, I've had some other people on that.

Speaker 1:

I've learned so much from Martin Dixon, who actually writes for me inside Lono Drinker magazine and has reviewed over 2000 alcohol free beers. I learned so much speaking to him. And Lila Volkus is an episode that hasn't aired yet, but she is a nutritionist, mixologist, alcohol free teacher and we spoke about so much great stuff about making alcohol-free cocktails, so I learned a lot from that and I find those really memorable. Also, there's been some that have been memorable for different reasons. Speaking to Colette Saffill from Myth, that was a really emotional conversation about her journey into alcohol-free and the loss of her mother when she was very young and her subsequent relationship with alcohol that put her into rehab. And then there've been others that have been really enjoyable because they've been really positive in terms of what the industry is doing. I particularly like the episodes with Talonmore and Impossibrew, particularly because they are young people who were encouraged to start their alcohol free businesses by their universities, and I love that the universities are supporting our younger generation in creating these really health focused businesses that support the way people want to live. So, yeah, those have been some of the most enjoyable episodes so far.

Speaker 1:

Question four how do you explain oh interesting, how do you explain to your kids what mummy does for work when it involves quote unquote, pretend alcohol? These questions were written by AI. This is not my language, but I'm reading them as they are. So how do I explain to my kids. So my kids are five, isla's five and Logan's just turned eight and they if you've got kids you'll know that at that age they're very inquisitive. They want to know everything about everything and they do. They ask me lots of questions. In my living room I've got on my wall all the magazines that I produce. So every issue of Lono Drinker magazine which is 14 now that I've ever produced, is on the wall and, as I said, I've got the shelf behind me that's full of alcohol-free drinks. So they do ask me and they are aware now of what alcohol is.

Speaker 1:

But I try to be very balanced in what I tell my kids and I explain to them what alcohol is and that it is a drink that makes adults use to enjoy themselves but that if they have too much it can change the way they feel, the way they think, the way they act and it can have an impact on their bodies. And because young children sometimes work in absolutes, they do. Now, when we were out for pizza the other day with my husband and I and the kids and he had an alcohol beer. I don't want to scare them. I don't want to impose my will upon them any more than a parent naturally has to to keep their children alive. I want them to come to decisions and conclusions based on facts and information and their own choices, so I try to do that as neutrally as possible possible. And then on the flip side, they like that I've got lots of equipment and things in the living room that they think they can play with and I have to keep telling them that no, you can't sit at mummy's desk, it is not a play area. Leave the microphone alone and don't touch that bottle. But that is the joy of parenting and working from home.

Speaker 1:

Okay, the next set of questions are about industry, hot takes and controversial opinions. Apparently Question five and again I'm reading word for word it says defend this, why big alcohol brands entering the low-no space is actually brilliant for consumers. Okay, I don't think I need to defend it very much. I know that there are a lot of people in the low-no industry who take umbrage with big alcohol and they have very, very valid reasons why.

Speaker 1:

Big alcohol makes it very difficult for independent brands to get a foothold in any of the usual places where most people go to find their drinks. So it is very rare that you'll find truly independent brands on the shelves of your supermarkets, which is where most people do their shopping for their drinks. So whilst you're going and picking up some beers for the weekend, you'll also pick up your alcohol-free beers and generally you will look on the supermarket shelves and if you're a drinker of big alcohol and you see their alcohol-free version, that's what you're going to pick up. So it does make things difficult. However, on the flip side, I truly believe that the immense growth of the low, low and light alcohol category over the last particularly two years would not look the way that it does if it hadn't been for big alcohol, if it hadn't been for the likes of Heineken Zero sponsoring Formula One, guinness Zero sponsoring the rugby, athletic Brewing from the States partnering with Chelsea Football Club. I think it's Chelsea.

Speaker 1:

Please forgive me if it's not. It's not Chelsea, is it? It's Arsenal. I'm very sorry. If you're a football fan, I know you're not supposed to mix those things up. Forgive me, I have never watched a game of football in my life. I do apologise. Those things up, forgive me, I have never watched a game of football in my life. I do apologize, but the point being is that when you see these big alcohol brands although, to be fair, athletic brewing isn't considered big alcohol they're still an independent. But when you see brands that are sponsoring things like the rugby world cup, like basketball in the US, you know, like the formula one, when you see them all over the shelves in the supermarket, when you see Gordons being advertised on TV and they're putting their Gordons Zero right next to their Gordons Full Strength or Tanqueray, or you can see adverts on the tube station for Captain Morgan Zero, spiced Zero, you know this sends a message, and that message is that the way we're drinking has changed. We're hearing what you want as a nation or nations, and we're doing something about it. We're not ignoring this. We've recognised that if we want to have sustainable alcohol beverage industry businesses, then we need to cater to those people who want to drink less on occasions for reasons, um, that are multitude and irrelevant because people want to drink less, so let's give it to them. So I don't think that we would be, as I said, where we are without big alcohol.

Speaker 1:

Um, does it make things difficult? Yes, it does. Does it make things difficult? Yes, it does. Does it make things better? Yes, it does. And that is business. There will always be those who are more prominent, more successful, that have some sort of monopoly on things. Is that right? No, of course not. Unfortunately, me and my little podcasting voice don't have the power to change that. But what I do have the power to do is give voice to the independent brands, which is why I have so many of them on the show, and that will hopefully help people like you to find them and go and support them. Put your money in your where your mouth is, buy a drink, give them feedback, tell your friends about it. You know, let's, let's support this industry with our actions, um, all the while allowing big alcohol to support the movement as a whole.

Speaker 1:

Ok, question six what's the most ridiculous misconception people have about alcohol free drinks? Oh, where do I start? There are so many. I'm conscious that I can talk for a really long time, so I'm going to try and go through these a little bit quicker just to make sure that I can get them all in. So the most ridiculous misconceptions people have about alcohol-free drinks oh, the ones that bug me the most is that sort of I've tried one and I didn't like it, so they're all terrible. That tried one, tried them all attitude is just absolutely atrocious. Another big misconception that they should be cheaper because they don't contain any alcohol and brands aren't paying tax. There are so many reasons why that's not true. What else, oh? And that it's just a fad. I can tell you, guys, this is not a fad, this is a culture shift and thank goodness for it.

Speaker 1:

Okay, question seven name a controversial opinion that you hold about the low-no industry that might ruffle feathers. Okay, here's one. It is a topic that we've covered in part on the show before and I have explained it from both sides, but my controversial opinion is I don't care if you call alcohol-free drinks mocktails there. I said it. There will be people now who are going to be coming for me. I know it, they're going to be gunning for me. Um, you know what? I don't care, because I know that a lot of people in the low-no space find the word mocktail to be a derivative, derogatory, um, and that it lessens the non-alcoholic cocktails that they're making, the mixology that they're putting time and effort into, and I completely, I completely understand and I agree that the word mocktail does have a more derivative connotation to it. However, your average Joe, josephina, whoever on the street is looking for information, and they want that information without judgment and by telling people that they cannot use the language that they understand to search for the drinks that they want to use to help them, we are doing them a disservice. So I do not care if people call alcohol-free cocktails mocktails, because I think if the drinks are good enough and some of them really truly are then as people spend more time in this industry and in this space, they will learn that for themselves and get to the conclusion that they want quality non-alcoholic cocktails, not mocktails. So in the meantime, use whatever language you need to use if it helps you to live a life less intoxicated.

Speaker 1:

Question eight now, oh, we're on to another section. So this is community and low-known nation. Hi, hi, low-known nation. Question eight how do you handle the too boozy for some, too dry for others balancing act? This is a good question. This is a good question. This is a good question, and I am going to use another testimonial here to help me support what I'm about to say.

Speaker 1:

So this is a message from Cheerful Chris, which he left on Apple Podcasts for me. So thank you very much, cheerful Chris. Nice to hear you're cheerful. And he said about this podcast it unfailingly hits the spot. Denise has a real gift for going straight to the stories that are relevant and interesting. I can't think of anyone doing a better job in the low and no space, so thank you, that's really sweet. Um, the reason why I've shared this one here is because cheerful chris has said denise has a gift for going straight to the stories that are relevant. Okay, I want to share information with you that is relevant for the way that you want to live, and the way that you want to live for most people I have discovered is sometimes boozy and sometimes dry. There are very few people out there who are 100%, completely, totally and utterly teetotal. Now, if you're one of those people, for whatever reason, then you are very welcome here and I'm so glad to have you.

Speaker 1:

My goal with this podcast, and with the magazine in fact, has always been to speak to the people who aren't quite there yet. For those who are still living a life where alcohol is part of their daily or weekly or social routine it's part of how they interact with people or spending time on their own, who are looking for answers to how they can live a life less intoxicated, without judgment, without expectation, I know that if I had been looking for information like this when I was in what I call my professional drinking days and it was given to me with a handful of you need to be sober, you've got to give up. Then I would have just told people to get lost and gone to the bar and got another shot. So for me, the whole sobriety only approach is too negative for the people that I'm speaking to Now. I appreciate that that makes it difficult for some people when I'm talking about mid-strength drinks, if I'm talking about a 6% wine or a 10% gin or something like that. But I've got to just say suck it up's. If you're here to spend time with me, then these are the things that I'm going to be talking about, and even more so going forward, which I'll I'll share a bit more about in the end when I tell you about what's going to be the changes that are going to be coming up. But you know I'm never encouraging people to be boozy. My point is not to tell people that you know, go ahead, drink some more, have some more full strength drinks, have another tequila. That's not what I'm here to do, um, but I'm also not here to tell people that they need to give up. I'm not a qualified therapist in any way, shape or form. I don't do recovery, you know that's not my my job. Um, my job is to just share with you that there are options for those times when you feel like you want to have them, and to help you feel comfortable and confident in making those choices. Uh, and to help you feel comfortable and confident in making those choices. So that's how I balance it. I hope I balance it. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I get it wrong. I'm only human.

Speaker 1:

Question nine what's one thing you wish more people understood about drinking low, no and light? I guess, following on from what I've said there, I guess that more people understood that moderation is not a dirty word. I had a debate with somebody once on LinkedIn lovely person, this is no shade on them, you know they were a bit peeved that about the moderation rhetoric and people telling others that they should just moderate instead of giving up. Now again, I'm not telling people what to do, but I see moderation in a completely different light. I don't see moderation as something that you encourage people with alcohol use disorder to try. I see moderation as something that people who are drinking what they consider to be regularly but want to drink less, should adopt to be able to allow them to make those changes so that they can live a better life by their own standards. Whether that's passive moderation by just, you know, making choices on a case by case situation and recognizing slowly that the way you drink needs to change, whether that's active moderation and doing something like a dry January or dry July, as we're in that month now. You know, whatever it is, moderation is not a dirty word. Now, if you're white knuckling it and you're just counting down the days until you can have your next drink, then there might be other things going on that you need to address and again, I'm not qualified to help someone do that. But if you are feeling like that, do reach out to me and I can most definitely point you in the right direction. To people that can. But for those who are drinking averagely, I suppose is the word that I'll use moderation is a fantastic tool to help improve your habits.

Speaker 1:

When you're ready to and question 10 in this section, what's the biggest mistake you see people make when they first try alcohol-free drinks? Oh, this one is easy expecting them to taste just the same as alcohol-full drinks. Very briefly, they are different drinks, they taste different. It's that simple. Okay, the next section is challenges and real talk.

Speaker 1:

So question 11, what would make you pack in the podcast tomorrow? This one is easy Nothing. This podcast isn't going anywhere. I am flipping, loving doing it. Things have changed for me. They have progressed. If you go back and listen to one of my first solo episodes, it won't sound anything like this. I didn't have the confidence that I do now. I didn't have as much fun doing it as I do now. I was focused on all the wrong things. Now I know what's important to me and now I know that I can use this as such a positive tool for you and for me, and I absolutely love doing it. And as Recovery Girl MN said quite simply, lono Drinker is one of my favorite podcasts and you know what? It's one of my favorite podcasts too. So, no, nothing would make me pack this podcast in tomorrow. You're stuck with me, sorry.

Speaker 1:

Question 12. What's one major challenge you face in producing the podcast and how did you're stuck with me? Sorry, question 12 what's one major challenge you face in producing the podcast and how did you overcome it? Okay, so that's quite similar to what I said earlier on the. The editing has been the, the biggest challenge. Uh, I'm now much faster. I don't do all of that silly video stuff and the audio, because I've gotten better at speaking to people and speaking to you and doing interviews and all that stuff. The editing is a lot easier than it used to be.

Speaker 1:

Um, the guess the the biggest challenge is sort of for me at the moment is a workflow. Uh, because I like to take the podcast and then I like to do a write-up and turn that into a blog post or a sub stack, which I'm on now. Please go and subscribe to me on sub stack it it's free. Um, and making sure that I can share all that with people and getting it out there. Marketing marketing a podcast is really hard because there's very little natural discoverability. Uh, if you found your way to me, that's fantastic. Please tell other people that I'm here because I want them all to come and join the party. But I'd say marketing and just spreading the good word is the biggest challenge I've got at the moment.

Speaker 1:

And 13,. What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own podcast in the mindful drinking space? What advice would I give? Start simple. You don't have to be all things to all people at all times. And lastly, enjoy it, because if you don't enjoy it, you won't keep doing it. But come on, in the water's lovely question 14, which early episode would you love to revisit now with everything you've learned? I've mentioned a couple times that my first solo episodes weren't very good, so I'd love to get a do-over on those and I will find a way actually to redress some of those points that I made in there.

Speaker 1:

But I want to make sure that I'm giving you as much value as possible and not just repeating myself just for the sake of my own vanity. But I've got so many ideas, so many topics that I want to cover, which is why I'm making an evolution to the podcast, which I'm coming to in a minute, as I've said. But there are just so many topics that I don't want to spend too much time. Looking back, I want to look forward into what we can do together to really help Lone O Nation to find, understand and enjoy these drinks and this lifestyle. And also what's the point in regrets? You know I can't change it. I suppose in podcasting I could. I could just go back and delete them all, but that would be disingenuous. So, yeah, I'm looking forward, not back them all, but that would be disingenuous. So, yeah, I'm looking forward, not back. So that brings us to the last section, which is future and evolution. Uh, and this is where I can answer that in more detail, because the question is, the podcast is about to evolve.

Speaker 1:

Can you tell us about the exciting changes coming to the show? Well, thank you very, machines. I can tell you about that. Indeed, sophia Sirius left a testimonial that said a brilliant and educational and engaging podcast. It's a must listen. Thank you very much, sophia. I really appreciate that I'm sharing this one here, because I love that she's pointed out that the podcast is well, brilliant, of course, thanks, but educational and engaging. I like teaching and it's one of the things I've discovered about myself since doing this show. I like imparting information that you can take and use in your own life, and I want to do more of that.

Speaker 1:

So, 100 episodes in, I have been spending some time looking back over the past 99 episodes to see what I'm doing well, what I'm doing not so well, what I could be doing better and, most importantly, so well, what I could be doing better and, most importantly, what you would like to have more of Podcasting gives you like the back end of podcasting. So, like you know, when you're on your Instagram, when you go into your dashboard and you can see, you know which posts had the most likes and shares and most views over the last however long. If you've got a YouTube channel, you can go in and see how long people listened for and where they're coming from and all sorts of stats and data. There isn't as much stats and data from podcasting, but what I do get to see is which episodes are downloaded most and which episodes are listened to most, and by looking at the numbers for what you've been enjoying from me, I have come to realize that you, lono Nation, have really been absorbing a lot of my solo episodes where I teach about elements of Lono and light drinks, but particularly when I flip the script a little bit and talk about the lifestyle that this way of drinking can afford, or, in other words, how we can use low, no and light drinks to achieve the lifestyle that we want to and how these drinks fit into the way that we live. Now, another area that seems to be really really taking off in terms of what you guys are listening to from me are moderation. So when I talk about as I said before, you know, it's not about sobriety or recovery for me, but it's about living a life less intoxicated. And then, interestingly, when I talk about generational stuff and when I talk about midlife living, which tells me that there are a lot of people out there who are in a very similar boat to me.

Speaker 1:

I am 46 years old now. I had a birthday last month Happy birthday to me and I have a lot of lived experience. I'm a parent of two children. I've worked in hospitality for 24 years. I've worked in the low no and light industry for nearly three years now. I have a lot of contacts and people that I get great information from and learn from about this space, and it seems that the things that I share that interest you most logically should be the things that I talk about more of. So, with that in mind, the podcast is evolving Now, first and foremost, it's not going anywhere.

Speaker 1:

That's the biggest thing to say. As I've said before, love doing the show. I am still going to be speaking to low no and light brand founders and industry experts. I want to share their stories. I want to get you closer to the people, places and brands who are leading the low no and light alcohol revolution, as I say in my introduction to my interview episodes. But I also want to start talking more about the things that mean more to you and that you are wanting to hear more about. And so the name of the podcast, whilst it will always be called the Lono Drinker podcast, that bit is staying because obviously it's part of the Lono Drinker platform and the Lono Drinker magazine that started it all.

Speaker 1:

The title of the podcast is changing and it will no longer be so Be Curious Mindful and Alcohol-Free Drinkers podcast, lono Drinker. It's now going to be the Mindful Drinking and Midlife Moderation podcast from Low no Drinker, and that is because these are the subjects that excite me the most and excite you the most. If you were to draw a Venn diagram of all the things that I want to talk about and all the episodes that you've listened to, these are the topics that would be sitting right in the middle of that Venn diagram and highlighted bright yellow, shouting talk about me, talk about me. So, going forward from this episode on, you will see slightly different artwork when you log into your listening app and you will see slightly different topics that I'll begin talking about, and one of the biggest changes is that I've always said that I don't talk very much about parenting, because I know that parenting is a very sensitive subject, but actually, whenever I have spoken about it, I've had some great conversations with people, I've had some great feedback from you, and you've listened to those shows for the longest.

Speaker 1:

My approach is not going to change. I am completely 100% non-judgmental. You do you. You do the things that you want to do the way you want to do them. I truly believe that life is better when we give everybody the benefit of the doubt and assume that we are all doing the best we can in any given moment with the tools that we have, and so, therefore, telling somebody that they're doing something the wrong way and making them feel bad about it isn't productive. It isn't helpful. What is helpful is sharing knowledge and information that someone can use to better their choices when they're able to and when they're ready to. So there will be a few more episodes that will talk about the relationships that we have with our friends, with our families, with our children, with our parents.

Speaker 1:

When it comes to drinking less, I want to cover things like how we speak to our kids about their choices around alcohol-free drinks and socialising and coming of age, because it's different to when you and I did it. You know they're not down the park with cans of white lightning the way that we were, which is a good thing, but you know it means it's different. It means it's hard for us to relate in some ways to to what kids are doing now. Um, I want to talk more about. I did an episode previously about going to a birthday party with my five-year-old daughter, um, and the assumptions that I made about the drinks that were available there. You know that was one of the most downloaded and most commented episodes. I had loads of conversations with people about that.

Speaker 1:

I want to talk about, you know, how we speak to kids, about having a mindful approach when it comes to drinking habits and whether we choose to or choose not to. But it's not all going to be about parenting. It's going to be about midlife moderation in general. We're going to talk about bookending, about zebra striping, about active and passive moderation. We're going to talk about strategies. We're going to be talking about how we incorporate these drinks into our working life, how we manage going to work, events and social events, dating, being in a relationship when one of you is moderating or drinking less and the other one isn't. There's just so so many topics, but I'm also going to be keeping it to the drinks. Everything that I do will be coming back round to low, no and light alcohol drinks, because I truly believe that these are the tools in our toolkit, a tool belt. I'm not a handy person, as you can tell, but these are the tools that we have that help us build a skill set around living a life less intoxicated. So I'm also going to keep going with the educational things about ABVs, about how these drinks are made.

Speaker 1:

I've got a great mini wine series lined up to do for you, with a sommelier and wine distributor who's going to talk about low, no and light alcohol wines. We're going to look at how they're made, why you can't find that red wine alternative that you really, really want. We're going to talk about wine alternatives and things like that. I hosted a great panel about tea-based drinks, vinegar-based drinks, shrubs. We're going to talk about the techniques that are used to make these drinks and what the heck is de-alkalization, the different methods of de-alkalization that are used and what they do to the drink that you end up with why they all cost so much. There's just so much, so much.

Speaker 1:

I could go on and on and on about the topics. I definitely want your input, though, on where you'd like to see some of these topics go, and if there's an area that you'd like me to cover and, in the same vein, you know, any of the stuff that I've just said and're like actually denise. That's not why I'm here, and I don't really care about that then let me know that as well, because this is our podcast. You know we're building this together. Yes, I'm doing the lion's share of the work here, guys, but without you, I wouldn't have a show, um, speaking of which, this is a an opportune time for me to just say a really sincere and heartfelt thank you to every single person who has ever, and is still, listening to this show.

Speaker 1:

When I started, I had no idea what I was doing, as I think I've made clear by now. I still don't fully know what I'm doing, but I'm having a lot more fun doing it by you subscribing to this show. If you haven't subscribed, please press that subscribe button. It does make a difference by you sharing the show with people, by you leaving your comments and testimonials like the ones that I have read out. You have helped me to grow the Lone O' Drinker podcast to a place where it is reaching more and more people.

Speaker 1:

I have so far reached number 34 on the UK alternative health podcast charts, which is a huge, huge achievement for an independent podcaster who's just making stuff up as she goes along. That is number 34 of all the alternative health podcasts out there, which is a huge achievement, and that's for the UK and globally. This podcast has recently hit the top 10% of most popular podcasts in the world, according to the statistics from Listen Notes, which is the leading and biggest library of podcast statistics and feedback and all that statistical jazz. But basically, of the just over 4 million podcasts that exist and some 385,000 active podcasts who produce episodes on a weekly basis, this show is in the top 10 most popular and if I was the type to shed a tear, I would be doing that right now, but it's exceedingly hot, it's 33 degrees in here and I'm completely dehydrated. So there's no tears, but there is a huge and immense amount of gratitude for you being with me.

Speaker 1:

I have one ask and that is that you keep listening. It's not one ask I have several asks that you keep listening, that you spend time with me, that you talk to me and let me know, as I said, what I can do to make this show better for you, that I can do to make it more helpful for you, and I would love I would love for episode 200 to be able to read out more of your testimonials. I'd love to be able to hear more of the things that are resonating with you and I'd love to grow this show and be able to tell you, when I do this for episode 200, that we've hit number one in our podcast category. In any country I don't mind. I just want to be able to say that I've got number one podcast. But one way that you can help me do that is by whatever app you're using to hear my voice right now. If you could leave a rating and a review for the show if it allows you on your podcasting app, then I would be most grateful for that. If nothing else, it makes my day when I get an email notification to say you've had a review and someone's left me a five-star review and some kind words, because I don't get many um doing podcasting. As I've said, it's very lonely, and knowing that you're out there and that I'm connecting with you makes it all worthwhile.

Speaker 1:

So the other thing to let you know, if you hadn't noticed by now, that I will be returning to a once a week cadence for the podcast. I have been doing two episodes a week now for you for the last six months or so, one interview and one solo, and that's been fantastic. But it is an immense amount of work and what it's led to is me being on a bit of a hamster wheel of producing content and I've not had time to really research and dive into things, and a lot of the topics that I want to talk about deserve a bit of time and attention. For me to actually give you the best, most accurate, reliable and helpful information, I need to go and do my research, I need to go and speak to people, I need to go and interview people, I need to question brands, I need to research some numbers, I need to do my homework, basically, and producing two episodes a week just doesn't allow me to do that to the the level of thoroughness that I want to. So 6am on Wednesday mornings, the show will be released come hell or high water, barring, of course, you know um any major family disasters. As you know, if you've got kids, that sometimes things are outside of your control and I know I have listeners around the world, so I won't list off what time that will be in all of your time zones, but every Wednesday the show will be released for you. So that is it from me in terms of updates from the show and answering the 15 questions for 100 episodes. I hope it's been a fun little trip down memory lane and look into the future for you.

Speaker 1:

Before I go, it's time to ask myself my final question because, as I ask everybody who comes in the show, I believe in spreading the low no and light love around the world. So let's imagine it is a hot sunny day because it really is, and I am off to a barbecue. What drinks in the low no and light space would I like to enjoy on a hot sunny barbecue day? It's so weird asking yourself questions that you normally ask other people, but I'm going with it still. Now. I find these questions really hard.

Speaker 1:

When I go on other people's podcasts, when I'm interviewed by other people, I find it really hard. They always say to me oh, what do you like, and I like so many different things because I'm very privileged and I'm aware that I'm very privileged I get sent a lot of different drinks. I get sent a lot of stock because people want me to try their drinks, they want me to talk about them. If I'm interviewing them on the podcast, they always send me some. So I'm very grateful that I get to taste all of these things. But it's also very hard to pick a favorite and it's also hard to remember them all.

Speaker 1:

But I have got a few that would be perfect for sunny barbecue days, and the top of my list for this one has got to be my most favorite drink to talk about, which is uh, made by amiton brewery, and it is the electric mango boobaloo sour. Uh, this is a wild and crazy drink. It is kind of like bluey green in color with a thick foamy head. It's a sour beer, it's a 0.5 percent and it comes in a large can. It's a 440 ml can and, uh, as you can imagine from the name, the can is like really colorful and it's got skull and snakes and grass and lots of weird stuff. Uh, and it is the most interesting beer that I have tried, I think. Um, it's got sweetness to it from mango, but it's a sour beer. So obviously it's got sweetness to it from mango, but it's a sour beer, so obviously it's got that sort of citrus sourness. It's sharp, it's got a bite to it, it hits the top of your cheeks, it's really moorish and it's just brilliant. And if you're having a barbecue and you're hanging out with friends, not only is it alcohol free, so you're not getting dehydrated in the sun. If you pour it into a glass, it looks amazing, amazing, and so it's a great conversation point as well. So that is definitely in my barbecue basket. Um, another one that I think is perfect.

Speaker 1:

Another beer for barbecue times would be, uh, the one that I'm drinking whilst I'm recording, actually, and that is the newest drink from lucky saint. Um, I interviewed Lucky Saint a little while ago and I didn't actually have any of their latest beer to try whilst we were talking, but I've since been lucky enough to go out and find some. So, lucky Saint, who are the biggest alcohol-free beer producers in the UK. They started off with a lager, then last year they brought out a hazy pale, but a few weeks ago they launched their lemon lager like a radler, and it is gorgeous, it is so easy drinking, it is so crisp and it is perfect. Barbecue or picnic drinking um, you could definitely see myself just chilling out in the park on a blanket with a few cans of that. Uh, keep it cold. It it's best when it's cold.

Speaker 1:

Okay, moving away from beer, what else would I take to a barbecue? I like an RTD, so RTD stands for ready to drink, and I like drinks that are ready to go because I don't want to have to make cocktails anymore. I did it for years and I find it tiresome now, but if you like it, you should go for it. There's a brand called Edna's I think they're Australian, but don't quote me on that and they make amazing ready-to-drink cocktails that use fabulously fresh ingredients and they smell amazing. They've got five in their range. My favorite from them are their mojito, because the mint smells like somebody has literally just muddled fresh mint in it and the mescalita. I've always loved a margarita, so anything that's in on that, that sort of vibe, and that is perfect. Barbecues you could throw it into a glass if you want to make it posh. Uh, you know, do your own little salt, rim on it. Squeeze an extra bit of fresh lime in there, absolutely gorgeous.

Speaker 1:

Um, I've always been a rosé all day kind of girl, so if I was looking for wine, I'd be. There's a mid-strength wine, a 6% wine, from a brand called Gentle Wines and they, I believe, are German. You can get them in the UK and their mid-strength wines are absolutely amazing and their rosé is delicious. I can't have too much because I just can't and don't and won't drink the way that I used to, but if I wanted a glass or two with something that had a little bit of traditional bite, that's what I would go for. If I wanted something that was long, you know, like a spirit and mixer, it'd have to be Ferragayaia.

Speaker 1:

I tried it a really long time ago and I still absolutely love it. It's a scottish, uh, dark spirit, alcohol free, zero, zero dark spirit, um, and it has literally got layers of flavor. It's earthy and it's warming. But if you mix that with some ginger beer uh, on a sunny day and loads of ice, oh, it is gorgeous and great for making cocktails. Um, what else is there anything else? Um, pentire, pentire, do some amazing. Oh, they've got a bottle, a mark, pre-mix, pre-made margarita bottle. Um, they also do it in cans, but they are perfect. And then they've got a range of sort of a couple of gin style drinks.

Speaker 1:

I'm looking around me on my shelf and there's just so many to choose from, so I'm going to leave it there, but I'm very glad that I finally got to answer my own famous because I said so barbecue question. That is it from me for this week. Thank you again so much for being with me on this journey. It means the world to me, that Lono Nation are here with me and supporting me just as much as I'm supporting you, because we are in this together and we're going to continue to grow this category, this movement, this lifestyle, because it is damn cool to choose to live a life less intoxicated. Cheers, and I'll catch you next week.

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Denise Hamilton-Mace

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