Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: Low No Drinker Podcast
Welcome to the essential podcast for anyone in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond who's ready to drink differently. While Gen Z gets all the headlines for being sober curious, let’s not forget that the real moderation revolution is happening in midlife – and this is your space to explore it without judgment, pressure, or expectation.
Join me to discover the people, places and brands making it easier than ever to live a life less intoxicated, whether that's for tonight, this week, or forever.
I get it – as a midlife moderator, you're not looking to reinvent yourself completely. You want drinks that taste like the ones you already love, new and exciting options with something special to offer, experiences that enhance rather than shorten your evenings, and practical advice that fits your busy, demanding life.
I’m Denise Hamilton-Mace, founder and editor of Low No Drinker Magazine – the leading global publication for mindful and sober curious drinkers and a professional public speaker on all things low, no and light.
My goal with this podcast is to help you feel more confident and more comfortable in your choice to explore a life less intoxicated, and to help you find, understand and enjoy the drinks that make it possible.
If you are, or aspire to be the type of savvy moderator who recognises that drinking less is not a binary decision for you, who knows that coasting with mid-strength drinks, alternating through zebra-striping or bookending the start and end of your night with something non-alcoholic are all viable options then this show is for you.
And you’ll leave each episode feeling motivated and supported to keep energy for the things that matter most: family, health, career, and living life on your own terms.
Each week on the Low No Drinker Podcast, you’ll get to either:
Meet the Makers: Join me in intimate conversations with the experts, founders, brewers, distillers, and visionaries who are creating premium alcohol-free drinks that don't compromise on taste. Discover their personal journeys, what drives their innovation, and why their products are perfect for the discerning midlife palate.
Mindful Moderation Solo episodes: Practical deep-dives into the questions that matter to sophisticated drinkers who want to moderate smartly, with topics like:
- Why do premium alcohol-free drinks cost the same as full-strength versions when there's no alcohol and no tax?
- How can I find an alcohol-free red wine that actually tastes like the Malbec I love?
- What's the real difference between no, low and light alcohol options?
- How do I navigate social situations when I'm the only one moderating?
- What are the best functional drinks for midlife energy and wellness?
This isn't about going completely dry or following someone else's rules. It's about making mindful choices, exploring sophisticated alternatives, and practising practical moderation that suits your lifestyle. Whether you're a Gen X professional looking to improve your health, a busy parent wanting more energy, or someone who simply wants to enjoy better mornings while still celebrating life's special moments, this podcast helps you drink your own way.
Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: Low No Drinker Podcast is perfect for mindful drinkers, sober curious adults, midlife moderators, health-conscious professionals, premium alcohol-free enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the low, no and light or mid-strength alcohol lifestyle.
Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: Low No Drinker Podcast
Advent 19: Set Yourself Up to Succeed at Home
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/
On Day Nineteen of the Mindful Drinking Advent Series, we focus on preparation — the difference between struggling through December and genuinely enjoying it at home.
As work parties wind down and family time ramps up, this episode explains why stocking your fridge, upgrading your glassware, and thinking like a bar rather than relying on willpower makes drinking differently feel effortless.
Being prepared turns good intentions into easy, satisfying choices — especially when everything else slows down.
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🌱 Reset the way alcohol shows up in your life with the 4 Week Midlife Mindful Drinking Reset
https://www.lownodrinker.com/4weekreset
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🧮 Drinking Impact Calculator: What you get vs. what it costs
https://mindfuldrinkinginmidlife.com/products/drinking-impact-calculator
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🗣️ Join the growing community on Substack
https://lownodrinker.substack.com/
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🧐 Take the quiz and find out what's REALLY driving your midlife drinking habits
https://www.lownodrinker.com/
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💰 Get 10% off drinks at Wise Bartender with code LOWNODRINKERMAGAZINE
https://wisebartender.co.uk/lownodrinkermagazine *
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*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Low No Drinker may earn a commission. Thank you.
Welcome to day 19 of your mindful drinking audio advent here on the Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife podcast. Today we're talking about being prepared. It is Friday, the 19th of December, and pretty much all the corporate style work dues are done by now, all the office-based ones. Of course, if you're working in different areas, you might still be having your due. I remember working in hospitality. We had our Christmas due in January because we had to work and serve everybody else. So for the majority of you, we're now heading into the time where the focus shifts mostly to family and having family come and visit, you go into see them, time at home. Hopefully, between the work dues and the family dues, you'll have a bit of downtime for yourself. It's so important. You need to rest to recuperate to recharge your batteries. Now, nothing derails your good intentions of doing that faster than being unprepared. You've made the decision that you're uh drinking differently this Christmas season. You've done lots of hard work when you've been out, you've managed to use some of your personal guide rails to drink the way that serves you best. And then for these last few days, you're at home and you want to relax and treat yourself with some lovely drinks. And you go to the fridge, and all you've got in there is your usual full strength beers, wines on your shelves or all your full strength spirits. Now, don't worry, I'm not about to say you have to throw them all out. Again, you do as you wish when it comes to choosing to drink full strength or low-no. But if you do want to incorporate regular low-no and light drinking into your lifestyle at home, the best thing that you can do for yourself is to be prepared and to stock up the fridge. Because when your fridge is full of good options, when you've thought ahead, when you've got yourself set up to succeed, that's when these moments stop feeling like uh a constant struggle and a constant battle. And they're just an easy choice that you're genuinely happy to make. So have options. I've mentioned before there is a lot to explore, there's e lots of things that you can grab in your local supermarket. They all now have designated uh blue zones. Uh, I don't I still don't know why they're blue because I keep thinking of like uh an old lady's blue rinse, which I know ages me, but still. Um, but they all have dedicated blue zones, which are their um low-no areas where you can find alcohol-free versions of your favorite types of drinks. Don't limit yourself to just one or two products that you'll soon get bored of, okay? Try a few different things because also you might not like the one or two that you get, and I don't want you to be put off because you've tried two drinks that you don't like and think that oh, there's not much else out there. Um, I was likening it to uh pizza or uh a burger at a restaurant. You know, if you have a bad one, it doesn't mean that you never eat pizzas or burgers again, it just means that you perhaps don't go back to that restaurant or you don't order that topic. The other thing is to stock up your areas, your drinks, areas at home, like you would find in a bar, or at the very least, the same way you stock it up for your full strength drinks. So, for example, if you like making cocktails at home, make sure you've got all of your equipment. Make sure you've got your shakers and your porers and your stirrers and everything. Make sure you've got some nice glassware so you're not just pouring your alcohol-free wine into some purple IKEA kids' cup that you know, we've we've all got those in the cupboard. Um, make sure you've got some good ice. Ice is really important, and it might not sound like it is, but it is. You want good quality, large, chunky ice that fills the glass so that it doesn't dilute too quickly and turn your drink watery. Uh, and lovely garnishes, you know, making sure that you've got a nice slice of orange or lemon or a twist. Of course, if you're not into doing that kind of thing, just making sure that you've made it as easy and simple as possible for you to have something that you like. A single nice glass that's your special drink glass, uh, and making sure that your drinks are always chilled so that it can be served as they will be best presented. Uh, and prep now. Don't wait any longer. We're it's the 19th of December today, to make sure that you've got enough drinks in for the Christmas period. Make sure that you get your orders because a lot of the online retailers, which I highly recommend that you do check out, places like Wise Bartender, of course, Dry Drinker, the Alcohol Free Drinks Co., Mid Strength Drinks. Um, I'll list all of those in the show notes for you as well. Don't worry about um writing them all down. Um, a lot of those will be having their final delivery days uh today or soon. So make sure that you get in a few drinks that you can enjoy. Now, if you go to today's day on the Mindful Drinking Advent email, you'll see a list of all of those online retailers that I've just mentioned, plus uh I think three or four more, plus a few from outside the UK as well for my US listeners. So you can find some places to go and get yourself a great selection of alcohol free, low, no, or light drinks to enjoy for the rest of Christmas. I will see you tomorrow for day 20. And until then, say it with me cheers to a Christmas less intoxicated.
