Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
How do I drink less without quitting completely? What's the difference between alcohol-free, low alcohol, and no alcohol drinks? Why can't I handle alcohol like I used to? How do I cut back when everyone around me is still drinking? Why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much?
If you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond and asking these questions, this is your podcast.
Welcome to the essential show for midlife adults who want to drink less, on their own terms—without the pressure to quit completely, follow rigid rules, or label themselves as sober.
I'm Denise Hamilton-Mace, your mindful drinking mentor, magazine editor, writer and public speaker on all things low, no and light. Each week, I help stressed parents and busy midlife adults navigate their relationship with alcohol through practical approaches grounded in real-world experience and behaviour change strategy, not willpower or wellness culture
What you'll get:
Mindful Moderation Solo Episodes – Deep-dives answering the questions that matter to sophisticated drinkers who want to moderate smartly:
- How do I cut back when my partner still drinks at home?
- Why do premium alcohol-free drinks cost the same as full-strength versions?
- How do I navigate social situations when I'm the only one moderating?
- What really works: willpower vs. strategy?
Drinks 101 Mini-Series – Short educational episodes demystifying the confusing world of low and no alcohol drinks:
- What does ABV actually mean?
- What's the real difference between non-alcoholic, alcohol-free, low alcohol, and light beer?
- How are alcohol-free drinks made?
- Which drinks are safe for pregnancy, driving, or recovery?
Meet the Makers – Intimate conversations with the founders, brewers, distillers, and visionaries creating the premium drinks and experiences that support your moderation goals.
This podcast is for you if:
- You want drinks that taste like the ones you already love
- You're looking for practical advice that fits your demanding life, not another wellness overhaul
- You recognise that coasting with mid-strength drinks, zebra-striping, or bookending your evening with something non-alcoholic are all valid strategies
- You want better mornings without giving up celebrating life's special moments
This isn't about going completely dry or reinventing yourself. It's about keeping energy for what matters most: family, health, career, and living life on your own terms.
Join the moderation revolution happening in midlife – because while Gen Z gets the headlines, you're the one actually doing it.
Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
154. Introducing Drinks 101: Making Low/No Make Sense
Choosing low, no and light drinks to support your mindful drinking lifestyle shouldn’t feel like an exam.
And yet here we are — staring at menus, shelves and online shops trying to work out what *any* of it actually means.
So this is a quick heads-up episode to introduce *Drinks 101*
A new short-form mini-series coming to the Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife podcast.
Rather than replacing our regular Wednesday mindset time together, Drinks 101 will be an extra mini-sode each week where we get practical.
Each episode will be less than 5 minutes and will focus on one specific thing you keep bumping into when you’re trying to drink differently, such as:
* What does “de-alcoholised” actually mean?
* What are functional drinks, adaptogens, and nootropics?
* Are 0.5 drinks still alcohol-free
And, of course,
* Why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much?
No judgment about when, how or why you drink. Just clear explanations so you can:
* Order without feeling awkward
* Buy without second-guessing yourself
* Choose drinks because they *taste good* — not because you feel you “should”
Think of Drinks 101 as a reference library you can dip into whenever you need it — especially if you’re new to low, no or light drinking and everything still feels unnecessarily complicated.
You’ll see these episodes clearly marked in the feed as ‘Drinks 101’.
Hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss them.
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You can email me at denise@lownodrinkermagazine.com
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🗣️ Join the growing community on Substack
https://lownodrinker.substack.com/
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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: Find your personal tipping point
https://mindfuldrinkinginmidlife.com/products/drinking-impact-calculator
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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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*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Low No Drinker may earn a commission. Thank you.
Hiya, quick update about the podcast before uh you jump on to the next episode, and that is to let you know that uh as I've said before, I am going all in on the Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife podcast in 2026 and the Substack as well. But in terms of the podcast, I am going to be taking the show back up to two episodes a week shortly. And the reason for this is that as much as uh I value the time that we spend together talking about the mindset shifts, about the philosophies, about the approaches to living a life less intoxicated. I'm also still really well aware that there's a lot of information about the low-no and light alcohol drinks that facilitate this life that are still a bit of an enigma to a lot of people. You know, there's a lot of um debate about the language we use and can we call it a gin and what's functional drink and what the heck does a nootropic do? And what does de-alcoholize mean? And do I want something that's been fermented or macerated? All of these things that when you actually go to a pub to order a drink or you go to an online retailer, you can kind of feel a little bit like a rabbit in the headlights going, okay, but dude, I just want something that tastes nice. So I'll be introducing this uh mini-series. I'm not sure exactly how long it's going to last, but I want you to keep an eye out for it. It's going to be called Drinks 101. And each week, in a very, very brief sort of one to three minute max episode, I will be helping you to unpack one element about low no and light drinks so that you can file that away in your brain folder. And whenever you need to get some information about the drinks that help you live a life less intoxicated, you'll have a library of resources that can help you feel far more comfortable and confident in the choices that you're making around the drinks that facilitate your journey to a life less intoxicated. All right, keep an eye out for it. I'll make sure that you can spot them easily in the feed. It'll be called Drinks 101. And remember to subscribe or follow the podcast on whichever platform you're using to hear my voice now so you don't miss an episode.
