The new sober socialising hot spot? The PUB!
When I think of the word pub, I think of the word boozer and when I think of the word boozer, I think of an alcoholic drink. As someone who has been living hangover-free for the last 6 years, the word pub no longer had the same excitement as it once did when I was drinking. I felt deflated when someone suggested a meet-up at the pub. The selection of alcohol-free drinks had mostly been given little or no thought and the offering was very limited.
However, it is clear there is a shift in socialising, and we want to have great-tasting drinks whilst feeling less hazy in the morning. With this change has come the welcome increase of low and no options in the pub, giving everyone a seat at the bar. As a place where communities come together and socialise, the wider range of AF drinks now available at your nearest local means you can feel included and have a delicious drink in hand, no matter the occasion (drinking alcohol or not).
I suddenly feel excited about the pub again. Pub anyone? Cheers to that!
Curious about starting your own sober socialising journey? Here are my top 3 tips below to get you started and feel more confident.
- REFRAME YOUR PERSPECTIVE – Think of it as an adventure – a chance to explore a new part of you, a chance to make deeper connections and remember conversations, a chance to figure out exactly what YOU like and don’t like. Re-framing this as an exploration of self can really help to take worries and fears of sober socialising into a space of self-enquiry and adventure.
- SET YOURSELF A POWER HOUR – If a situation seems like it might be triggering but you really want to go, set yourself the goal of a ‘power hour’. Go for one hour, and if you aren’t having a good time after that or you’re feeling uneasy, give yourself permission to leave. In the early days of my sober socialising journey, I found this a really helpful strategy to help tackle the more daunting social situations.
- LOOK FOR MOMENTS OF JOY – I want you to look around, feel present and really notice the moments of joy. Is it reconnecting with a friend and having a conversation? Is it hearing your favourite tune being played? Is it that the sun is shining and you can enjoy being outside? Is it seeing people laughing together? Is it ordering some yummy food from the menu? Is it the buzzing atmosphere of the pub? Not only will this help you to be present but it will help you to realise the reasons you are enjoying yourself isn’t about the alcohol, and if you are feeling triggered, it’s a great exercise to do to get you into a more positive mindset.
What does Young’s selection look like?
Well, you have a cold and crisp AF beer, think Lucky Saint, Peroni, Asahi or Beavertown. Indulge in a shaken, not slurred, moment with a Lyre’s Amaretto Sour, or Passionfruit Martini. Are you wanting to indulge in some celebratory sparkling? Then Steinbock alcohol-free has you covered or maybe you are just looking to sip and savour simplicity? Head for a Tanqueray 0.0 or Pentire and tonic.
Here’s a few of my favourite pubs in London so you can indulge in some hangover-free socialising of your own.
- The Clarence, Whitehall: https://www.theclarencewhitehall.com/
- Hollywood Arms, Chelsea: https://www.hollywoodarmschelsea.com/
- The Windmill, Mayfair: https://www.windmillmayfair.co.uk/
- Phoenix, Victoria: https://www.thephoenixinvictoria.co.uk/
- The Constitution, Camden: https://www.theconstitutioncamden.co.uk/