Nanny State

When I was first getting into the sober world, I followed a few British groups, like One Year No Beer and Club Soda, that didn’t preach the traditional paradigm about problem drinking but empowered its community to see being alcohol-free as a lifestyle that brings out your best. Club Soda promotes a host of alternative drinks and vendors and even throws a huge Mindful Drinking Festival each year. Members talk about all the nonalcoholic beers and wines and botanicals and mocktail concoctions that left me JEALOUS. Especially when I heard that regular craft brewing companies, like Brewdog, were also making nonalcoholic beers. So ahead of their times.

But lucky me, because I was in Scotland this spring and finally got to try some of the options I had heard about. Nanny State is a well-bodied ale that not only did I easily find in the stores, but also at a lot of the restaurants I went to.

No hangover, no slump in energy, no chase around town for more. Such a happy new normal.