Want to be a more mindful drinker or join the moderation movement? Here’s why you should (and how ABSTINENCE Spirits can help!).

More and more people are starting to see the benefits of lowering their alcohol consumption and are reducing their intake accordingly. Requesting a booze-free beverage at a bar is also becoming increasingly less taboo. There are many factors behind this trend. The main one, however, is the health benefits, from physical to psychological, associated with cutting down on alcohol.

The mindful drinking movement

Did you know that drinking 350ml of beer or if a single shot of brandy and other spirits puts you over the legal limit of 0.05%? This means that any more than that going into your system has side effects. These include a lack of coordination, poor judgment, unstable vision, and drowsiness, to name a few. Not only that, but anyone who has experienced a hangover can attest to *awful* symptoms, ranging from a headache to nausea to all-over tenderness, that can last for a few hours to a few days! This, combined with the harmful effects of long-term consumption, such as liver damage, addiction, and heart disease, are making people rethink their relationship with alcohol. Because, like all relationships, sometimes you just need a break!

Enter the mindful drinking movement, which is growing at a rapid pace. According to surveys, between 16% and 25% of people have started becoming more aware of and moderating their intake, with some having ditched drinking altogether. This is also evident from the spike in non-alcoholic beverage sales, with the market size expected to grow by 31% by 2024.

There are also numerous motivational challenges, such as Dry January and Dry July that people across the globe take part in to see what living a low- or alcohol-free life might look and feel like. And the results are almost always positive! Participants report a host of benefits from cutting back, including:

• Improved mental health, brain function, and clarity
• A more radiant, healthy complexion
• Better sleep and increased energy levels
• A stronger immune system and less illness
• Lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol
• Helping the body to stay hydrated

Convinced but worried about how to fill the void? Luckily, ABSTINENCE gives you options!

A tool for moderation

Want to cut back on your alcohol intake because you want to improve your health, wake up refreshed, be a responsible driver, or well-behaved party guest? Enlisting the help of a great-tasting alternative – such as ABSTINENCE – can be an effective moderation tool.

Whether you are a weeknight unwinder or the designated driver, our award-winning ABSTINENCE Spirits and Apéritifs come in six varieties and can be mixed in a multitude of ways. This ensures that everyone gets their fix of flavour and refreshment!

Our premium distilled non-alcoholic spirits showcase the biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom and can be enjoyed on ice, with mixers, or made into mocktails. They include:

• Fresh and zesty, the ABSTINENCE Cape Citrus contains buchu and local citrus, making it the perfect mixing partner for a premium tonic to substitute your G&T.
• For a warm, sweet take on a conventional gin and tonic, ABSTINENCE Cape Spice is made using a blend of spices and indigenous honeybush, also mixed with a premium tonic.
• A true floral fantasy, ABSTINENCE Cape Fynbos features rose geranium as the hero ingredient. Serve with premium tonic and berries to bring out the flavours.
• Looking for something smokier and smooth as a substitute for whiskey? The award-winning ABSTINENCE Epilogue X will definitely hit the spot and mixes beautifully with ginger ale, soda water, and cola. Add a squeeze of fresh lime for an alcohol-free take on a dark and stormy

And the apéritifs?

The multiple award-winning ABSTINENCE Blood Orange Apéritif and the ABSTINENCE Lemon Apéritif are Italian in style using locally produced and sourced ingredients. Both are fabulous when turned into a refreshing guilt-free spritz by mixing with soda water and/ non-alcoholic sparkling wine. You can also mix the ABSTINENCE Blood Orange Aperitif with the ABSTINENCE Cape Citrus for a non-alcoholic negroni.

You might not want to forfeit your evening tipple for a non-alcoholic version. And that’s okay. But isn’t it nice to know that when it comes to managing your intake, ABSTINENCE has got your back