u/IntroductionOld1800

How have your drinking habits changed recently (or not so recently)?

Personally, about two years ago, I took a major step back from alcohol. I was drinking most days, and going pretty heavy on the weekends.

I always had tired or headachy mornings, and now I wake up at sunrise pretty naturally.

If a do have some alcoholic drinks, I definitely notice a difference in that I am groggy and cranky.

I never thought I'd be able to cut back (tried for years) but at one point I just got fed up with myself and said F this I need to change.

I knew I was most likely to reach for a glass of wine when I was stressed or anxious about something, so I started researching herbal teas that would help with that.

Whether they really helped or not, I was able to make a drastic change in my life.

I still have a drink on the weekends, but its not that frequent. And rarely, I still overdo it. Nothing terrible, but the next day I'm thinking I could have skipped that third glass. Number three is always the problem!

What have your experiences been cutting back but still having some alcohol? Or quitting completely?

I used to be able to throw back!

And now it’s like one drink affects me.

That’s a good thing— and sometimes I think I may quit completely.

I do love great wine though and have an appreciation for it.

But sometimes I think— is this all created hype?

Have I been duped?

Is it just fermented juice?!

(Existential crisis / 1st world problems)

Thoughts, my wine loving comrades?

Does anyone else live in the in-between?

I’m curious how many people here identify with the gray area — not sober necessarily, not drinking the way they once did either… just rethinking things. (I can say that I’ve changed my habits in a big way and I’m so glad I did.)

Maybe you drink less.

Maybe you take weeknights off.

Maybe you still enjoy wine or cocktails, but differently.

I’d love to hear what “in-between” looks like for you.

I’m starting to suspect one reason some people say they “don’t like” non-alcoholic alternatives is that so many of them skew sweet. Wonder if that’s part of the category’s challenge.

Is it the perceived broad appeal of sweet beverages that point beverage companies into this territory?

Is it a lazy way to make up for the body / texture in alcohol?

Am I the only one that feels this way? Why are we not getting things that are a little bit lively rather than pure saccharin sweet?

What products do you guys love that aren’t on the overly sweet side?

What actually tastes good to you?

When I first started drinking less alcohol, I found myself buying things that looked good on the shelf, but tasted like either: flavored water, flavored seltzer or just plain nasty.

Why is it hard to create something awesome? Is it because its designed for mass production, because they use cheap flavorings and cut corners, or because alcohol does something that can't be easily emulated?

Alcohol is able to capture aromas and lock them in unlike water, so there may be something there. Plus, it contributes body-- this is hard to approximate although there are certainly ways to do that.

I’m curious: what have you tried that you genuinely liked?

Something that felt a bit more special, elevated, or complex-- kind of like a well made cocktail or glass of wine.