Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
**A Spotify 'Rising Star' show** How do I drink less without quitting completely? What's the difference between low, no and light alcohol drinks? Why can't I drink like I used to? 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:
Drinks 101 Mini-Series – Short educational episodes demystifying the confusing world of low and no alcohol drinks:
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:
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.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
181. Is Moderation Really Harder Than Quitting Alcohol?
|
Jun 17, 2026 |
|
180. Why Alcohol Tastes Different When You Drink Less
|
Jun 10, 2026 |
|
179. Motivation, Discipline, Willpower: Which One Actually Helps You Drink Less?
|
Jun 03, 2026 |
|
178. Hangovers, Hormones & Holding Your Ground: An Honest Midlife Drinking Conversation
|
May 27, 2026 |
|
177. 3 Morning Habits That Make Alcohol Moderation Harder
|
May 20, 2026 |
|
176. The Hidden Biology Behind Brutal Hangovers After 40
|
May 13, 2026 |
|
175. 6 Causes, 6 Questions: What's Really Driving Your Over-Drinking?
|
May 06, 2026 |
|
174. Why Are You Waiting for Rock Bottom?
|
Apr 29, 2026 |
|
173. Alcohol Cravings Don't Last As Long As You Think (And 4 Steps To Take When One Hits)
|
Apr 22, 2026 |
|
172. 6 Uncomfortably Honest Reasons to Avoid Low/No Drinks
|
Apr 15, 2026 |
|
171. The Limiting Beliefs Keeping You Stuck in the Same Drinking Patterns
|
Apr 08, 2026 |
|
170. Hangxiety to Boredom: 5 Easy-to-Miss Signs You’re Ready to Drink Differently
|
Apr 01, 2026 |
|
169. 20 Small Shifts That Changed How I Drink (5 Years In)
|
Mar 25, 2026 |
|
168. Drinks 101: Why Is There So Little Alcohol-Free Beer on Draught?
|
Mar 23, 2026 |
|
167. 5 Words That Keep You Drinking More Than You Want To
|
Mar 18, 2026 |
|
166. Drinks 101: Can 0.5% Drinks Get You Drunk?
|
Mar 16, 2026 |
|
165. Stepping Back From Mindful Drinking to Move Forward
|
Mar 11, 2026 |
|
164. Drinks 101: Why Do Alcohol-Free Drinks Cost So Much?
|
Mar 09, 2026 |
|
163. 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About the Pros & Cons of Different Moderation Techniques
|
Mar 04, 2026 |
|
162. Drinks 101: CBD in Alcohol-Free Drinks
|
Mar 02, 2026 |
|
161. The Real Reason Your Friends Can’t Take ‘No’ for an Answer
|
Feb 25, 2026 |
|
160. Drinks 101: What Are Nootropics?
|
Feb 23, 2026 |
|
159. INSIDE THE MINDFUL DRINKING RESET: Can You Really Change Your Drinking in 4 Weeks?
|
Feb 18, 2026 |
|
158. Drinks 101: What Are Adaptogens?
|
Feb 16, 2026 |
|
157. 8 Things I’d Tell You About Mindful Drinking If I Wasn't Afraid to Hurt Your Feelings
|
Feb 11, 2026 |
|
156. Drinks 101: Functional Drinks
|
Feb 09, 2026 |
|
155. Identity Crisis: Does Drinking Less Mean Becoming Less You?
|
Feb 04, 2026 |
|
154. Introducing Drinks 101: Making Low/No Make Sense
|
Feb 02, 2026 |
|
153. Are You Too Old For Mindful Drinking?
|
Jan 28, 2026 |
|
152. Reduce, Replace, R… The Third R of Mindful Drinking
|
Jan 21, 2026 |
|
151. Beating Quitter’s Day! The Dry January Myths That Sabotage Your Success
|
Jan 14, 2026 |
|
150. Dry January: The Pros, The Cons & The Sunnyside Perspective
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
|
Mindful Drinking New Year’s Eve: End the Year on Your Terms
|
Dec 31, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 26: Boxing Day: The Second Coming of Christmas
|
Dec 26, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 25: Merry Christmas — Enjoy the Day!
|
Dec 25, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 24: Christmas Eve - Rest Now, Enjoy Tomorrow
|
Dec 24, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 23: Travel Tactics for a Clear Arrival
|
Dec 23, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 22: Hosting with Ease and Inclusion
|
Dec 22, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 21: Redefining “Treat Yourself”
|
Dec 21, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 20: Surviving the Chaos of Family Without Drinking Christmas Away
|
Dec 20, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 19: Set Yourself Up to Succeed at Home
|
Dec 19, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 18: Wake Up Winning (But Don’t Be That Guy)
|
Dec 18, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 17: You Don’t Need Dutch Courage
|
Dec 17, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 16: Finding Alcohol-Free Drinks You Genuinely Love
|
Dec 16, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 15: Protect Your Sleep, Protect Yourself
|
Dec 15, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 14: Your Mid-Month Check-In
|
Dec 14, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 13: What To Do When Last Night Went Off-Piste
|
Dec 13, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 12: The Truth About That First Drink
|
Dec 12, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 11: How to Handle Those “Just Have One” Moments
|
Dec 11, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 10: Mull Everything — Festive Is a Feeling, Not an ABV
|
Dec 10, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 9: The Long Lunch Survival Guide
|
Dec 09, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 8: Your Moderation Techniques for December
|
Dec 08, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 7: The Sunday Night Calendar Audit You Actually Need
|
Dec 07, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 6: The Luxury of a Hangover-Free Saturday
|
Dec 06, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 5: When Every Night Feels Like Friday Night
|
Dec 05, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 4: Surviving the First Big Christmas Party — The ‘Ready, Steady, Go’ Plan
|
Dec 04, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 3: The After-Work Wind Down (Without Reflex-Drinking)
|
Dec 03, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 2: Bubbles Done Right
|
Dec 02, 2025 |
|
Mindful Drinking Advent 1: Design Your Christmas (Before December Does It for You)
|
Dec 01, 2025 |
|
122: 18 Quick-Fire, Awkward (& Sometimes Funny) Truths About Your Sober-ish Christmas
|
Nov 26, 2025 |
|
121: Fat Jabs 2. A Gateway to Sobriety or A Dangerous Shortcut?
|
Nov 19, 2025 |
|
120: Willpower Won't Get You Through Christmas: 4 Steps to Change Your Drinking Beliefs
|
Nov 12, 2025 |
|
119: Going Daily for December
|
Nov 11, 2025 |
|
118: Why You Can’t Drink Like You Used To
|
Nov 05, 2025 |
|
117: Inside the Asahi / Peroni 15% Alcohol-Free Mission
|
Oct 29, 2025 |
|
116: Mindful Drinking Nights Out: The 3-Stage Strategy for Success
|
Oct 22, 2025 |
|
115: Why Your Partner Struggles When You Start Drinking Less
|
Oct 15, 2025 |
|
114: £800 Million Lost, Over-55s Join In & Why "Drinking Less" Is the Wrong Term
|
Oct 08, 2025 |
|
113: Thinking of Doing Sober October? There's a Better Way
|
Oct 01, 2025 |
|
112: Rejected For Moderating by Friends, Family or Colleagues
|
Sep 24, 2025 |
|
111: Drinking on Autopilot: How Daily Stress Fuels Your Evening Habits
|
Sep 17, 2025 |
|
110: 7 Myths About Moderation That Stop You Drinking Mindfully
|
Sep 10, 2025 |
|
109: £62,899 on Booze in a Lifetime
|
Sep 03, 2025 |
|
108: Costs Pt1: What You’re Really Paying For
|
Aug 27, 2025 |
|
107: Masculinity, Mental Health, and Moderation with Performance Coach Ben Hill
|
Aug 20, 2025 |
|
106: Introvert, Extrovert, Ambivert: 4 Steps to Match Your Drinking Style to Your Social Energy
|
Aug 13, 2025 |
|
105: Defending Your Right to Moderate in an All-or-Nothing World
|
Aug 06, 2025 |
|
104: 5 Secrets to Better Mocktails at Home with Lila Volkas
|
Jul 30, 2025 |
|
103: No One Tells You This About Drinking Less in Midlife
|
Jul 23, 2025 |
|
102: "No One Wanted to Work with Me" - Athletic Brewing's Bill Shufelt
|
Jul 16, 2025 |
|
Welcome to the New Show!
|
Jul 09, 2025 |
|
101: 10 Things You Need to Know Before Starting Your Dry Month Challenge
|
Jul 09, 2025 |
|
100: Episodes, 15 Questions, 1 major update
|
Jul 02, 2025 |
|
#99. Between Teetotal and Tipsy: The Lost Art of Small Beer
|
Jun 25, 2025 |
|
#98. Lyre’s: The Honest Truth
|
Jun 18, 2025 |
|
#97. Adults Only? Are Alcohol-Free Drinks Safe for Kids?
|
Jun 13, 2025 |
|
#96. Get That "One or Two Pint" Feeling with Impossibrew’s Social Blend
|
Jun 11, 2025 |
|
#95. Alcohol-Free Wine vs AF Beer: It's Not a Fair Fight
|
Jun 06, 2025 |
|
#94. Lifted: The UK's First High Protein, Alcohol-Free Lager
|
Jun 04, 2025 |
|
#93. Stop Asking If I Still Drink Alcohol!
|
May 30, 2025 |
|
#92. “Turning my mess into my message” - Laura Silverman, Zero Proof Nation
|
May 28, 2025 |
|
#91. Be the Voice of Low No Nation
|
May 23, 2025 |
|
#90. How Lucky Saint Is Brewing Beer You Can Believe In (Even at Lunchtime)
|
May 21, 2025 |
|
#89. How I Got It All Wrong at a 5-Year-Old's Birthday Party
|
May 16, 2025 |
|
#88. Sober Sound System Ibiza: Changing Raving on the No.1 Party Island
|
May 14, 2025 |
|
#87. The Uncomfortable Truth: 4 Reasons Some Alcohol-Free Drinks Fall Flat
|
May 09, 2025 |
|
#86. 50/50: The Cocktail Box Company Bridging Alcohol-Free & Alcohol-Full
|
May 07, 2025 |
|
#85. Move Over Gen Z: How Midlife Moderators are Changing the Drinking Game
|
May 02, 2025 |
|
#84. 5 Hours of Sober Clubbing Bliss with The House of Happiness
|
Apr 30, 2025 |
|
#83. You Can Drink Your Own Way
|
Apr 25, 2025 |
|
#82. “I Thought Alcohol-Free Beer Was Disgusting” How Jump Ship’s Founder Changed Her Own Mind
|
Apr 23, 2025 |
|
#81. Powerful Mindset Shifts That Will Transform Your Experience with Low/No Drinks – Pt2
|
Apr 18, 2025 |
|
#80. 12 Years in the Making: From Seedlip to Seasn to Sylva to Shandy with Ben Branson
|
Apr 16, 2025 |
|
#79. Powerful Mindset Shifts That Will Transform Your Experience with Low/No Drinks – Pt1
|
Apr 11, 2025 |
|
#78. How Your Tastes Change When You Start Drinking Low/No
|
Apr 09, 2025 |
|
#77. Ethical Consumerism Meets Mindful Drinking with Sea Change Wines
|
Apr 04, 2025 |
|
#76. Beyond Bananas! 12 Everyday Foods That Contain Alcohol
|
Apr 02, 2025 |
|
#75. Beyond Wine: Creating Category-Less Drinks with Muri
|
Mar 28, 2025 |
|
#74. 50% of Drinkers Prefer Going for Two: How ‘Coasting’ Is Changing the Way We Moderate
|
Mar 26, 2025 |
|
#73. America's 1st Non-Alc Bottle Shop, Celebrity Brands & THC Drinks
|
Mar 20, 2025 |
|
#72. The Problem with Naming Alcohol-Free Spirits
|
Mar 18, 2025 |
|
#71. Award-Winning Sober Bartender's Guide to Non-Alc Spirits & Cocktails
|
Mar 13, 2025 |
|
#70. Mocktail: The Dirty Word of Alcohol-Free Drinking
|
Mar 11, 2025 |
|
#69. The Fungi Consultant: Do Functional Mushrooms Work in Low/No Drinks?
|
Mar 06, 2025 |
|
#68. The No.1 Mistake Made by New Low/No Drinkers
|
Mar 04, 2025 |
|
#67. MUUSH: The Functional Mushroom Elixir Served Hot, Cold & in Mocktails
|
Feb 27, 2025 |
|
#66. Active vs Passive Moderation Techniques
|
Feb 25, 2025 |
|
#65. No Compromise with ZENO Alcohol-Liberated Wines
|
Feb 20, 2025 |
|
#64. What The Heck Do Functional Beverages Even Do (& do they work)?
|
Feb 18, 2025 |
|
#63. What Are Zebra Striping and Bookending (& Do They Work)?
|
Feb 13, 2025 |
|
#62. What Exactly is a Unit & How Many Are in My Favourite Drinks?
|
Feb 11, 2025 |
|
#61. Alcohol-Free Spirit-Forward Events with Third Place Bar
|
Feb 06, 2025 |
|
#60. What Are Alcohol-Free RTDs? (& Where Can I Find Them?)
|
Feb 04, 2025 |
|
#59. Plant-Powered AF Brewing: On Beer
|
Jan 30, 2025 |
|
#58. What Do I Do After Dry January?
|
Jan 28, 2025 |
|
#57. Why Non-Alc is Boring: Drink The Pathfinder
|
Jan 23, 2025 |
|
#56. The ABVs of Low/No Alcohol Drinks
|
Jan 21, 2025 |
|
#55. Rebels0.0: Launching Switzerland’s 1st Alcohol-Free Brand
|
Jan 16, 2025 |
|
#54. Introducing Low No Drinker FAQ
|
Jan 15, 2025 |
|
#53. Creating A Household Legacy with Noughty AF Wines & Amanda Thomson
|
Jan 09, 2025 |
|
#52. Mash Gang/Dionilife with Damian McKinney
|
Jan 02, 2025 |
|
#51. Taking a Christmas Break
|
Dec 26, 2024 |
|
#50 Eisberg Wine: Dealcoholisation & Doubling Capacity
|
Dec 20, 2024 |
|
#49. San Francisco’s Ocean Beach Cafe
|
Dec 13, 2024 |
|
#48. Wild Idol: Naturally Alcohol-Free, Premium, Sparkling Wine
|
Dec 05, 2024 |
|
#47. Psychotropic-Curious with High & Dry Founder Daniel Rowntree
|
Nov 29, 2024 |
|
#46. Double Dutch Mixers: Supporting Low/No Drinkers & Women in Hospitality
|
Nov 21, 2024 |
|
#45. 5 New Functional Spirits from Smiling Wolf
|
Nov 14, 2024 |
|
#44. From Whole Foods To Harrods: Creating Diversity in Non-Alc Cocktails with Savyll
|
Nov 08, 2024 |
|
#43. Inspiration & innovation with NON World Wine Alternatives
|
Nov 01, 2024 |
|
#42. Behind the Scenes with the Co-Founders of The World Alcohol-Free Awards
|
Oct 25, 2024 |
|
#41. Session Gin: A 25% Gin for the Modern Drinker
|
Oct 18, 2024 |
|
#40. What Low/No Drinkers Are Really Saying
|
Oct 11, 2024 |
|
#39. Bolle: The Only Double-Fermented Alcohol-Free Sparkling Wine in the World!
|
Oct 03, 2024 |
|
#38. 80/20 Living with MoodyBrew Functional Adult Drinks
|
Sep 27, 2024 |
|
#37. You Don't Need A Sad Story (Don't Do What I Did)
|
Sep 21, 2024 |
|
#36. Launching A Brand New Non-Alcoholic Cider with Chance Clean Cider
|
Sep 14, 2024 |
|
#35. Reimagining Classic Cocktails with Talonmore Scottish AF Spirit
|
Sep 07, 2024 |
|
#34. Making 6% Red Wine with Co-Founder Russell Lamb
|
Aug 31, 2024 |
|
#33. GNISTA's 'Not' Spirits & 'Not' Red Wines with Erika Ollén
|
Aug 24, 2024 |
|
#32. Exploring Everleaf: From Conservation to Cocktails with Founder Paul Mathew
|
Aug 17, 2024 |
|
#31. Alcohol-Free Drinks: Triggers or Lifesavers?
|
Aug 09, 2024 |
|
#30. REAL: The Sparkling Tea for Wine Enthusiasts
|
Aug 03, 2024 |
|
#29. The Rise and Rise of Mocktails with Pooja Sharma-Jones
|
Jul 28, 2024 |
|
#28. 1,500 AF Beers & Counting, with Martin Dixon
|
Jul 19, 2024 |
|
#27. Meeting the Botanist: The Tea-Infused 'Function-Ale'
|
Jul 12, 2024 |
|
#26. Understanding the Costs of Low/No-&-Light: Why Alcohol-Free Drinks Aren't Cheap
|
Jul 09, 2024 |
|
#25. £12k Bottling Disaster with Carouse Alcohol-Free Spirit Founder Steph Elswood
|
Jul 05, 2024 |
|
#24. Pubs & Pints with Big Drop Brewing Co-Founder Rob Fink
|
Jun 27, 2024 |
|
#23. Fighting Back: Alcoholism, Monopolies & Love with Myth & Goat Founder Colette Safhill
|
Jun 21, 2024 |
|
#22. Unpopular opinion? The Moderating Middle
|
Jun 14, 2024 |
|
#21. DECEM: From MasterChef Finalist to 10% Spirit Distiller
|
Jun 08, 2024 |
|
#19. You Don't Have to be An Alcoholic to Rethink Your Drinking
|
May 24, 2024 |
|
#18. Sober Curious or Mindful Drinker: What's the Difference?
|
May 16, 2024 |
|
#17. The Future of Alcohol-Free Drinks in Bars
|
May 10, 2024 |
|
#16. Exploring Lighter Spirits with Quarter Proof 15%
|
May 03, 2024 |
|
#15. Crossip: The Zero-Strength Spirit Made for Full-Strength Drinkers
|
Apr 24, 2024 |
|
#14. Unfiltered Journeys in Fermentation with Ama Brewery
|
Apr 15, 2024 |
|
#13. Fat Jabs & Their Impact on Drinking Low/No
|
Apr 11, 2024 |
|
#12. Redefining Scottish Alcohol-Free Spirits with Feragaia
|
Apr 04, 2024 |
|
#11. Understanding the UK Low/Alcohol-Free/Non-Alcoholic Labelling System
|
Mar 21, 2024 |
|
#10. The Quest for Inclusive Mixology with All the Bitter AF Cocktail Bitters
|
Mar 15, 2024 |
|
#9. Dealcoholised Vs Alcohol-Free Wine Making with Wednesday's Domaine
|
Mar 08, 2024 |
|
#8 From Alcohol Sales Rep to Novice AF Brewer - Clean Break Brewing
|
Feb 29, 2024 |
|
#7. Alcohol-Free Brewing meets Mushroom Magic with Fungtn
|
Feb 21, 2024 |
|
#6. Lecap: The 5% Rosé Wine
|
Oct 31, 2023 |
|
#5. Meeting Gen!us 3% Beer Co-Founder Jason Clarke
|
Oct 05, 2023 |
|
#4. Going International with South Africa's Mahala Botanical AF Spirit
|
Sep 08, 2023 |
|
#3. Good Karma, Good Beer with Founder Steve Sailopal
|
Sep 02, 2023 |
|
#2. La Maison Wellness founder Camille Vidal, aka Mindfully Cami
|
Aug 19, 2023 |
|
#1. Movie Inspiration with Unltd. Founder Johnny Johnson
|
Aug 07, 2023 |