I have not had an alcoholic drink for 8 months

“All the calories, none of the fun!”

I’m kinda over it now. If my attempt to stay dry were a mid-Atlantic row, this is the bit where I would be struggling with various existential crises. 

I’ve done the hard part. I’ve got past half way. I’m already thinking about what’s going to happen when I get to the end, but first I’ve just got to get through… this.

And what is this, exactly? What am I trying to prove? What am I not trying to prove? Do I care? Does it matter?

All these questions I will answer in another blog post, because right now I want to talk about the joys of alcohol-free beer. 

Photo: A. Wallis

I do not wish to denigrate the service alcohol-free beer provides. When I was on holiday in France, it was nice to be able to return to our villa after a hot day, open the fridge and pop the lid on an ice-cold alcohol-free beer. 

If it were real beer the first would be followed by the second in pretty short order, then perhaps a third or a fourth. But it wasn't and so it didn't. That is what is missing from alcohol-free beer. It's not very moreish.

In fact, I bought twelve "Bavaria" alcohol-free wit (wheat) beers (pictured above) on the second day of our one week holiday. By the end of the week I had three left. I gave them to my brother-in-law who was driving his lot to England whilst we flew. I saw him the other day and he returned two of the three bottles to me unopened. He didn't really like Bavaria Wit 0.0%, and as he is not Not Drinking for a year, didn't see the point.

I don't think I'll be buying any more alcohol-free beer, just as I won't be having a go at any more alcohol-free wines. Back to the water, and the diet coke, and the endless rowing, rowing, rowing...