markshepherd

Hi ladies and gents ...

So it's Friday night and I'm back on the wagon again AND this time it's for good due to health reasons.

I'm a 41 year old professional worker male who has been drinking socially (normally after work) since the age of 23.

Over the last 10 years I started taking my drinking home with me and my day would look like:

Arrive at the office for 8.30 am.
Work till 6 pm.
Go for a couple of pints of beer at the local bar with colleagues.
Home for dinner at 7.30 pm (glass of wine with dinner).
Work from home till 10.30 pm.
Out to my local pub for last orders and consum anything from 3 to 6 pints of normally Guinness.
Home at 13.30 am, check emails with a glass of wine.
Go to bed with another glass of wine, read the news on the iPad till I fall asleep.
Wake and repeat.

For the past 3 years I have stopped drinking on and off for normally a couple of month at a time.

My problem every time I have stopped in the past I find all drinks i.e. tea, coffee, juice etc simply boring :-(

Tonight I'm 5 days alcohol free and just discovered Tonic Water with a couple of cubes of ice and a slice of lemon is doing the trick

So my qu is, what are you drinking in the evenings that makes up for the lack of taste from most non alcoholic drinks?

Greating from the UK,
Mark

Maudcat

Hey, Mark. Sparkling flavored water, sparkling apple juice, lemonade, sometimes V-8 juice. To sleep sometimes warm mlk with honey and cinnamon. Peace.

markshepherd

Thanks Maudcat, the sparkling apple juice sounds great as does the warm milk with honey and cinnamon ... I'll pick both up when shopping in the morning :-)

SnazzyDresser

a few dozen cups of strong black coffee.

markshepherd

^ that along with sparkling water is my day drink. Unfortunately being only 5 days in I'm still having a hard time sleeping, but given time coffees the way forwards.

Maudcat

The sleeping thing should get better in a few days. Warm milk definitely helps. Congrats on your sober days. Keep it going.

Winslow

Hot chocolate

Ooona

I love tonic as well with a slice of lime! There is some controversy about whether quinine in large amounts is bad for you but I dont drink that much of it. I also like flavored water, ginger ale, coffee with sweet cream, peppermint tea, a thick milkshake, or a rootbeer float.

The thing I love the most? No hangover the next day! Wake up feeling refreshed and happy, at peace.

markshepherd

Thanks guys, let's keep the suggestions coming then we can make a kind of PDF non alcoholic drinks suggestion list which we all hopefully benefit from

purplepeopleeat

Tonight I'm drinking cherry coke zero. Also had some tea earlier

Linz805

I like blood orange pelligrino with a fresh orange squeezed in! I always keep my fridge stocked with La Croix's also!

Volshen

Water

markshepherd

Ooona thanks that is interesting regards the quinine found in Tonic Water. I will defo need to read into this more as I'd hate to damage my liver further.

... can we enjoy anything

markshepherd

Big fan of most pelligrino drinks but the lemon one is a bit to sweet

Mattq2

I drink about a half gallon of un sweet decafinated ice tea every day. When I first stopped drinking, I drank regular ice tea. All that caffeine made sleeping impossible.

Mick75

Good old root beer one glass only as sugar makes me a little hyper. I also like cranberry juice with a lemon twist and club soda over crushed ice. Water ice cold and of course coffee these are my go to drinks.

Delizadee

I love all the pellegrino drinks.
I will buy any carbonated waters/club soda on sale I can find.
Tons of gingerale... it's a horrible amount truly. lol but better than booze.
I love coffee and tea, all different kinds of teas. And ice cold water.
Slushie drinks are a nice occasional treat (just way too much sugar)
The occasional 'treat' coffee drink or frappuccino is yummy too.
All kinds of interesting juices to try, and iced teas.

Lost to be discovered even if there isn't a crazy array of kinds and brands like they do for alcohol other than virgin drinks, which aren't all that bad.

Mountainmanbob

I'm drinking MIO water enhancer.
Many flavors -- darn good.
Just a few drops in a glass of water.
MM

bexxed

So, espresso tonics are amazing. Tonic water and espresso. You can put an orange in it. I have also made it with coffee. Believeeee meeee.....

B

IHaveFaith2016

Coconut milk is delicious if it's really cold.
Or a smoothie in the blender with fruit, or a milk shake! That'll give you some flavor.