How Mindful Drinking Inspired Us to Create The Mindful Bar

Hi, we’re Sarah and Neil and we’re excited to welcome you to The Mindful Bar! Think of this as your online destination for pursuing a mindful drinking lifestyle and exploring the evolving world of non-alcoholic drinks.

Curious to know more about The Mindful Bar? Pull up a seat and make yourself comfy, as we share more about our journey with mindful drinking and alcohol-free beverages.

Our origin story

First, here’s a brief introduction of ourselves: We’re a married couple who had our first date at a cocktail bar. Ironically, neither of us are big drinkers, even though we enjoy the social experience of going to a bar. In fact, we went out of our way to find beverages from the menu that had less alcohol during that first date.

Alcohol + an empty stomach = a regretful first impression, not to mention feeling icky afterwards

Now as husband and wife, we both enjoy the great taste and craft of an occasional beer, wine, or cocktail. However, at this stage of our lives, we want to avoid the grogginess, queasiness, headaches, excess calories, and other negative effects of drinking too much alcohol.

We realized there had to be another way.

What is mindful drinking?

In the last couple years, wellness has become a more important focus worldwide. One of the pandemic’s outcomes has been increased feelings of loneliness, boredom, and isolation, which has led to higher rates of alcohol consumption and other health concerns.

Between 2019 and 2020, alcohol-induced deaths jumped 26%, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control.

As we read articles, watched videos, and spoke with friends and colleagues who practiced sobriety or drank alcohol less frequently, we came across the term “mindful drinking.” It was during this research and these conversations that we realized that mindfulness is key to reducing alcohol consumption.

You may have heard the term “mindfulness” as it relates to mental and emotional well-being. It describes the ability to be fully present in the moment without judgment and reactivity. Simply put, it’s about living in the present moment without distraction. The same can be said about drinking, so we decided to take a closer look at how to drink mindfully.

According to Club Soda, a UK-based organization that has helped “tens of thousands of people around the world have discovered a better life by moderating or quitting drinking,” has helped popularize the term “mindful drinking.”

For Club Soda, it all starts with paying attention to your drinking habits. Based on this article, here are seven questions that you can ask yourself regarding your consumption:

• When and where do you drink alcohol?
• Who do you drink alcohol with, or do you drink alone?
• How does drinking alcohol make you feel?
• How do you use drinking alcohol to relate to your environment?
• How does drinking impact your relationship with romantic partners, family, and friends?
• What kind of effect does drinking have on your work?
• How does drinking impact your physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual health?

The rise of non-alcoholic drinks

Besides the shift to mindful drinking, we’ve noticed the rise of dry beverages online and at our local supermarkets and bars.

Previously, making zero-proof beers and alcohol-free wines seemed like an afterthought for many breweries and wineries. However, there has been an explosion in new drinks to hit the market. Beyond non-alcohol beers and dealcoholized wine, there are other beverage categories ranging from zero-proof spirits and creative mocktails to hops water and healthier sodas.  

Whether it’s a market reaction to Gen Z or an increasing awareness to the ill effects of too much alcohol is up for debate, but the new non-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits are tasty and similar to the taste profile of standard alcoholic drinks.

What you can expect from The Mindful Bar

At The Mindful Bar, our mission is to provide resources and support for people looking to drink mindfully. We believe that by learning how to practice mindful drinking, we can prevent poor health, alcohol abuse, and other negative effects of too much drinking.

We also believe that cutting back on alcohol doesn’t make you any less cool or fun. We want to keep the experience informative yet lively!

Now that you have a better understanding of mindful drinking and The Mindful Bar’s origin story, here’s what you can expect from us in the future:

• Informational articles about practicing mindful drinking
• Spotlights and reviews on a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages
• A community of like-minded people who enjoy tasty drinks while pursuing a healthy lifestyle
• And so much more

Want to stay up to date with the latest updates from The Mindful Bar? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter.

Want to reach out to us? Send us an email at cheers@themindfulbar.com.

We look forward to exploring mindful drinking and non-alcoholic beverages alongside you on this journey. Cheers and here’s to your health!