Sober October

You would be forgiven for thinking that at Trust Inns, we’d be against the idea of Sober October, after all we own a portfolio of 350 pubs, and have a host of tenants and pub management teams to consider.

However, we aren’t against it. In fact, we’re all for it, and actively support MacMillan Cancer and their activities and endeavours as a charity. If an individual, wishes to go alcohol free for a month, that is their choice. All we ask, is that for this month they don’t forget the humble, British Pub or Bar.

If you are a tenant of one our pubs, feel free to share this article with your regulars. Share it on your Facebook to your regulars. Let them know that they are still welcome in your pub, even if they are going Sober for October.

If you’re reading this and you are a pub drinker who has decided to go sober for the month, remember that you are welcome in our pubs. We hope that you enjoy your Coke, cordial or which ever soft drink beverage you decide to drink.

Alternatively, if you’re stood behind the bar serving drinks, Sober October gives you a great opportunity to show off your large range of soft drinks. Get the orange juice out, pour the lemonade, flash the soda. Hey! Give it a dash of lime and make a spectacle of it. Ever heard of mocktails? More on them later, but first…

Rule Number One…

Stay Social – Your Social Life is Important

So you’re going for it. You’ve signed up and have a few donations, you might have even told some friends whose reactions have ranged from sniggering banter, words of encouragement or condemning you to failure before you’ve even started.

But don’t worry. You can show them. They are wrong, and you are right. And a great way of doing this is by going to the pub. Yes, seriously. Go to the pub. Just don’t drink anything alcoholic. You shouldn’t be punished for going sober. Least of all by yourself. You don’t need to stay in the house curled up watching boxsets with a cup of tea.

Instead, get your coat on, get down to the pub and buy yourself a Ginger Beer. Non-alcoholic of course. Or how about a lime and soda? That’s cheap and very refreshing. This way, you can meet your mates, watch the football, play pool, still be part of the Darts team and smash the pictures round in the pub quiz whilst staying fully committed to the go Sober for October cause. Who is laughing now?

You’ve had great fun, socialised, won the pub quiz and done it all whilst sober. Well done you.

Soon you’ll be feeling…

The Benefits of Going Sober!

There are of course several benefits to go going Sober this October.

• Weight loss – Alcoholic drinks can be quite calorific, if you’re a regular drinker, you might be surprised to see the scales decrease slightly after a month of sobriety.
• Save Money – There’s no other way to say it, soft drinks are cheaper than alcoholic drinks. You might feel slightly cheated if you find yourself in a round, but the easy way around this is… not to be in a round in the first place! If your mates have an issue with this, insist that they donate to MacMillan. Problem solved.
• Rejuvenation – After a couple of weeks of no alcohol in your system, you will feel rejuvenated. You will feel fresher. You will feel more alert. You will read the next point.
• Better Sleeping Habits – Contrary to popular belief, Alcohol leads to poorer sleep patterns, not better. Refer back to the point the above.
• Also… You can be the designated Driver – Ok, so this depends on what you are doing, your plans and if you have a car, valid driving license and all the legal stuff like insurance, etc… But it’s a good opportunity to earn some brownie points with your partner or friends and set forward to being designated driver for the month. You legend!

So what have you been drinking instead of your favourite white wine spritzer or pint of premium lager? You might have tried some…

Mocktails!

Everyone loves a Cocktail. So why not try a Mocktail? It’s exactly what it says on the tin. A non-alcoholic answer to a Cocktail. Aka Mock-up of a cocktail. Get it? Of course you do.

In fact, some varieties actually taste of their alcoholic cousins.

But don’t worry about that overly, you might crave a mojito or cosmopolitan, but Mocktails can also exist on their own accord with their own flavour profile, and are designed to be a flavoursome drinks for adults to enjoy.

Surely everyone has heard of a Bloody Mary, but how about a Virgin Mary? It’s essentially the same, just minus the Vodka. Have a chat with your local bar staff and see if they can make up a Shirley Temple or Roy Rogers for you. Just don’t be disappointed if they don’t know how to make one without instructions though! If you’re a Trust Inns’ Tenant, this could be a good excuse to make an October Menu of Mocktails?

After month of no alcohol, you should remember more than ever to…

Drink Responsibly.

If you are going to ‘Go Sober October’ and decide to have a drink on the 1^st November, don’t go hell for leather. Dancing on tables, swinging from the rafters, conga-lines… it’s very tempting, but maybe just ease yourself back into drinking rather than having a big session. We know that the temptation is there, but you should always drink responsibly and be drink aware. You might be surprised by how much your tolerance to alcohol is affected. There’s no shame in being a lightweight cheap date, just be aware that you might feel tipsy after a pint or two, where-as previously you might have been able to consume more. Please be sensible when you have a drink and stay safe.

Thank you for reading this Trust Inns blog post about Sober October, if you would like to see more posts from Trust Inns please refer to our blog page, contact us or follow our social media accounts.

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