Drinking Alone with Julia Bainbridge

My guest this week is food writer and all-around cool girl Julia Bainbridge, whose new book Good Drinks puts a whole new spin on just how “good” alcohol-free drinks can be. 

She also came to this project from a personal place – having been questioning her own drinking for the past several years, and she shares where she is currently at on this path and how the pandemic has influenced her relationship with booze. 

We also discuss Julia’s podcast, The Lonely Hour, which is a deep dive into what some have termed the “loneliness epidemic” – and how our current social recession is impacting our drinking choices. In this episode we discuss:

-Why it’s time to rethink what we mean when we say let’s “get a drink” 

-Why the term “mocktail” is a thing of the past, and what industry-professionals are calling these drinks instead

-What makes a really good af drink.

-Her experience as a grey-area drinker and where she believes she falls on the scale of alcohol misuse.

-How she has come to define “problem drinking” for herself.

-How her mother’s issues with alcohol have influenced her choices today.

-Why she uses the term “alcohol-free” versus “sober” to describe her not drinking.

-Getting extra support for her stay alcohol-free during COVID.

-The psychology of drinking alone vs. drinking in groups to mask social anxiety.

-The difference between loneliness, isolation, and solitude - and what they can teach us.

-The value of a simple, quiet life. 

Get your copy of Julia's book, Good Drinks, HERE, and follow her on Instagram @juliabainbridge.

Thanks to Damrak Virgin for partnering on this episode. You can download a PDF of Mindful Cocktails from Damrak HERE and get $5 off your Damrak Virgin Amazon order through end of Jan 2021 with the code SOBERCURIOUS

You can also get your copy of The Sober Curious Reset: Change the Way You Drink in 100 Days or Less HERE.