Exploring The No-Alcohol Movement At A Mindful Drinking Festival
Is it time for health-based drinks and the ‘joy of missing out’?
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This past weekend, I took a gentle stroll down to Brighton’s Open Market to explore Club Soda’s Mindful Drinking Festival. I had picked up a flyer from an art gallery a week before, and it had piqued my interest.
After years of terrible hangovers after just a few drinks, I always told people that I was ‘not a good drinker’. I would explain to people that for me, one glass of wine was like having three- it would affect me in the same way.
In recent years, I realised that I was drinking just to ‘fit in’. I didn’t really like getting drunk, and whilst I like the taste of alcohol, one or two drinks is probably all my body can handle.
After a bout of severely ill health post-covid, I bit the bullet. I decided to give up. I was virtually teetotal anyway, but I haven’t touched alcohol since December last year, and I have decided that I’ll only drink small amounts on special occasions — weddings and my birthday.
So I was curious to see what was on offer at the festival.
JOMO Club
I had a good chat with Gemma and Richard from JOMO club, a duo who built their business after lockdown and deciding there must be a better way to enjoy yourself and socialise.
The ‘Joy of Missing Out’ Club is a monthly subscription box, packed with alcohol-free treats such as spritzers, botanical drinks, ‘g&t’, a packet of crisps, and more! They work alongside mixologists and tasters to select the best tasting non-alcoholic spirit each month. They then pair it with mixers, garnishes, snacks, a cocktail of the month and a 20 page magazine.
I got a goodybag, which was a welcome treat to take on to my next destination hanging out at the beach. The drinks were nice — most of them tasted exactly like the real thing. My favorite was the allotment drink, the Barbarilla Soda with Star Anise and Rhubarb.
