It’s been over a year since I had a pint of beer. The last time I had a beer was at a home-brewers meeting. We tasted many barley wines and many other concoctions. Most of the home-brewed beer was good, as was the beer from the pub downstairs.

I’ve drunk beer for as long as I’ve been an adult and before. I entered university as a lager drinking and left as a real ale drinker. You see, going to university does have a positive impact.

The problem for me is that drinking beer wrecks my digestive system and makes me tired. In December 2023 I made the decision to stop drinking beer. And I haven’t had a beer since. I’ve stuck to wine and spirits - mainly wine. The benefit of wine is that you can drink modest amounts of it on a diet, provided it is dry.

So do I miss beer? Not really.

I don’t get as many stomach problems as I did when I drunk beer. I still get them if I eat too many potatoes or bread, but these do not cause as much of a problem as beer.

I quite like popping down the pub to have a drink, either on my own or with friends or colleagues. Drinking beer is less intoxicating than alternatives. One must be careful drinking wine because it is stronger and easier to drink.

I stopped home-brewing beer because there was no demand for the supply. I’m surprised I don’t miss home-brewing more, but I’ve sold my equipment. I do miss the home-brewing circle meetings due to the people in it, rather than the beer. It feels a little pointless going to a meeting about beer and not drinking it.

I’ve tried to cut out alcohol for long periods. For me it makes it difficult to go out and socialise. Also going out to a comedy club is less fun without a drink.

So I don’t miss beer. But I would miss a glass of wine. This year I’m going to cut down and restrict drinking to one day a week. I’ve given myself two passes in Q1 2025 just in case of emergencies. The key is to set the rules up so that 80% of the time you are doing the right thing.