Things you can do right now to reduce the amount of ale or stout you are drinking
To stay on track, try these top tips:
- Drink soft drinks between ales. Drinking juice or another soft option between drinks will help you stay hydrated and slow down the rate you're drinking. Ale drinkers appreciate the unique flavours in each brew, so a glass of water can help cleanse the palette between different drinks.
- Look at the ABV. You’ll usually find the ABV written on the pump at the pub or on the side of the can or bottle. It’s your at-a-glance guide to an ale's strength. Brands with higher ABVs have more alcohol, and more alcohol units – so think about choosing a half rather than a pint.
- Opt out of rounds. Drinking in rounds means that you're drinking at the speed of the fastest drinker, so you could be consuming your units faster than you'd like. Regain control, and maybe even save some cash, by buying your own drinks instead.
- Give alcohol-free days a go. If you drink regularly, your body starts to build up a tolerance to alcohol. This is why many medical experts recommend taking regular alcohol-free days off from drinking to ensure you don't become addicted to alcohol. Test out having a break for yourself and see what positive results you notice.
- Keep a drink diary. If you choose to drink, recording exactly what you’ve drunk during the week will tell you whether you're keeping within the low risk drinking guidelines. Our free Drinkaware: Track and Calculate Units app is perfect for tracking your drinks when you’re out and about.
