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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is drinking alcohol free alcohol cheating?

23 replies

coodawoodashooda · 30/04/2023 18:12

Just looking for opinions. I haven’t drunk actual alcohol since the end of December. Recently, I've enjoyed a few bottles of af wine. Feels like I'm not being a true teetotaller. How do you do being af?

OP posts:
OrwellianTimes · 30/04/2023 18:13

You haven’t drunk alcohol so no.

CaptainMyCaptain · 30/04/2023 18:14

If it's alcohol free it's not alcohol so no problem.

Original poster
coodawoodashooda · 30/04/2023 18:15

I guess at Christmas I thought I'd be sipping hot lemon and be disgusted by the sight of wine. Guess I'm not a hot lemon type of person.

OP posts:
teaandtoastwithmarmite · 30/04/2023 18:17

I drink af beer. It's just nice

Lcb123 · 30/04/2023 18:18

Of course it’s not. But many are 0.5% not zero so check if that’s important to you. It’s a good way for me to have a treat but without the alcohol

LCTikaheu · 30/04/2023 18:18

Not cheating at all. Sometime u just need a change from other soft drinks.

Bleakhouser · 30/04/2023 18:20

Of course not! It’s fine to drink AF drinks

KnackeredBack · 30/04/2023 18:20

Totally not cheating. Enjoy it!

SinisterIslandRoundabout · 30/04/2023 18:22

I gave up for nearly 4 years from January 2019.

There wasn’t much choice with non-alcoholic ‘grown-up’ drinks if you see what I mean but things have moved on massively. You can now get some decent n-a wines, ciders, beers and fizz. I always had 0% alcohol rather than then very low alternatives and didn’t consider it to be cheating.

Enjoy!

Spiderysenses · 30/04/2023 18:25

Unashamedly piggy backing on this thread (and no you are not cheating). But all you alcohol free drinkers, can you recommend a decent AF, grown up, red wine? By grown up I mean something that doesn't taste of sweet berries, more something like a Rioja?

Thereshegoesagain · 30/04/2023 18:29

I stopped drinking alcohol 9 years ago and drink non alcoholic drinks whenever I used to drink alcohol.
It's not cheating.
Having a coke is crap and boring and the big thing for me is that at the pub or party or nigh out I don't have to field the 'why don't you drink alcohol' questions quite as much when I've got a bottle of peroni 0% in my hand.

mauricemossmylove · 30/04/2023 18:31

not cheating at all

Original poster
coodawoodashooda · 30/04/2023 18:38

You've all made me feel much better. Thanks. Yeah. A night on cola is not fun. Somehow af wine sorts out the cravings.

OP posts:
bellac11 · 30/04/2023 18:42

Cheating what or who?

Original poster
coodawoodashooda · 30/04/2023 18:51

bellac11 · 30/04/2023 18:42

Cheating what or who?

My supposed changed attitude to alcohol. I saw on Instagram someone slating the 'romance' of alcohol. Still enjoying that seems inappropriate somehow.

OP posts:
Erex · 30/04/2023 19:06

I think it's fine. I like the taste of beer, more than the alcohol side of it. I had a few alcohol free beers while pregnant and I was surprised that the taste was exactly the same, I'd happily have only alcohol free beer now. 😊

Iwantmyoldnameback · 30/04/2023 19:18

I've never found an AF wine that isn't rank.

Testina · 30/04/2023 19:30

coodawoodashooda · 30/04/2023 18:51

My supposed changed attitude to alcohol. I saw on Instagram someone slating the 'romance' of alcohol. Still enjoying that seems inappropriate somehow.

Show quote history

I’m teetotal. I just bloody hate the taste of the stuff (all of it) and it makes me feel very sick very quickly. First teen forays in the park just as bad as giving it a go at a work team event with very expensive wine tasting.

I see an culture absolutely steeped in alcohol. I’m part of it. New house? Here, I bought you some champagne.

What I would see as “cheating” is if you’d decided to actively step away from the culture. So if you say you can’t have a fun night with cola instead of AF wine, then you’re cheating if you say your aim is to give up that culture. To actual need that wine substitute to have fun - rather than you just like the taste - means you’re still enmeshed in that culture.

But if your aim is simply not to drink alcohol - then what’s there to cheat about?!

TrickorTreacle · 30/04/2023 19:51

I like my normal wine but haven't had an AF wine that I actually liked yet.

Beers on the other hand seemed to have done a better job at being AF e.g. Heineken 0%. Then if I'd like alcohol but as lower strength, then I ask for a shandy, make it half lemonade and it still looks like a beer, not a coke.

Some 'mocktails' are nice too.

Original poster
coodawoodashooda · 30/04/2023 19:55

Testina · 30/04/2023 19:30

I’m teetotal. I just bloody hate the taste of the stuff (all of it) and it makes me feel very sick very quickly. First teen forays in the park just as bad as giving it a go at a work team event with very expensive wine tasting.

I see an culture absolutely steeped in alcohol. I’m part of it. New house? Here, I bought you some champagne.

What I would see as “cheating” is if you’d decided to actively step away from the culture. So if you say you can’t have a fun night with cola instead of AF wine, then you’re cheating if you say your aim is to give up that culture. To actual need that wine substitute to have fun - rather than you just like the taste - means you’re still enmeshed in that culture.

But if your aim is simply not to drink alcohol - then what’s there to cheat about?!

Show quote history

Blood hell. That might win the prize for the most insightful post I've ever read on here. You've totally nailed my confusion. I guess that's it. On Jan 1st I expected to embrace a world where I rejected alcohol. Actually I realise its the culture of drinking alcohol I like, more than the actual alcohol. I love a Friday night 'wine'. The fact it isn't laced with alcohol doesn't at all bother me. Quite a realisation. Thanks so much for this post.

OP posts:
Purplecatshopaholic · 30/04/2023 19:58

Bleakhouser · 30/04/2023 18:20

Of course not! It’s fine to drink AF drinks

This. Loads of good AF drinks out there now, so no need to nurse a warm Diet Coke all night. I like AF Heineken, or Erdinger.

User478 · 30/04/2023 20:07

Lcb123 · 30/04/2023 18:18

Of course it’s not. But many are 0.5% not zero so check if that’s important to you. It’s a good way for me to have a treat but without the alcohol

The same can be said of a ripe banana or orange juice that's been in your fridge for a few days.

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