Aibu to suggest alcohol is out of fashion in middle class circles?

[Coffeeandacupcake]

Just an observation, out for dinner with friends last Saturday night. We got taxis in, we always had a booze fest but now my friends have either cut out alcohol completely or stuck to one glass of wine or gin & tonic! Is alcohol going out of fashion in over 40, middle class circles or is it just my friends?

🙄

People in my 'social circle' (including myself) stopped or reduced drinking because of health reasons. There appears to be more awareness of healthy ageing and the adverse effects of alcohol, UPF, smoking etc.

This thread seems to attract people who want to prove that they are middle class and drinking and in great health. In reality, alcohol is addictive and not good for your health. A glass of wine here and there is probably OK, but I personally welcome alcohol-reduced evenings out, as conversations are actually interesting.

Very middle class friendship group, lives sponsored by wine and gin!

I joke, of course. But socially yes we all drink. However there will always be someone driving as private school kids at the root of friendships means we are geographically quite spaced out (15-30 miles between each family roughly).

Here's mine..also wanting snacks 😋

I suppose it depends on your definition though. I’ve not ever gone on alcohol fuelled benders so if that’s what you actually meant then no it’s totally out of fashion with us.

A few cocktails, gins or glasses of wine when we get together though - absolutely.

I'm teatotal and the relentless pressure to partake hasn't noticeably eased up here yet. Maybe quantities have lessened, but that's probably age.

Maybe I know too many doctors and lawyers, and spend too much time in London, but alcohol doesnt appear to be going out of fashion as far as I can see...

Ah yes, genuinely happy, satisfied and successful people definitely feel the need to boast about it in the middle of the day on an internet forum. We all believe you.

I don't think it's a middle age/middle class (lol) thing, I think it's generally a culture shift. I do think people are more conscious of health and fitness (or at least weight).

Drank like a fish in my twenties, bored of it now, also prefer one or two of something nice and no hangover. Lots of people also having children later, so those in early 40s often have primary school age DC. Nothing worse than a hang over other than a hangover whilst dealing with a five year old and no lie in

Mid 40s and feel ill when I drink now. Used to drink a lot. Literally can't take more than half a glass or one beer

I used to drink far too much in my 30's , a bottle of wine a night at least, more at weekends with cocktails and spirits.

I'm now 58, 3 stone overweight and about 2yrs ago I noticed what alcohol was doing to me.

My skin was awful, hangovers that would keep me in bed all day and an obvious beer belly. I was also diagnosed with bladder cancer and fatty liver and high BP.

I've reduced massively, I still have a decent (size and price) glass of red at weekends but rarely, if ever, during the week. I don't miss it at all, my skin looks loads better and the weight is shifting. My pocket is healthier too.

Excessive consumption catches up with eventually.

FWIW lots of the twenty somethings I work with are completely teetotal, whereas my age group will have a glass of wine with a meal out etc. The youngsters all vape though

Not in my circles! I'm in my early 50s and most of my (mc) friends and family enjoy (at least) a few drinks as much as they ever did. Also dh and I have just been away on a trip with a musical group we belong to, most of whom are older than us (oldest being late 80s) and I was astonished at how much booze they put away. I felt quite abstemious by comparison!

I’m far from middle class, live in a deprived area in the NW and I haven’t touched alcohol for about 5 years mainly because I couldn’t cope with 3 day hangovers whilst having quite severe fibromyalgia and taking a lot of meds. I also don’t go out socially so it doesn’t bother me one bit.

my 21 year old ds doesn’t drink either but he’s the only one in his large friendship group who doesn’t. He has tried various drinks and hates the taste of alcohol.

my family are much more middle class than me and do drink socially or have a glass of wine with a meal.

drinking is rite where I live and with that often comes use of coke which is out of control in my area so I’m glad I’m away from all that.

I think the cost is the main reason in my circle. We've got back to the old days of 'house parties'

But also, all of my younger cousins (18-25) don't drink, or very rarely. They are all gym freaks

We're drinking less. DH was tee total for a few years, but now back to sharing a bottle of fizz at the weekend and a few glasses of red wine. I've cut down loads, and I think most friends and family have.

We've never been into boozy nights out in pubs or bars, and drinking other than at home tends to be dinner parties. Those used to be 8 bottles of Champagne between 6 people, plus wine and the odd cocktail, now it's half that amount or less.

Everyone's more into fitness, avoiding UPFs, eating well etc. and less alcohol is part of that.

I'm 43 and would love to still be able to drink like a fish the way I did in my 20s / 30s because it was fun. But these days I can't cope after two glasses. It makes me super tired and useless the next day, plus I look decidedly ropey if I don't take real care of myself. A big drinking session can cost me a week until I'm back on top form. Very annoying and I envy those who can still hack it. Enjoy yourself if you are one of the lucky ones, OP!

This wave certainly hasn’t hit my village. It would probably do my health and bank balance the world of good though.

1. It's too expensive.
2. It makes you put on weight which is harder to shift as you get older
3. it disrupts your sleep even more than it is already
4. Lots more people are more health conscious.
5. Drink driving laws are much stricter, especially in Scotland

Having said that I do like a nice glass of wine or a G&T occasionally, especially on holiday. I'd rather spend a bit more and have a nice bottle of wine occasionally than drink crap which gives me terrible indigestion.

I look forward to getting plastered again when I can nurse my hangover in bed in peace in the morning rather than being dragged out kicking and screaming to tend to the needs of two noisy and boisterous little 'uns. But until that time, I'll stick to one or two glasses max.

Just over 12 months ago, we kept saying to our local pub they should stock Alcohol Free beer but they didn't want to because it didn't sell enough/was shocking. We ran an event and put on alcohol free beer and hardly anyone touched it.

The bar started running a permenant AF beer line in January for Dry January. They've done this previously, but this year demand was so high and they got such positive feed back they've kept it. Likewise the same event we've helped run had a similar change around in attitude.

DH and I been keen on AF beer and other adult non-alcoholic drinks for a few years - in part because my friends all drink like fish and I can't keep up. We've tried quite a lot of beers and other alternatives in the last few years as a result.

I would say they standard has only really got to a good level in the last 12 months and thats why there is something of a switch happening. Theres now a number of half decent beers on the market (though some are still absoluetely shocking) and there's a number of other non-alcoholic alternatives around. I personally rate a few of the non-alcoholic aperols and theres some cracking kombuchas around. (Don't bother with gin or wine, they are still shite).

So yes, I'd say its partly fashion, but also the fashion is going where the market is going as the AF market standard improves. People don't want to drink a lemonade or coke in the pub, but they do still want to go for a grown up drink and socialise.

Yes its middle class still because these options tend to be on the pricer side as much as anything and there is still a stigma in going to the pub and ordering something non-alcoholic. There is still pressure to have a 'proper' drink.

I still drink socially, but a AF alternative being available is something I really value now, if for no other reason to help pace myself at my own level rather than trying to drink slower than everyone else because I have a lower tolerance.

I hope that AF becomes much more widely available because it will help to tackle our excessive drinking culture in the UK.

Honestly, I’d assumed this was a fairly lighthearted conversational thread. I responded to the suggestion that alcohol consumption was going out of fashion among “middle class people” with a reasonably off-the-cuff response about being a lawyer having a second glass of wine in my back garden with my pets. It’s a glorious sunny August afternoon in the U.K. - or at least, in the south east, where I am. We don’t always have that many of those. I wasn’t particularly expecting to obtain a following of alcohol counsellors who had a challenging opinion about it.

I have many friends who drink a lot, many friends who drink a little, and some friends who don’t drink at all. We all rub along fine, regardless of our perceived or self-assessed social classes and incomes.

It’s going out overall isn’t it? I don’t know anyone who gets pissed anymore. I personally don’t drink because it instantly gives me hives and puts me to sleep. Others I know are sober alcoholics, health nuts, or can’t be assed with the beer fear. We’re all under 40. But I hear the youth of today aren’t into drinking either - it’s for old people/they’re all too healthy etc

I’m on hol with extended family at the mo - 1 night left and the 3 over-60s are saying 4 beers, 1 bottle of red, 1 white, 1 rose is not enough for tonight and they have to go to the shop 😮

Young people were never buying a bottle of wine to share in the pub though. They were drinking in parks and at house parties. They are doing that a lot less than they used to. Drugs are still rife though.

To be clear I’m talking about the 14-24 age group. I’m mid-30s and I feel we drank a hell of a lot more at their age!