'Zebra striping is the new drinks trend this party szn – I'm so glad'
Zebras are no longer being confined to safaris or road crossing – they're now here to help us have a better relationship with booze, apparently. And I for one am delighted by that.
Over the last few years, we've seen a serious rise in the number of people shunning alcohol in favour of a sober lifestyle – or reflecting on their relationship with booze and becoming a more mindful drinker (or 'sober curious') instead. In fact, one DrinkAware survey found that 19% of adults in England now don't drink at all and KAM and 0% beer brand Lucky Saint discovered that 2.3 million of us are drinking less now compared to last year and 2021.
But – on the flip side– plenty of other figures show many are still drinking to excess. A quarter of British women regularly binge drink, at a higher rate than any other country. And hey, I totally get it: I used to binge drink too, every week for over a decade in fact, before having a yearlong booze break and then slowly reintroducing the odd glass of wine with dinner. For some people (known health risks relating to alcohol aside) getting drunk is fun... but for me personally, all it did was wreck my mental health and bank balance (along with a couple of friendships to boot).
We're notoriously up for the sesh in the UK, oftentimes without consciously thinking about whether or not we're genuinely enjoying it (and if you are, then fair play – no judgement here, crack on!), and never more so than at Christmas.
Historically, I've lost count of the number of Christmas Day dinners I had to force down whilst trying not to vomit on relatives I see but once a year, due to having been in the pub until closing the night before. There are so many Christmases, prior to addressing my relationship with alcohol, that I schlepped back to bed before the EastEnders special had even aired, writing off quality time with my family. All because I got too hammered instead.
So, the news that 'zebra striping' your drinks, aka alternating between booze and non-booze options, is now gaining popularity is absolute music to my ears. In fact, KAM and Lucky Saint are predicting that a quarter of Brits are going to be deploying this particular tactic over the coming weeks, hopefully leading to happier and healthier outcomes. How great is it that we're even having these sorts of conversations? As a 32-year-old woman, I can hand on heart say they weren't happening when I was growing up in a country that praised people for getting as trashed as they could as quickly as they could – so this feels like progress.
But what is the zebra striping trend? And how can you get in on the action? Let's take a closer look.
P.S. Before we dive into zebra striping, it's worth saying that moderating alcohol will absolutely not be the right choice or even a possibility for everyone. If you're worried about your relationship with drink, please chat to your GP or look at NHS-approved support service in your area.
What is zebra striping?
Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, Luke Boase, founder of Lucky Saint explains that zebra striping is the mindful drinking act of alternating your alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic drinks – bringing to mind the striped pattern of a zebra's fur. Clever!
"We've seen this trend of zebra striping grow massively this year, with a quarter of UK adults now doing it," says Boase. "Alternating between alcohol-free and alcoholic drinks is an easy structure to follow and helps people define how they are approaching their drinking.
"We're seeing people embrace zebra striping in our own pub, The Lucky Saint, particularly as we head into a busy festive season." He adds that many people drink alcohol as a way to feel socially connected, and that "zebra striping is a great way to get the most out of your social occasions."
As someone who has been unknowingly zebra striping for a few years now, this is something I can attest to – although it's important to say this method won't work for everyone, and for some people the easier and healthier choice is to go teetotal rather than try to consciously moderate. Some people have likened trying to moderate their alcohol intake to doing extreme mental gymnastics and of course, it's a fact that after consuming 4 to 6 units of alcohol, your brain and nervous system (including your decision-making abilities) will begin to be impacted. It's not right or easy for everyone.
But for me, these days, if I do choose to drink (which btw is never on a day where I'm already feeling stressed, anxious or upset – as booze is just like pouring petrol on the bin fire that is my already wonky brain), I'll actually kick off with a non-alcoholic drink, before possibly having a cocktail, and then going back to an AF beer or a mocktail.
By starting off with a non-alcoholic drink, it helps me to feel more in control of the situation and gives me that extra bit of time to suss the vibe, read the room (and myself) and decide if I even want to drink at all. If I do end up having one or two, I've set a nice pace for myself.
How to zebra stripe your drinks
Truly, it's pretty simple: if you have an alcoholic drink, make sure your next one is non-alcoholic. Essentially, it's all about moderating your drinking, but it doesn't mean you have to entirely ditch the Prosecco or your favourite festival tipple if you don't want to.
This party szn, it's all about alternating between alcohol and alcohol-free options, which could be anything from a soft drink like a soda or water, or one of the more exciting new non-alcoholic drinks options on the market (of which there are now thankfully so many. It's about encouraging people to be conscious in their consumption, hopefully avoid a hangover or any clawing regrets the next day, and to reduce the risk of harm. I'll drink to that.
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