The Mindful Drinker’s Glossary

Alcohol alternatives

Also see → Proxy drinks

Drinks that have similar properties to traditional alcohol-full drinks and can be used for the same occasions, but are not trying to mimic or replicate them in taste or appearance.

Alcohol-free drinks

Read → Alcohol-Free, Non-Alcoholic, De-Alcoholised: What’s The Difference?

Drinks that have been made to mimic traditional alcohol-full drinks (like gin, beer and wine) in taste, look and use, but with no alcohol.

Aperitif

A pre-dinner drink with a bitter profile to wake the palate. Often recreated in low/no as they are generally much lower in ABV than other spirits.

Bitters

Also see → ABV

Highly concentrated flavourings used in cocktails to add depth. Full-strength bitters have a high ABV of around 40%, but are only used in small dashes, and do not significantly raise the alcohol content of a drink. However, if you’re uncomfortable with them, alcohol-free bitters can be found with a little searching.

Digestif

A post-dinner drink with a bitter profile used to aid digestion. Often recreated in low/no, as they are generally lower in ABV than other spirits.

Dry (taste)

Also see → Dry bar

In a taste context, dry refers to a drink that has very little sweetness (as opposed to dry in a social context, which means no alcohol).

Functional Drinks

Visit → the Functional Drinks page

Drinks designed to do more than taste good or hydrate. They often include ingredients such as adaptogens, nootropics, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, electrolytes or plant extracts, marketed to support focus, calm, energy, sleep, gut health or recovery.

Hop Water

Hop waters are a new(ish) entrant to the low/no drinks space. They are not quite beer, not quite water, but they give all the aroma of your favourite hops, plus some of the health benefits of this ancient plant, but with none of the alcohol.

Kava

A root from the South Pacific that has become very popular in the US. It brings on calming, almost euphoric feelings when pulped and made into a liquid. It is currently not legal to buy or sell in the UK.

Kombucha

Also see → Sparkling teas

A fermented tea drink made from a weird-looking culture of bacteria and yeast called SCOBY (it sounds and looks gross, but it tastes lovely). Most kombucha is below 0.5% ABV, but some can be alcoholic and reach as high as 7%, so be sure to check the label if that matters to you.

Mid-Strength Alcohol

Read → Going for Two the New Going for One? Coasting with Mid-Strength Drinks

These are drinks that contain around half the usual amount of alcohol for that drink type. Think 10-20% spirits, 5-8% wines, and 2-3% beers & ciders.

Mocktail

Read → To Mock or to Cock? That is the Question

A greatly debated word in sober circles, but whether you think it’s cool or not, mocktail refers to a mixed adult drink without alcohol.

NoLo / LoNo

Umbrella term for no and low alcohol drinks of all kinds.

Non-Alcoholic

Read → Alcohol-Free, Non-Alcoholic, De-Alcoholised: What’s The Difference?

Generally refers to drinks that aren’t expected to, or don’t usually, contain alcohol (like soft drinks). It is not supposed to be used with words commonly connected to alcohol, i.e. ‘non-alcoholic rum’, but as these are guidelines and not laws, some brands still do so.

Proxy Drinks (Proxies)

Listen → ep#43. Inspiration & innovation with NON World Wine Alternatives

Wine-style drinks that are macerated, brewed or fermented, mostly with food ingredients (berries, coffee, yuzu — but not wine grapes) to recreate the deep and complex flavour profiles of wine-time drinks.

RTD

Stands for ready-to-drink. Pre-mixed cocktails in a can or bottle that you can just pop and pour. All the flavour – none of the fuss.

Shrubs

Also see → Botanicals

A vinegar-based drink mixed with sugars, botanicals and other ingredients to make a bold, intense, tart drink.

Sparkling Tea

Also see → Kombucha

Sparkling teas are similar to kombucha but are usually brewed with tea rather than fermented with it (so no yeast and no alcohol production). These are great wine-time drinks that you can find in many restaurants and bars now.

Abstaining

The choice to not consume alcohol on a specific occasion rather than a lifelong commitment to not drinking.

Active Moderation

Listen → ep#163. 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About the Pros & Cons of Different Moderation Techniques

Taking specific action to reduce your alcohol intake over a period of time or by following a selection of self-selected rules, like a dry month or zebra striping.

AF

Short for alcohol free. You may also hear some say they are AF AF: Alcohol-Free As Fuck.

AUD

Alcohol Use Disorder. The new term for what we used to call alcoholism. It suggests that alcohol use is on a spectrum rather than just good or bad.

Binge Drinking

Also see → Unit

Drinking enough in a single session to get you sozzled quickly. The NHS defines a binge as 6 units (2 large 250ml glasses of wine) for women and 8 units (3 pints of 5% lager) for men, on one drinking occasion.

Blackout Drinking

Also see → Brownout

Drinking to the point where you are unable to form and retain new memories, so waking up with no recollection of what happened the night before after a certain time. This is dangerous; please don’t do it.

Bookending

Listen → ep#163. 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About the Pros & Cons of Different Moderation Techniques

Starting and ending your night with an alcohol-free drink, but consuming alcohol in between. This is a good way to start your night with intention and signal when it’s time to go home, but it only works if you’re still mindful of how many alcohol-full drinks you have in the middle.

Booze Break

Read → When’s the Right Time to Take a Break From Alcohol?

Deciding to take a break from consuming alcohol for an unspecified length of time and for any damn reason that pleases you.

Brownout

Also see → Blackout

Different to blackout drinking in that you can recall bits and pieces of the evening, but have large gaps in between where you weren’t able to form any new memories, rather than losing the entire evening.

California (Cali) Sober

Listen → ep#47. Psychotropic-Curious with High & Dry Founder Daniel Rowntree

Someone who doesn’t drink alcohol but does smoke or otherwise consume weed (cannabis) and/or other psychedelics.

Coasting

Read → Is Going for Two the New Going for One? Coasting with Mid-Strength Drinks

A moderation technique where you choose light or mid-strength alcoholic drinks throughout your session, such as a 2% beer, a 6% wine or a 15% gin.

Damp January

Listen → ep#151. Beating Quitter’s Day! The Dry January Myths That Sabotage Your Success

An alternative to the Dry January movement, where you significantly cut down on your alcohol intake, rather than going completely dry, and still allow yourself to indulge in full-strength booze when you decide.

Dry bar

A bar or other venue that only serves low/no alcohol drinks.

Exit Strategy

Read → Exit strategies

Planning your getaway before the night gets away from you. From the surreptitious slip to the sneaky retreat, when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Flexible Drinking

Also see → Mindful Drinking

Choosing to sometimes consume alcohol and sometimes not. There are no rules, just an awareness of what’s right for you in any given moment.

Grey Area Drinking

This is a spot that a lot of people find themselves in. This is where your drinking is not quite “problematic” yet, but you’re concerned that it might be heading that way on occasion.

Habit Loop

Read → 3-Step Method for Breaking Automatic Drinking Habits

The cue, craving, action and reward cycle of habitual behaviour that keeps you drinking in old patterns even when you tell yourself you want to make a change. It takes time and practice to break, but you can rewire it.

Hangxiety

Read → Hangxiety by Millie Gooch*

That feeling the morning after the night before, when you wake up with a sense of dread about what you said or did (or might have done, if you can’t quite remember) and with whom. It can disappear with your hangover, or hang around like a bad smell for a couple of days.

Low-risk drinking guidelines

In the UK, the Chief Medical Officers advise that low-risk drinking is no more than 14 units a week, spread over 3 or more days, with drink-free days in between. For example, a pint of 5% lager contains approximately 2.8 units, while a medium 175ml glass of 12% wine contains 2.1 units.

Microdosing

Listen → ep#69. The Fungi Consultant: Do Functional Mushrooms Work in Low/No Drinks?

Taking very small non-intoxicating amounts of psychedelic substances (like magic mushrooms & LSD) to boost certain cognitive functions without getting you high.

Mindful Drinking

→ The Beginner’s Guide to Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife

It’s what we do, baby! Mindful drinking is the science and the art of taking back the power of choice from alcohol. It’s about deciding where, when and how you allow alcohol to have a role in your life – and it’s all done on your own terms.

Moderation

Read → 5 Myths That Make Moderation Harder Than It Needs to Be

In its simplest form, moderation is the act of drinking less – or differently – than your past self.

Pacing

Listen → ep#163. 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About the Pros & Cons of Different Moderation Techniques

An active moderation technique in which you limit your alcohol intake to one drink per hour.

Passive Moderation

When choosing to drink less, or differently, has become ingrained in your personality. You can choose to take it or leave it, but you naturally opt to leave it more often than not.

Pink Cloud

The sobriety equivalent of a runner’s high. When someone gives up alcohol and experiences sensations of positivity and euphoria as a ‘pink cloud’ of happiness.

Sober Curious

Someone who is acting on a curiosity about whether their life would be better with no alcohol at all. They may have the long-term goal of going completely alcohol-free.

Trigger

Also see → Habit loop

An occurrence that sets off the habit loop and starts a craving for alcohol.

Urge surfing

Listen → ep#192. Everyone’s Asking: How Do I Handle Urges & Setbacks?

Riding out the urge to drink when you don’t want to. Most cravings usually last around 5-15 minutes; surfing the urge means occupying yourself enough that time passes in the least frustrating way possible.

White-knuckling

Listen → ep#197. Is Taking a Break from Alcohol the Best Way to Drink Less?

Bracing yourself to make it through a non-drinking challenge (like Dry January) with no clear plan or strategy for managing the difficult moments. Counting down the days until you’re allowed to drink “normally” again.

Zebra Striping

Listen → ep#163. 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About the Pros & Cons of Different Moderation Techniques

Alternating between full-strength and low/no drinks throughout your drinking session.

ABV

Read → Alcohol-Free, Non-Alcoholic, De-Alcoholised: What’s The Difference?

It stands for Alcohol-by-Volume, and means the percentage of your drink that is pure ethyl alcohol. The remaining liquid is made up of water and the other ingredients (like hops, barley, yeast, and any additional flavourings, in beer).

Alcohol-Free

Read → Alcohol-Free, Non-Alcoholic, De-Alcoholised: What’s The Difference?

A drink that has no more than 0.05% ABV. This is a UK definition. In many other countries, including the US, alcohol-free products can be up to 0.5% ABV. In some countries, it can be as high as 2.8%, so always check the label.

Astringency

See also → Body / Mouthfeel

A drying or puckering mouth sensation caused by tannins and other compounds called polyphenols in your drink, giving it a more familiar adult feeling.

Body / Mouthfeel

See also → Finish / Length

These are slightly different terms, but they both refer to the viscosity of a drink and how that translates to texture in the mouth. Adult drinks have depth and layers of flavour that hit different parts of the mouth during the drinking experience. It is the body/viscosity of a drink that creates the mouthfeel.

Botanicals

Herbs and spices that are used in the production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, particularly spirits. Like juniper in gin or gentian root in vermouth.

De-alcoholised

Read → Alcohol-Free, Non-Alcoholic, De-Alcoholised: What’s The Difference?

This refers to a drink that initially contained alcohol, which has been removed, and the resulting ABV is no higher than 0.5%.

Fermented

A fermented drink has been brewed with yeast to produce alcohol. Arrested fermentation is used for some low/no drinks to stop the process before too much booze is produced.

Finish / Length

Also see → Body / Mouthfeel

How, and how long, the taste and feel of a drink lasts in the mouth after you have swallowed it. Adult drinks usually have a longer finish than average soft drinks, and alcohol-free drinks are expected to replicate that rather than it disappearing straight away.

Infused

When an ingredient has been left to soak or steep in the liquid used to make the beverage.

Low-alcohol

Read → Alcohol-Free, Non-Alcoholic, De-Alcoholised: What’s The Difference?

In the UK, low-alcohol refers to drinks with an ABV of 1.2% or less.

Unit

A unit is 10ml (or 8g) of pure alcohol. It takes the average human body approximately 1 hour to process one unit of alcohol. FYI, a pint of 5% lager is 2.8 units, a medium glass of wine (175ml) is 2.1 units.

Adaptogens

Naturally occurring ingredients such as plants, herbs and fungi that help the body adapt to various stressors.

Antioxidants

Compounds (a collection of molecules) that protect the body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals — unstable molecules linked to ageing and inflammation. Many functional drink ingredients, including matcha, green tea and certain adaptogens, are naturally high in antioxidants.

Ashwagandha

A naturally occurring herb/shrub used to promote stress reduction and improved sleep.

B Vitamins

A group of essential vitamins — most commonly B6 and B12 in drinks — that support energy production, brain function and mood. Often added to functional energy drinks as a gentler, more sustained alternative to caffeine.

CBD

Also see → THC

Short for cannabidiol, CBD is the non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant. It’s added to some functional drinks to induce a sense of calm and relaxation.

Chaga

A medicinal mushroom that grows on birch trees and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. In functional drinks, it’s used primarily for its high antioxidant content and potential immune-boosting properties.

Cordyceps

A medicinal fungus traditionally used in Chinese medicine — and one of the more unusual entries in this list. It grows on caterpillars in the wild, but don’t worry, commercial versions are lab-grown. Used in functional drinks for its potential to support energy, oxygen uptake and athletic performance.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are compounds that help replace essential minerals in the body, like magnesium, potassium and sodium, that are lost after times of high stress, like a hard workout. They help with muscle function, nerve activity and fluid balance. A lot of people use them to help with hangovers or ahead of high-stress times at work (or play).

GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid)

A naturally occurring amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, essentially slowing things down and promoting calm. Found in some functional drinks as a relaxation ingredient, though how effectively it crosses the blood-brain barrier when consumed orally is still being researched.

Ginseng

One of the oldest and most widely used adaptogens in the world, with roots (literally) in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. Used in functional drinks primarily for its energising and focus-supporting properties.

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

An adaptogenic herb with deep roots in Ayurvedic medicine, used in functional drinks for its calming and anti-stress properties. Often appears in teas and relaxation drinks. (Not to be confused with the basil you put on pasta.)

L-theanine

A common nootropic ingredient which is extracted from green tea and is used for reducing anxiety and improving focus.

Lemon Balm

A herb from the mint family used for its calming and mood-lifting properties. Often paired with other relaxation ingredients like passionflower or valerian root, it has a very distinctive (and pleasant) taste.

Lion’s Mane

A distinctive-looking medicinal mushroom (think: white, shaggy pom-pom) used to support focus, memory and cognitive function. One of the most recognisable mushroom ingredients in the low/no space.

Maca

A root vegetable from the high altitudes of Peru, used in functional drinks as an adaptogen to support energy, mood and hormonal balance. It has an earthy, slightly malty flavour that works well with chocolate or coffee notes.

Magnesium

A powerful mineral with many different variants needed by the body. In adaptogenic drinks, it is mostly used to support sleep and restore the brain and body after tough days.

Matcha

A finely ground powder made from specially grown and shade-dried green tea leaves. Naturally high in antioxidants and L-theanine, matcha provides a calm, sustained energy boost without the jitteriness often associated with coffee.

Melatonin

A hormone naturally produced by the body that helps regulate sleep. It is added to some functional drinks in countries including the US, but melatonin is prescription-only in the UK and cannot be sold here as an ingredient in an ordinary food or drink.

Nootropics

Nootropics are compounds — both natural and synthetic — that enhance cognitive function. In plain English, nootropics are brain-boosting ingredients found in everything from your favourite coffee shop cappuccino to specially formulated supplements.

Passionflower

A plant extract used in relaxation-focused functional drinks to support calm and ease anxiety. Often combined with lemon balm or valerian root for a more complete wind-down effect.

Prebiotics

The food that feeds your good gut bacteria. Where probiotics add beneficial bacteria to your gut, prebiotics are what keep them alive and thriving. Increasingly common in functional drinks focused on gut health.

Probiotics

Live beneficial bacteria added to drinks to support gut health and digestion. Commonly associated with kombucha, they’re increasingly added to functional drinks. Worth checking labels — not all drinks that claim probiotic benefits contain live cultures by the time they reach you.

Reishi

A medicinal mushroom with a long history in traditional Chinese medicine, sometimes called the mushroom of immortality. Used in functional drinks primarily for its calming and potential immune-supporting properties, and is a common ingredient in relaxation and sleep-focused drinks.

Rhodiola

An adaptogenic herb traditionally used in Scandinavian and Russian medicine to help the body resist physical and mental fatigue. In functional drinks, it is primarily used to support energy and reduce the effects of stress and exhaustion.

Schisandra

A berry-producing vine used in traditional Chinese medicine as an adaptogen. In functional drinks, it supports mental clarity, reduces stress, and improves endurance. The berries are said to have five distinct flavours, which makes them as interesting as a flavour ingredient as they are as a functional one.

Taurine

An amino acid found naturally in the body and a familiar face on mainstream energy drink labels. In functional low/no drinks, it is used to support focus and energy — though unlike caffeine, it is not a stimulant. It works by supporting the nervous system rather than firing it up.

THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol is the psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant — it’s the bit that gets you high. It is often used in functional drinks in the US and other regions, but it is still a controlled substance in the UK.

Turmeric / Curcumin

Turmeric is the golden-yellow spice familiar from cooking; curcumin is its active anti-inflammatory compound. They are used in functional drinks for its potential to reduce inflammation, support joint health and boost immunity. Often paired with black pepper, which significantly increases the body’s ability to absorb curcumin.

Valerian Root

A herbal ingredient with a long history as a sleep and relaxation aid, used in functional drinks to promote calm and support sleep quality. It has a strong, distinctive smell — which is why you’ll nearly always find it combined with other flavours in a drink.