The Good Drinker: How I Learned to Love Drinking Less

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It wasn’t so much the social interactions I struggled with; the laughing and chatting were no problem. Yet while the alcohol industry depends on a minority of problem drinkers, the majority really do enjoy in moderation. He starts by discussing the basics of his approach, emotions and how to handle them, and our self-beliefs.

I knew there would be lots of nice people at the wedding but, I’m ashamed to say, I wasn’t much looking forward to it because, for me, there wouldn’t be any drink involved. He details his experiences in cutting down, to comic and insightful effect, and skilfully but never preachingly, offers suggestions for others, too.

Honest, funny and full of strategies on how to moderate your drinking, Chiles is genuinely passionate about his pints and the need to enjoy them without ever coming across as preachy - a fine line many have failed to tread . Personally I think he’s consumed such large quantities of alcohol in the past stopping altogether rather than drinking in “moderation” as he likes to describe it would be more sensible. I can always recite the quadratic equation formula to prove I’m sober (this was my party trick during sixth form and uni – I did a maths degree, so can be excused for being a total geek! We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others.

Over the last few years he has cut down significantly though, as he tells in the personal chapters of the book which cover his whole drinking life, from his first teenage beers to today. But the thing is this: I love drinking and want to be able to do it without destroying my life in the process.Adrian Chiles presents a different proposition to heavy drinkers wanting to do something about it; instead of abstaining, how about drinking in moderation? Ever since he was a teenager, drinking was his idea of a good time - and not just his, but seemingly the whole nation's. It’s a really good mix of being informative, factual – but not preachy – and most definitely not ‘it’s my way or the highway’. The long subtitle of this book is All Occasion Guide to Alcohol-Free, Zero-Proof, No-Regrets, Sober-Curious Lifestyle. The combination of facts and anecdotes means it’s an interesting and amusing read and I plan to follow Adrian’s example and be more mindful about what I consume alcohol-wise going forwards.

I have made the decision to stop drinking having realised I was exceeding the safe limits all the time and hoped for an inspiring read but was disappointed. I have a number of friends who have given up alcohol completely, and had various mental health issues entwined with alcohol issues (although none were lying in a doorstep alcoholics, cracking open the vodka at breakfast) but at the same time I didn’t feel my husband and I had ‘that much of a problem’. Note: We will be hosting Adrian at our Tasting Room in early 2023, where Laura will discuss the book with him. I just stood in there for a couple of minutes, having a bit of a break, marvelling at how alcohol had somehow taken charge of the whole rhythm of my being. I rarely vomit from alcohol consumption (and last time I did, I’m sure there was something wrong with the coffee beans in the espresso martinis, it wasn’t the volume of booze!but as he was born with a facial abnormality he has been homeschooled by his parents his whole life. As a radio presenter Adrian currently hosts Question Time Extra Time and Chiles on Friday, both on 5live.

This pocket-sized book presents the most essential poems in his dispensary: those which, again and again, have really shown themselves to work. This bleak statement is especially true for many pop and rock stars, who find themselves catapulted from fame into obscurity virtually overnight, given the unforgiving vagaries of the music industry. But it is well written, and has some interesting things to say about how we see addiction and recovery, especially for American readers.Love Your Sober Year builds on their previous Love Yourself Sober book, set around the annual cycle of nature. It really did give me food for thought – in a good way – and I have been waxing lyrical to friends (over drinks!