Real World Dry Tripping

A sober all-inclusive holiday to Zakynthos Greece

Stunning cove I found exploring

Why

Let's start by saying, the reason I don't drink is not unusual, I wasn't an alcoholic (not that, that matters here) I tried leaving it alone a couple of years ago - I don't remember when, and it has stuck. I haven't intentionally drunk since. After reading more about the damage alcohol does to your physical body and mental health it has helped me stay off it. The sheer destructive power of alcohol actually scares me a little.

Going on an all-inclusive holiday with free drinks all day and night did make me a little anxious, as the old me would have started drinking lunchtime every day until I went to bed, just because it's there and I'm on holiday, so why not (I know as I have done this before) I didn't want to waste all that time in paradise feeling like shit. Plus as I said alcohol scares me somewhat, and I genuinely was worried I would "just have one or two" and invite it back into my life.

I had a plan

Back of a fag packet plan, but a plan non the less.

1. Googled what zero drinks are readily available in Greece - there are quite a few.

2. As soon as I get to the hotel ask about zero drinks.

3. Find the nearest shop / mini market.

4. Be prepared to drink Coke and lemonade, Fanta all week

5. Keep Busy

Plan Results

1. Found a few zero beers from major Greek brewers - Sweet

2. The hotel had mocktails, but no zero beer - the only sweet thing about this was the sugar content of these luminous mocktails, green to yellow, or red to blue gradient things aimed at kids, so they could copy mum and dad.

3. Found 3 shops nearby and visited them straight away to check out the chillers.

   1. I will be reviewing these beers shortly - I bought as much Amstel Zero as I could carry, knowing my room had a fridge to keep them chilled.

4. No need for Coke and Lemonade - Happy Days

5. Arranged day trips and car hire to explore, and brought my trusty 25-year-old watercolours and a very cute A6 watercolour pad to paint on. I also took my camera, as I love a bit of photography as it gives me a chance for a walk and explore.

   
   

No Dali here but was great to keep my hand in

Next Few Days

So I had my beers in the fridge that I could grab whenever I wanted, to sit by the pool or to take to dinner in the hotel - easy.

We wanted to go outside the hotel for dinner, this made the anxiety come back a little as I didn't want to drink Coke with a nice meal.

We went to dinner a couple of times and I found most places we ate at sold Amstel Zero, so this seems to be the most available zero beer (In Kalamaki anyway) it's not a great beer I'll be honest, but it works if its ice cold :).

I must add that we were in Zante at the end of the season- late October, so many bars and shops etc were closed up, you may well find a much better selection if you are travelling in Greece or anywhere peek season, (just a thought).

AF wine was not around anywhere in the restaurants we went to, and if I'm honest AF wine is a gamble I didn't want to take with a nice meal. A lot of bars make mocktails with fresh fruit juices etc, but I didn't see much in the way of AF spirits so I gave them a pass. My thoughts were they would be like the hotel mocktails, just sugary nonsense.

As I made my way through the Amstel I decided I needed to get some more, so off to some different shops I went. Hey Hey, I found FIX lemon (Zero Radler) I found Fix Zero lager and Alfa Zero lager.

My week's getting better and better. I bought them all, and plenty of them.

Amstel Free - Fix Zero - Fix Lemon

I kept my fridge stacked up all week and it all went well, went great in fact.

TIP for you, I even took some FIX lemon to the beach, pre-poured into a thermos water bottle - happy days, ice-cold radler at the beach :)

Sum Up

Not happy about having to buy beers after paying for an all-inclusive, but I made it work and the beers were quite cheap, roughly £1 330ml can or £1.50-£1.80 for the 450- 500ml bottles. FIX Zero was my favourite lager - review coming soon.

Have a plan, do some research before you go, look for local brands and what zero products they have, and keep busy doing things you enjoy.

A little anxious from time to time but I made it work, so can you !

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