Dry January: You do it if you want to but my gin and tonic is not staying on ice for a month! – Hayley Matthews

If you’d asked me last year to do dry January I would have said yes no bother however, this year I’m not so keen.

Don't tell Hayley but this gin and tonic being prepared by actress and chef Lisa Faulkner is non-alcoholic (Picture: David Parry/PA)

I’ve thought about doing it – albeit starting a few days late (who’s counting?). However, with not much else to look forward to in the evenings other than a few episode of Peaky Blinders (which is fantastic if you haven’t watched it), I’m dubious about giving up my gin and tonic at night.

The glass goes in the freezer with some water in the bottom of it so it gets all frozen up and nice and cold. I also sometimes stick in a few slices of cucumber in to freeze up as ice-cubes – it’s very refreshing.

Recently that glass has been getting put in the freezer earlier and earlier and earlier. So much so that she goes in when I’m doing the morning coffees, waiting patiently for me until the end of the day when I can unwind in the evening once the kids are in bed.

So whilst I can easily forgo alcohol (I’d pick chocolate over it any day), I’m not quite sure I want to torture myself with a Dry January this year.

And I’m surprised to read some people have been drinking less in lockdown anyway as I thought everyone was having a few extras to get through it all. However, I’m wrong. The annual report from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association states that beer sales have fallen quite a drop at 10 per cent, with wine sales not far behind at five per cent. I have to admit I was a tad shocked. I thought they would have been through the roof if anything!

The WSTA’s chief executive, Miles Beale, also said that “it’s a myth that people are drinking more during lockdown”. “With so many pubs and restaurants being forced to close their doors and large gatherings banned, people are not drinking as much as they would be in normal circumstances.”

It did leave me scratching my head because the majority of people I’ve spoken to have said they’re finding they just fancy a little drink in the evening to lift the spirits. Seems the lockdown is getting the blame for everything these days.

So if wine and beer sales are down, why haven’t I heard one person say they’re doing Dry January this year? Why haven’t I seen anyone talking about it? To be fair I’ve been off social media since the start of December so haven’t seen many posts anyway, but still I thought I would have heard friends or relatives say they’re forgoing their tipple in aid of a Dry January.

Maybe I’m missing something, or maybe our drinking habits have changed. Maybe instead of bingeing in the pubs at the weekend, we’re now being more sensible and spreading out those units during the week. I don’t know.

What I do know is that with the severe lockdown continuing, home schooling in the near future, short dark days, cold weather and almost every activity you can think of being closed, I will absolutely still be putting that glass in the freezer early in the day, in anticipation for a nice cold fizzy gin and tonic at night after my dinner, whilst I kick back watching Peaky Blinders feeling grateful for all that life gives.

By all means you do Dry January if you please and if it suits you. However, last time I checked we’re still allowed to make our own decisions so I’ll be giving it a miss thanks. Slange!

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