Team Dry January
Sophie says….
Dry January for me came with an added strain – the start of a diet. 17 days in and I’m wondering what the point of life is. As an avid gin fan, with a cherished extensive home bar, I was much more suited to ‘Ginuary’, but I thought, hey-ho, not drinking and eating healthily go hand in hand; I’ll be Sienna Miller’s twin in no time.
My thinking was ‘January, it’s a dull month anyway, I’ll make no plans, and just be a hermit for the month – it’ll be fine’. But alas, that wasn’t to be. In my hungover state on the 1st, and feeling sympathetic to my friend whose birthday is at the beginning of January, we booked a long weekend away to Edinburgh – leaving on the 6th. First weekend of Dry January and dieting just got a whole lot harder. Sat opposite my friend who was elegantly sipping on Lemon Meringue Martinis, I noticed my knee was constantly twitching; the green-eyed monster was struggling to contain itself. Luckily for me, my friends are not massive drinkers. So I didn’t have to endure that horrible situation when you’re the only sober one around a gang of drunken idiots… That privilege was reserved for the following weekend, after my other half decided to throw a party.
Before I knew it, my beloved gin collection was dilapidating before my very sober eyes, whilst I was enduring constant jibes of ‘oh come on, just have one’.
But I’m still holding on, over the half way mark, and as determined and miserable as ever. My evening de-stress gin has been replaced with a Jo Malone infused soak in the tub. Yeah… Bring on February.
Lindsey says…
I’ve done it before, I can do it again…right? Well, I wasn’t working in this industry last time I took on Dry January. I’d secretly already thought about committing to it this year, but when I heard that Soph was doing it as well, I knew I had to take one for the team.
I already had every weekend in January booked up with a mixture of university friends coming to visit (the people who taught me how to drink), a night out in London (mocktails please), wedding dress shopping (minus the champagne!) and a visit with the family up north (where 6 o’clock drinks are a given).
Although I’ve so far learnt that I can have fun without a drink – my drinks shelf is slowly filling up with treats for 1st February – I am counting down the days!
Team Ginuary
Bex says…
After enjoying a whole month of drinking throughout December, and reading that a study from Oxford University found that drinking in moderation with friends improves overall well-being, I decided Dry January wasn’t for me.
Week One
After a couple of days off the booze, it was time to get started, and what better way to kick off than with a Monkey 47! A real punchy gin made from, you’ve guessed it, 47 botanicals. Enjoying a large one with junipers thrown in whilst finishing up for the day at The One Elm. Flic, really unsure about how to get going on her gin journey (see image above!) was enticed with a Brockmans and lemonade. And, despite not being a fan, she went for a double. Go hard or go home. Apparently!
Thursday is the new Friday, and with The High Field offering homemade sloe gin, I decided to give it a try. Infused with vanilla and orange, it was easily drunk over ice. Delish!
Week Two
Wednesday was all about the jelly and ice cream. A chef special of Brockmans gin and blackberries, with a scoop of Jude’s Vanilla Ice Cream chucked on top, a childhood delight enjoyed, grown up style.
Next it was gin cocktails! 50ml of Bombay, shaken with jasmine tea leaves, fresh ginger, lemon juice, elderflower cordial, sugar syrup and a splash of apple juice – DONE! Like that wasn’t enough, we played around some more. 25ml of Bombay, 25ml of Grand Marnier, orange juice, lemon and thyme. Gin, orange and thyme delight!
Great work Ed at The High Field.
Week Three
Time to take a trip to Cotswold’s Distillery! Having started stocking their fantastic gin late autumn, we were excited to visit the distillery and find out exactly what they get up to. It wouldn’t be a trip without some good old gin tasting either – hedgerow, Baharat and a barrel aged gin!
Flic says…
After somewhat of a heavy New Year in the Swiss mountains, I had to give my liver a few days off to recuperate. Christmas and skiing had definitely taken its toll on me, and while I was ready for the Ginuary challenge, I needed to build up to it.
As a non-lover of gin, when this challenge was presented to me I decided it might be time to try and jump on the bandwagon. I also don’t like cake – you can imagine the looks I get when declaring both of these facts – so something had to give. So here I am, trying to love gin. So far it’s going…erm…ok.
Day one begins with Bex and I in The One Elm. We decide it’s time to start and she opens the proceedings with a Monkey 47. I am not quite so brave and upon her advice I opt in for a Brockmans with lemonade to ease myself in. I went large which in hindsight wasn’t my finest hour but as I said, go big or go home. Having finished my drink, it was safe to say, it was going to be a long month and a slow burner. Not as slow as those partaking in Dry January though so I couldn’t complain too much!
There were a few interesting encounters with gin and tonic in the few days that followed (lots of sour faces and washing down with water), so I tried a new tactic… gin cocktails! At last, I may have found a way for gin and I to get along!
Halfway into Ginuary and gin and I are slowly building bridges! With a few weeks to go and a date booked in with the boss to sample some of Birmingham’s greatest gin spots, I am hopeful that when this comes to an end I will have a new love affair… I will keep you posted!