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Are you a Minty Maiden or a Virgin Mary?

Are you a Minty Maiden or a Virgin Mary?

 
Whether you’re heading out to the bar for a night with the girls, or with work colleagues, it appears that an increasing number of women are choosing not to drink. Whilst the old faithful excuses of ‘I’m driving’ or ‘I’m pregnant!’ are still applicable, more women are simply choosing not to drink ‘just because’ – no excuse necessary.
 
 
The ramifications of excessive drinking are consistently being brought to our attention, especially the health, social, and economic problems arising from such behaviour. A recent Scottish Government paper estimated that 30% of women – a figure that is in decline – regularly exceeded the recommended alcohol limit of 14 units per week, with the most frequent offenders being women from managerial or professional working households. That’s easy enough to understand; most of us have, at one point, probably finished off a long day at work, headed home, kicked off the heels, and poured out a nice relaxing glass of wine. Before you know it, the bottle is empty – oops! 
 
So what about dodging temptation and choosing not to drink – how easy is it to do really, especially when you’re out on the town? I won’t lie; if you’re a regular drinker the decision not to drink can take a bit of will-power, especially when the first round of drinks are being ordered. Get past this first hurdle of temptation successfully, and you’ll be fine for the rest of the night.
 
 
Bars are picking up on this developing trend, and now offer clientele a number of alcohol-free options, such as ‘virgin’ cocktails. Whilst the list may not be as extensive as the alcoholic cocktails, a little (flirty) persuasion mixed with a little imagination from the barman can produce a whole host of exciting alternatives. The most refreshing is, without question, a Minty Maiden Mojito whilst a Virgin Bloody Mary can certainly add some spice to your night.
 
 
The best part of choosing not to drink comes the morning after. Thanks to all the fruit-based cocktails, it is a refreshing change not to be greeted by a dull, throbbing head, dark circles under the eyes and pasty skin. Not only will you look fabulous, you will also be able to remember everything from your evening, dodging that horrible sinking moment when an unwelcome recollection floats into the memory. With so many benefits, maybe we should all opt for a drink free night out at least once a month – you never know, they could become addictive!
 

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