It’s January 31st, which means this evening marks the end of Dry January. I’d love to be able to claim I’ve achieved something significant here, but I really can’t.

Most days, I haven’t even thought of beer or the absence thereof. I’ve had quite a lot to do this month and being without beer hasn’t really been an issue.

One small exception. I went to Prague for the very first time, and couldn’t have a beer in the home of excellent beer. But even their alcohol-free beer was great, so it wasn’t such a terrible sacrifice. And it was far easier to walk the (on average) 25,000 to 35,000 steps per day without the inevitable hangover that would have appeared after a night on strong Czech beer.

Anyway, Prague aside, it hasn’t been much of a chore at all.

What about the benefits? I’ve noticed better sleep for sure. I’ve lost a couple of kilos and my skin looks (maybe) a tiny bit healthier. It’s definitely not a ‘New Year, New Me’ situation, but I’m sure my rapidly ageing body has benefitted in lots of ways I can’t see.

Now that January is coming to a close, will I be leaping back onto a diet of beer? Well, I didn’t have one beforehand, but it will be nice to enjoy some craft beer when the opportunity presents itself. Until then, I’ll be sticking to the alcohol-free stuff and enjoying my better night’s sleep.

Speak of which, I have a particularly tasty AF beer waiting for me in the fridge. Cheers!