Drink Less, Drink Better!

http://www.ozwinereview.com/2012/06/problem-with-dry-july-revisited.html

You may be familiar with the month long festival of abstinence where participants refrain from consuming alcohol for a month and raise money for charity in the process. In this blog post Andrew Graham questions the effectiveness of Dry July's stated mission to 'raise awareness of drinking habits and the value of a blanced lifestyle' and rightly so. Andrew has covered most corners of the argument with thoughtful prose so I wish only to add the following.

We support the notion that, like its brothers Febfast and Ocsober, Dry July does little if anything to encourage healthy drinking habits nor raise awareness about alcohol related health and social problems.

A cynic might suggest that we don't support these initiatives because the potential drop in alcohol sales is not in the best interests of our business. The reality is that the financial cost of increasing liquor licensing fees and insurances directly related to the mis-use of alcohol far outweighs the scope for profit earned if we drop our guard on the real issues.

As liquor retailers we are well aware of the social and finacial burden placed on communities affected by an unhealthy drinking culture. We are also well aware of the joy that comes with sharing a delicious meal and glass of wine.

This is why we support a 'Drink Less, Drink Better July'. We would love to see you be brave with your next shopping trip. Perhaps instead of a case of mainstream beer, treat yourself to half a dozen craft or imported beers. Instead of a couple of bottles of your usual wine, why not take a chance with a single bottle of great quality, thoughtfully made wine from one of the many small producers we support. Try a tall bottle of hand-crafted local cider or a premium spirit consumed slowly.

We support thoughtful purchases and considered consumption. We support alcohol as a social lubricant, not a destructive force.

Drink well!