Health
Mindful festive drinking: Enjoy the season without being silly
The silly season doesn’t have to mean silly drinking. Here’s how to enjoy the festivities, stay social and still feel great the next morning.
By Bron Maxabella
The party, party, party season is upon us and it’s time to celebrate and reconnect with our nearest and dearest (and if you work in an office, that’s presumably Steve from Accounts). But as many Aussies know all too well, what starts as a bit of Friday-night merrymaking can easily tip into excess. And despite all of us being old enough to know better, that excess can happen again and again and again. This is not good for us, people!
Why moderation matters
Alcohol plays a deeply embedded role in many festive rituals, from toasts at Christmas lunches to summertime sundowners on the verandah. The shared experience is what makes drinking at this time of year so tempting. But the fact is, alcohol is not risk-free.
Australian health data show that alcohol contributes significantly to injury, disease and long-term health harms. The latest guidance from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) makes it clear: the less you drink, the lower the risk of harm.
Over-consumption is linked not only to hangovers and regretted decisions, but also to serious outcomes: liver disease, cardiovascular issues, injuries, and even some forms of cancer. In other words, while enjoying a festive drink is probably fine, enjoying many has real consequences.
The Australian drinking guidelines
Before we dive into how to stay social without overdoing it, let’s outline the clear benchmarks set out by the NHMRC:
- One Australian standard drink = 10g of alcohol. Which looks like this:
- Light beer (2.7% alc/vol) 425 mL
- Mid strength beer (3.5% alc/vol) 375 mL
- Full strength beer (4.9% alc/vol) 285 mL
- Regular cider (4.9% alc/vol) 285 mL
- Sparkling wine (13% alc/vol) 100 mL
- Wine (13% alc/vol) 100 mL
- Fortified wine – for example, sherry, port (20% alc/vol) 60 mL
- Spirits – for example, vodka, gin, rum, whiskey (40% alc/vol) 30 mL
- For healthy adults (men and women), to reduce the risk of alcohol-related disease or injury: no more than 10 standard drinks per week, and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.
- Children and people under 18 years old should not drink alcohol.
- For women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, not drinking is safest.
- The key message: there is no completely “safe” level of drinking, and the less you drink, the lower your risk. Health, Disability & Ageing Dept.
Putting this into practice means thinking ahead: how many drinks will you have? What’s the size of each drink? How many alcohol-free breaks will you take? These questions become especially relevant at end-of-year gatherings when the drinks are flowing and social momentum is strong.
Strategies to stay social and safe
Here are some practical strategies to enjoy your social beverages while staying within safer limits:
Set limits in advance
Decide how many standard drinks you’ll have. If you aim for fewer than 4 in a day and no more than 10 for the week, you’re aligning with the guidelines.
Measure your pours
Many glasses in homes are larger than the “standard” 100 mL for wine, so measure it out.
Choose lower-alcohol options
Many festive drinks are high strength (cocktails in particular can have 2 or more standard measures in a single drink). If you opt for something lighter, you’ll still enjoy the ritual without the heavy load. Swapping in low- or zero-alcohol wines and beers can help with this.
Naked Wines offers a dedicated “Mid Strength” collection, wines crafted to deliver flavour with lower ABV. See if you like one of these options:
- Grounded Cru Mid Strength Langhorne Creek Rosé 2025 at ~8.5% ABV.
- Sam Plunkett Mid Strength The Butterfly Effect Sauvignon Blanc 2025 at ~7.5% ABV.
- Two Pairs Mid Strength Prosecco 2025 at ~7.0% ABV.
- Dolan & Dunn Mid Strength Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2024 at ~9.5% ABV.
- Jen Pfeiffer Mid Strength The Rebel Shiraz 2023 at ~9.3% ABV.
Alternate with non-alcoholic drinks
A classic trick: for every alcoholic drink, have a water, soft drink or a mocktail to give your body a break. You could also explore zero-alcohol beers and wines to find one you like – it’s a really simple way to segue into drinking less alcohol as the flavour and ritual remains much the same.
Build alcohol-free moments into your social calendar
Celebrating life together isn’t just about getting smashed at parties. Meet up for breakfast (and skip the Mimosas and Bloody Marys), coffee at a cafe, a game of Pickleball or a bushwalk with a picnic.
See, you can be social and festive with no morning-after pounding head or major regrets and you’ll be doing your health a big favour. So once Mariah starts playing in the supermarket, take a deep breath and remind yourself that all you really want for Christmas is good health, a great time and zero regrets in the morning.
Feature image: iStock/Dobrila Vignjevic
Tell us in the comments: Do you have a tip that works for you that could help others cut down?
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