It doesn’t happen all at once. A spontaneous beer in the garden. A splash of rosé on a Friday that rolls into Saturday. A few crisps that become a nightly snack raid. And suddenly, it’s September. You’re tired, your jeans are tight, and your brain feels like it’s running on fumes.
Summer is when good intentions quietly unravel. But it’s also the perfect time to reset.
Why summer makes moderation harder
When the sun’s out, we all feel the pull. There’s something almost primal about it in the UK. Maybe it’s the years of soggy barbecues and surprise hailstorms, but a stretch of hot weather turns into a national event. And with that comes permission. To drink earlier. To drink more. To say yes before you’ve even asked the question.
“It’s Pimm’s o’clock,” said Alexander Armstrong in the now-iconic advert from the early 2000s. The drink might be less fashionable now, but the phrase stuck. We’ve all adopted our own version. Wine o’clock. Gin o’clock. Aperol hour. Summer turns drinking into a reflex.
It’s different in places like France or Italy, where sunshine is expected and habits are steadier. A glass of rosé with lunch, a Pastis before dinner, and then stop. It’s part of the rhythm, not an excuse to ramp things up. The French might now be leaning more towards a rosé de piscine than a classic apéritif, but the approach still has structure. Here, an extended heatwave can undo weeks of progress.
That’s the real risk. Not the one-off blowout, but the repeat loop. You anchor the drink to the weather, the mood, the moment. You do it again the next day. Then again. It starts to feel automatic. A classic cue, behaviour, reward loop that your brain loves to repeat.
And if you’re drinking in company, there’s an added twist. Studies show over 70% of people subconsciously match their drinking pace to the fastest person in the group.
Calories, cravings, and the slippery slope
Alcohol is full of hidden extras. A large glass of rosé can mean 200 calories before you’ve even looked at the crisps. Add other drinks with mixers, snacks, and late-night nibbles, and you’re suddenly well over your daily intake.
Alcohol also affects appetite. It increases ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and delays fat burning by up to 72 hours. You crave more, move less, sleep worse, and end up feeling heavy at the exact time of year you’re supposed to feel light.
A simple way to soften the impact? Pair alcoholic drinks with water, and consider snacks that hydrate rather than deplete. Cucumber, melon, or salted cherry tomatoes can go a surprisingly long way. If you’re already dehydrated, a small glass of coconut water or an electrolyte tab can help before you feel the pull for another.
Groupthink and the garden trap
Summer gatherings are built around drink. The sound of clinking glasses. Ice in a bucket. The slow pour of something cold. These are social cues, and they carry weight.
In behavioural terms, it’s social contagion. When everyone else is drinking, not joining in feels awkward. You’re not imagining it. Studies show people drink more when others do, especially in outdoor or unstructured settings.
And when structure goes, so does willpower. Holidays, school breaks, irregular schedules. They all make it harder to draw a line.
If you struggle with impulsive drinking when routines fall away, you’re not alone. For many people, especially those with ADHD tendencies, summer can make everything feel a little more all or nothing.
The habits don’t stop in summer
Most people think they’ll rein it in come autumn. But summer habits are sticky. Behaviour formed in high-reward settings builds strong neural pathways. Your brain doesn’t know it was “just a holiday” or “just the heatwave.” It only knows you’ve done it three weekends in a row, and it felt good.
Think of habits like hiking trails. The more you walk them, the deeper the path. Come September, even if the sun has gone, the urge to keep going sticks around.
Reset early. Keep the ritual. Change the result.
This isn’t about cutting everything out. It’s about stepping in before the autopilot sets the route.
You don’t need to sit it out. You just need to sit in the moment more consciously.
Try these:
1. Change the first pour
The first drink sets the tone. Start with sparkling water, kombucha, or try a sensory trick I developed called #FakeAndTonic™. It’s a signature ARC concept that recreates the G&T ritual without the alcohol. Just tonic water, ice, a garnish, and a drop of real gin rubbed around the rim of the glass.
Every time you lift the glass, the scent of gin hits your nose first. That’s where the magic happens.
Around 80% of what we think is taste is actually smell. Your brain processes flavour using retronasal olfaction. That’s the scent that rises from the back of your mouth to your brain as you swallow. Even seasoned wine critics can be thrown off in blind tastings, then snap back into certainty the moment they see a familiar label. Perception does the heavy lifting.
The same principle applies here. When the glass looks right and the smell hits first, your senses are primed. Your brain fills in the blanks.
The result? It feels like a proper G&T, even though it isn’t.
You get the ritual, the refreshment, and the moment. No alcohol. No topping it up again. No autopilot.
Your senses get lit, but your liver doesn’t take a hit.
To make it feel more elevated, go for something like Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Indian tonic. It’s still a mixer, but lower in sugar and sharper on the palate. Add mint, citrus zest, or a sprig of rosemary to lean into the grown-up feel. Not because the tonic is the star. It isn’t. But that part of your brain that knows it’s a swap still feels rewarded by the upgrade.
Don’t overthink it. Let your nose and eyes do the work.
Not in the mood for tonic?
Try the sparkling fruit tea swap. I often use Ahmad’s Summer Fruits Cold Brew. Real fruit flavour. Nothing artificial. Just top it with fizzy water and you’ve got something light, refreshing, and grown-up that doesn’t feel like a soft drink. Weigh the teabag down with a spoon for a minute or two to help it infuse quickly.
The fruit tea is another hack from my toolkit, which I use despite having the temptation of a drinks cabinet rivalling many a bar!
2. Delay, don’t deny
Give yourself a five-minute buffer. Walk the dog. Prep the food. Watch the clouds. The craving often moves on before you do.
And if you’re likely to say yes too quickly, try an implementation intention. “If someone offers me a drink, I’ll say ‘I’m good for now. Starting with water.’”
3. Keep the glass, swap the contents
We drink for more than the liquid. Ritual, reward, connection. You can hold on to those. Just change what’s in the glass. A wedge of lime, crushed ice, tonic, a twist of mint. Even the smell can scratch the itch.
4. Build new anchors
Make a new summer signal. Turn your shower to cold at the end. Evening walks. Garden playlists. These activities light up the same dopamine pathways. No hangover needed.
Alcohol gives you a quick dopamine lift. But the crash that follows is often what drives the next pour.
You could even stack habits. After sunset, take a walk and listen to a podcast instead of automatically pouring a drink.
5. Track what matters
You don’t have to count units if that’s not your style. But do notice. How did you sleep? How much did you eat? What did you save?
Celebrate the wins, too. Three alcohol-free Fridays? That’s a beach day banked.
ADHD tip: Set a phone reminder mid-evening that simply asks, “Do I really want another?” That tiny pause can make a huge difference for time-blind drinkers.
And if you’re the type who benefits from shared accountability, pair up with a friend who’s also cutting back. You’ll help keep each other on track.
Even something simple like using a particular glass for your alcohol-free drinks can help signal a shift in routine and settle the brain.
6. Drink with intention, not repetition
This isn’t about giving everything up. It’s about drinking better. More care. More enjoyment. Fewer regrets.
The reality is, a lot of summer wine gets bought and poured out of habit. Easy-to-find, mass-produced rosé becomes the default, especially when it’s chilled and on offer. But drinking three bottles of that over a weekend rarely leaves you feeling good. You’re chasing a perceived mood, not savouring a real moment.
There’s a better way. Pick one standout bottle (you’ll spend less overall, too). Something hand-crafted, with flavour and a story behind it. There are many great Provence rosés out there beyond the ubiquitous Whispering Angel. Check out my mate Joe Wadsack’s YouTube channel TheDrinksCoachUK, for great wine recommendations. Drink it slowly. Pair it with food. Give it the same care and attention the winemaker did. That’s intentional drinking. And it hits differently.
ARC pro tip:
When you’re enjoying wine, try pouring just to the widest part of the glass. It keeps the wine cooler, helps the aromatics open up with a swirl, and gives your brain a natural pause point. That moment when the glass empties is your cue. A chance to check in with yourself before automatically refilling.
If you’re alternating drinks, it’s the perfect time to switch to water before your next wine. You’re still in control. The ritual’s still there. But the habit loop isn’t calling the shots.
Final thought: fake it while you save it
Mindful drinking isn’t about scrutinising every glass. You’re not calculating anything. You’re just in the moment.
That’s when the trick shines. You enjoy the ritual, the refreshment, the moment. You fake it while you save it.
That’s the #FakeAndTonic™ mindset.
Smell the difference. Keep your edge.
Enjoyed the blog? Discover more about Alcohol Reset Coach and how the ARC NAV™ system helps you reset your relationship with alcohol → Homepage
Need a plan to help make it stick?
If you’re ready to take back control without giving it all up, the Essentials Plan is a self-paced course that helps you build better drinking habits in just 7 to 10 days. It’s practical, grounded, and designed to work with your lifestyle, not against it.
→ Explore the Essentials Plan
Struggle more in summer because of ADHD?
You’re not alone. Many of us with ADHD tendencies find it harder to stop once we start. The ADHD & Alcohol course explains why, and offers tools that actually match how your brain works, not how it’s supposed to work.
→ Find out more about ADHD & Alcohol
PS: Curious about the science?
If you’re interested in the evidence behind these strategies, here are some of the sources and studies that informed this blog. Each link opens in a new tab:
- CDC: Alcohol Use and Your Health – Summarises key risks and seasonal trends in alcohol consumption.
- Addictive Behaviors, 2017 – Found increased drinking frequency in outdoor and festival settings.
- Journal of Biological Rhythms, 2019 – Links longer summer daylight to disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep patterns.
- Nature Communications, 2017 – Explores how alcohol stimulates hunger via ghrelin signalling.
- Obesity Journal, 2015 – Shows alcohol suppresses fat oxidation for up to 72 hours.
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2018 – Alcohol’s effect on insulin resistance and energy metabolism.
- Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2022 – Reveals that 70% of people match their drinking pace to others.
- Gollwitzer on Implementation Intentions (1999) – Strong evidence that “if-then” plans boost behavioural change.
- Bandura’s Social Learning Theory – How behaviour is shaped by observing others.
- Thaler & Sunstein’s Nudge Theory – Environmental tweaks that guide healthier decisions.
- Nature Neuroscience, 2016 – Shows how repeated choices form stronger neural habit pathways.
- Volkow et al., 2016 – Dopamine & Reward – How alcohol hijacks dopamine to reinforce repeated use.
These studies form part of ARC’s evidence base, grounding practical advice in real-world behavioural science. If you’re ready to apply it with structure and support, check out the Essentials Plan or our ADHD & Alcohol Course.
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