“Blue zone” communities in Greece, Sardinia and elsewhere in the Mediterranean are known for especially long lives. They’re also known for drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, namely red wine. Is alcohol extending their lives? Is alcohol good for us?
Alcohol, ubiquitous in American and many other cultures, is at odds with our health. Despite apparent correlation between longevity and moderate alcohol consumption, specifically red wine, there is an ever-expanding body of research demonstrating that any amount of alcohol is harmful to our health. It’s even harmful to the health of those who drink five glasses of wine a day and somehow live to be a hundred years old. They aren’t exempt. None of us are.
I’ll tell you what I believe keeps us healthy and helps us live longer – each other. Our connection with people – ourselves, our spouses, our friends, our family, our community. It is social bonds, and loving relationships, that studies have shown actually extend lives.
So, when octogenarian friends Giorgios, Yannis, and Nikolaus sit by the sea, popping anchovies, sharing a few bottles of Agiorgitiko and laughing long into the evening, it isn’t the wine that’s extending their lives – it’s the camaraderie. The wine is bad for their health, but the socialization benefits outweigh those negatives, and net/net they live longer.
Luckily for alcohol, it has gotten to stand on the shoulders of the things which actually feel good – connection, community, presence, long meals with family and friends, dancing, and conversations that go well into the night.
Social connection is central to what I want to create with Dry Atlas and Spirited Away. So, this is my invitation to visit 177 Mott Street, say hi, drink with us at an event, tell us what you’re excited about, ask us questions, and let us help you. We want you to get to know us and we want to get to know you. Dry Atlas and Spirited Away aren’t just about replacing pretty bottles of alcohol with pretty bottles of something else. It’s about giving people a more human, interactive, community-centered way of exploring non-alcoholic beverage options. We’re excited about the brands and products we sell but we’re more interested in the experience you have buying them, enjoying them and sharing them with your friends and family.
Dry Atlas and Spirited Away are my contributions to short circuiting the alcohol —> socializing —> longevity correlation chain. Let’s skip the alcohol altogether and see if we can’t foster similar connections over thoughtful, non-alcoholic adult drinks intended for socializing. If that works, we can have our cake and eat it too.
