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How beer, pubs and socialising can beat the January blues
Blue Monday, 20 January, is considered to be the most depressing day of the year. But it need not be the case. After all, beer, pubs and socialising are directly linked to happiness.
According to beer writer, presenter and author Pete Brown, people need to remember that Blue Monday is a fabrication and also that going out to pubs should not always be connected to consuming alcoholic drinks, but more about the atmosphere.
Brown explained to db: “Blue Monday is not a real thing [but has been] totally invented by a PR for a holiday company, with no research to back it up. But as far as pubs go, this January-based period of abstinence for me has taught me that so much of the appeal of the pub is not necessarily rooted in alcohol. Had a pint of [Adnams] Ghost Ship 0.5% ABV in a pub on the coast yesterday and, honestly, nothing was missing. The roaring fire, the dog curled up on my coat on the bench, the gentle buzz from the bar, the intimacy, the people talking ill-informed nonsense on the next table – it was all there.”
The plight for the drinks industry as well as the hospitality sector to remain flexible in January to accomodate people going out less, abstaining from drinking, or even feeling the pinch of winter, has been navigated well by a few businesses determinded to showcase reasons for going out to socialise.
One example of a company that is determined to change the narrative for its customers can be seen by Joseph Holts pubs hosting a range of upbeat activities to help fend off the seasonal blues. For instance, according to local reports there are many ways to find something to do and still support the sector. For this Blue Monday, the Welcome Inn on Bury Old Road in Prestwich will be hosting a lively folk night where people are invited to sit, chat and play.
Describing the event to locals, pub manager James Main revealed: “It happens every Monday at 8pm. People come in to play banjo, guitars, accordion or violin. People come in to listen, have a drink and just feel warm and uplifted. It’s the perfect antidote to Blue Monday.”
At The Frigate in Whitefield, Blue Monday is a chance to watch a ladies’ darts competition according to pub manager Lisa Moran, who insisted: “It certainly won’t be Blue Monday. It’s always a lively night.”
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Joseph Holt pubs director Mark Norbury said: “it’s understandable why people might be feeling a bit down on Blue Monday but this is where our pubs can really help. They are already places where people can socialise, receive a warm welcome and enjoy a sense of togetherness – not least because our pubs are often at the heart of the communities where they’re based. This Monday they will really come into their own with activities taking place to give people a lift on Blue Monday.”
Norbury pointed out: “Our strength lies in catering to every community demographic need throughout the week. From free, loneliness-beating Chatterbox mornings with refreshments, guest speakers, and social sessions to hosting groups, such as walking and running clubs as well as support groups for mental health and wellbeing. That`s why visiting some of our pubs on Blue Monday will be the chance to enjoy an added diversion and thumb a nose at this otherwise miserable day.”
Beer awards judge Bill Simmons highlighted how pubs can be places for people to find geniality, away from the stresses of the world and added: “When I need a comforting, loving social environment the pub is my refuge.”
Added to this notion, the way a pub can help foster a sense of community and give its visitors an element of choice has also been outlined as key to making people feel like they matter and can call a few shots, especially when they feel disenfranchised.
Speaking to db, beer writer and author Adrian Tierney Jones said: “I don’t know much about Blue Monday, but I know I shall be going to the pub tonight and shall be studying several large glasses of Utopian’s lustrous Cerne Specialni and for me that prospect and the promise of being in the company of likeminded souls is enough to banish any blue clouds that might have the nerve to appear on the horizon.”
Plus, according to a German study into the science of wellbeing, beer can in fact make you happier. The research, which was conducted in the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, tested 13,000 different food components to find out which ones stimulated the brain’s reward centre and discovered that hordeline, the chemical found in malted barley, topped the list.
This means that, even though beer has historically been considered a depressant and not a stimulant, the presence of hordeline helps to activate the dopamine D2 receptor in the brain. As such, when activated, this releases a batch of feel-good hormones into the body and, according to health journals, this actually encourages happiness.
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