Negroni's and Mindful Imbibing
Can one practice mindfulness while engaging in 'destructive' behavior?
Can one practice mindfulness while engaging in destructive behavior?
Are we allowed to say it’s meditative when indulging in something that's inherently unhealthy? And do it in the name of being present?
I don’t know, I’m not a monk.
I philosophize often but wouldn’t call myself a philosopher or some specialty fringe thinker.
I enjoy a well-made cocktail at a pace much slower than most and call it presence.
Buddhist monks have a practice called Drinking Water Meditation, in which you attune all your focus to the act of simply drinking water. Feeling it swish around your mouth, sewing its way between your incisors and bicuspids, following the sensation down your esophagus and to your gut below.
I do the same, but with alcohol…mindfully.
My drink of choice? The Negroni.
So much has been written about this cocktail (by writers far more adept in gastronomy than I) that I won’t belabor the origin story of this iconic drink, and instead focus on my relationship to the beverage and my relation to mindful imbibing as an idea.
For the uninitiated, the Negroni is a three-ingredient cocktail served chilled or over a large block of ice. Equal parts Gin, Campari, & Sweet Vermouth garnished with a peel of citrus. I’ve had them served in a stemmed glass and a rocks glass. While the stemmed glass was very fancy and made me feel most debonair…
I’m a refined degenerate at heart.
So my preference is rocks glass with a large block of ice. (smaller cubes dilute my drink too quickly for my general imbibing pace)
So the story, right, that’s what this is all about.
It was a few years ago, I packed my weekender bag and planned to do some beach hopping along the Bay Area Coast. Having friends in various areas along my planned route I made sure I had a couple of couches lined up to get me through the few days of pure relaxation.
Day one was Capitola. A place that deserves its own post because it has served as the genesis for some of my best ideas and epiphanies. I waltzed down to the Margaritaville, ordered my usual, and picked a seat near the inlet of water.
I felt the cool spring sea breeze caress my face (I was far less beard-enable then than I am now) and the gulls flapping nearby hoping to snatch up a fallen ring of calamari. My drink arrived and hurriedly I picked it up and brought the rim to my lips when the most interesting thing happened.
I was taken by the urge to pause, put my drink down, and breathe. A thought popped into my head instantaneously…I wasn’t ready.
In my rush to beat traffic and survive driving up the 17 (iykyk), in a rush to find parking in the shade, and shuffle down the gravel steps past the families unpacking their kiddos for the twice-yearly beach trip, my mind and heart were still on the go.
Here I was “at rest” with a brilliant view and cocktail in hand and I was still on the go.
I was always on the go. I was even thinking to myself, “I better hurry up and rest so I can shoot to my friend’s house before it gets too late”. I almost laughed out loud at my ridiculousness.
So I committed then to slowing down. To relax.
I picked up my Negroni, and slowly took in the fragrance. The Italian apéritif filled my nose with notes of cinnamon, clove, and other herbal aromas. The Sweet vermouth wafted its citrus and floral aromatics, almost as to calm down the very prominent Campari. Once I decided I had huffed enough of my beverage, I went for a sip.
Instant game changer.
Having fully accepted the slower path, the less rushed path, I enjoyed a drinking experience like I’d never enjoyed before. Each sip was preceded by a deep breath. The flavor profile of the Negroni felt so much more pronounced. The pinch of ethanol from the gin, the strong herbal aromatics from the apéritif and vermouth, and even the light citrus mist from the garnish, all danced in unison as I imbibed by the beach.
This was living, and I never again wanted to live any other way.
And I’m happy to report, over time it has become easier and easier to hit the pause button in my life, to create moments for peace and restoration.
This is really what this round-about love letter personal anecdote is really about.
Mindfulness and restoration are equally as important as drive and ambition. Often those who are in relentless pursuit to get to the next thing, don’t give any thought to rest, and then they have a triple bypass or stroke in their mid 50’s…if they make it that far.
Furthermore, when this type of person thinks of rest what they are imagining is distraction via vice. They HAVE to drink to slow down, they NEED to smoke to become present. Some even turn to other vices that I don’t need to mention. Just to simulate restorative experiences.
There is not a soul in the world, who lives among the bustlings of society, without vice.
And so I offer this remedy.
If you are going to smoke, if you are going to imbibe, if you are going to “that” parlor… don’t do it haphazardly. Minimize these vices as much as possible, but if you’re going to do it anyway be as mindful as possible.
Don’t rush, breathe deeply and as slowly as possible, take many pauses to take inventory of your thoughts and emotions, seek the highest reasonable quality, and know you never need that much.
For those who would use this philosophy to enable themselves in their destructive behaviors, I can’t stop you. But, you will find with mindfulness and intentional repose, you don’t need that kind of outlet nearly as much…or at all.
Take care.
If you like my writing, there is zero-cost support in the form of subscribing, liking, commenting, and sharing with anyone who would find it helpful.
Or you can consider becoming a paid supporter for $9/mth, (less than the price of a watered-down cocktail.) By doing this you help me to keep investing time into researching and writing all the content on a daily basis, as well as creating more unique forms of content still yet to come.
What you get by becoming a paid supporter is:
Access to all full-length essays
Discounts on 1-on-1 Coaching, e-guides, and future materials
Access to group chat and being able to suggest ideas for future content
& more to come!
However, even taking the time out of your day to read what I have to share with you means more to me than you can ever imagine. Thank you.
Resources: