Club Soda Community Podcast

We don't normally put trigger warnings on our blogs and podcasts at Club Soda. If ever there was a subject that needed it, though, it's alcohol and trauma. Trauma is a very personal experience. For those of us who've combined alcohol and trauma as a means to cope, this conversation is challenging. For this reason, we urge you to decide for yourselves if you're in the right headspace to hear it.
Our discussion today is with trauma specialists Mark, founder of School for Inspiring Talents and Life Chance Education, and his wife Victoria, a therapist specialising in trauma and addiction.

Alcohol and trauma specialists Mark and Victoria

Husband and wife super team Mark and Victoria Escott connected through their own recovery journeys from drugs, alcohol and trauma. Now, they help others who have had traumatic experiences. Trauma could be from a car accident, divorce, or childhood abuse. Their career paths are different but their work centres around the same goal: to help those in need of help to deal with alcohol and trauma.

Mark Escott

Mark is the CEO and co-founder of Life Chance Educations. He brings personal experience and professional training to his role in helping vulnerable children deal with adverse experiences in their early years. This led Mark to found the School for Inspiring Talents and Life Chance Education, where he helps children and their families heal from trauma and the unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as addiction, that have let them to seek help.

Victoria Escott

Victoria is a specialist counsellor for alcohol, drugs, addictive/destructive behaviour, trauma and PTSD. In recent years, Victoria's therapeutic practices have centred around people who have experienced a wide range of trauma. Victoria has a wealth of experience in dealing with addictions due to trauma and is particularly interested in attachment theory.

Deal with addiction, heal the trauma

The reason that this subject is so tricky is two-fold. As our guests discuss with Club Soda co-founder Dru, once we get a grip on problem drinking, often the uncomfortable feelings that we were masking with alcohol come to the fore. Without our coping mechanism, often that trauma feels completely overwhelming. But, as Victoria and Mark adeptly point out, there are many ways to process trauma without relapsing on our drinking goals. From self-soothing to individual or family therapy, there are many ways to find the right support. That includes our community right here at Club Soda.

Victoria Escott

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This week's podcast is sponsored and edited by our friend Natasha Steele from Urban Cordial. Unhappy with the sickly, sweet non-alcoholic drink offerings on the market, Natasha created Urban Cordial. This helped her, and ultimately others, to tackle both their alcohol and sugar consumption and. Because we don't just do one thing at a time, right? In this podcast, Natasha talks to dietician and all-around sugar expert, Laura Tilt about overhauling our drinks. Natasha also shares how to use Urban Cordial to create the most amazing alcohol-free mojito.
Who is Urban Cordial?

At Club Soda, we believe that being part of a community is the superfood of behaviour change. That's why we're thrilled to team up with Natasha from Urban Cordial. This fantastic range of low sugar cordials came about after Natasha became fed up with watching her colleagues getting smashed while she sipped on something syrupy sweet, full of sugar, and pretending to taste like fruit.

Natasha Steele, Urban Cordial

For Natasha, the sugary syrup and fake flavours were enough to encourage her to create her own cordials to enjoy at home. It wasn't long until the success of her low sugar, foraged, healthy cordial recipes were being sold at her local farmers market, and demand exploded. Working with British Farms to ensure oddly-shaped but perfectly good fruit destined for landfill is used, Natasha has created an ethical, low sugar treat for those wanting a delicious drink when you're not drinking. Urban Cordial helps make space for a greater range of alcohol-free drinks behind the bar or in the fridge.

Sweet talking with Natasha and Laura Tilt

Laura Tilt is a Registered Dietitian and Health Writer. She is fascinated by how food makes us feel, think, and live, and she is passionate about helping us understand the relationship between what goes on our plates and in our glasses and what happens in our bodies. She was the perfect person for Natasha to talk to about their shared interest in sugar, sweeteners, and their potentially harmful effect on our health. Follow Laura on Instagram here.

Laura Tilt

This podcast between Natasha and Laura Tilt focuses on .why we crave sugar when changing our drinking. It looks at sugar in alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and whether sugar-free diets are really all that helpful. Then there's the big question: sweeteners - good or bad? The experts discuss what to do if you are diabetic, and how to read the food and drink labels so that you know how much sugar you are getting.

Natasha's Sublime Strawberry and Sage Mojito

Take 2-3 fresh strawberries and add to a cocktail shaker (or, failing that, use a large, empty jar).

Squeeze in the quarters of 1 lime, then drop as much of the flesh into the shaker as possible.

Muddle together (gently mash) the strawberries and the lime - a perfect pairing!

Add 30 ml of Strawberry & Sage Cordial. The sage replaces mint well in this distinctive and unusual mojito alternat

Find Club Soda:
The Club Soda Tasting Room is at 39 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RR
Find us on Instagram

When we're changing our drinking, we often talk about problem drinking versus normal drinking. But what does normal drinking actually mean? How do we include alcohol in our lives in an unproblematic way? Our podcast this week is a really fascinating discussion with Dr Emma Davies, senior lecturer in Psychology at Oxford Brookes University, who has researched drinking behaviour for over 10 years.

Who is Dr Emma Davies?

As well as being the Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Oxford Brookes, Dr Emma Davies joined the Global Drug Surveyas the Alcohol Lead. She's been directing and shaping alcohol questions and health messaging as part of the survey. Emma has also been conducting her own alcohol research for about 10 years. Her focus has been on our behavioural approach to alcohol consumption. That means what we intend to do versus what we actually do, and where these intentions begin to change. With very little previous research around the idea of normal drinking, Emma and her colleagues study the different stages of consumption to analyse what normal drinking looks like from the inside. Emma's research is a fascinating scientific reference for those interested in what moderation, abstinence, and the concept of drinking 'normally' really looks like.

What is normal drinking?

Dr Emma Davies

The idea of what is normal is ambiguous. What is normal for one person can be completely different for another. This is true no matter what it is in our lives that we're trying to change or achieve. Our interests, goals, achievements, level of stamina, and triggers will all be different. Emma's research has centred around what she calls the tipping point consumption. That is the point where we begin to feel out of control and unwell. A recent survey undertaken by Dr Emma and her team asked around 60,000 participants to note three distinct phases of their drinking:

• 1. When they first feel the effects of drinking
• 2. When they get to a stage of feeling intoxicated, or 'happy drunk'
• 3. How many drinks it would take until they started to reach their tipping point between control and out of control

It would be easy to assume that the survey would show that there is a definite number of drinks or units of alcohol per category. And, as Dr Emma Davies explains, their survey did find that in the UK, there was an average level of consumption of around 100 grams of alcohol to reach the happy drunk stage.

The surprising outcome of this survey is how there is a large disparity between what people feel is a healthy, 'normal' drinking level and the official guidelines on low alcohol consumption. The study shows that counting units of alcohol and applying them to our daily drinking isn't something we do naturally. We tend to associate the need for guidelines with other people, whereas the reality is that our social situations, tolerances, and lifestyles play more of a part in what we're able to consume 'normally' over time.

Find Club Soda:
The Club Soda Tasting Room is at 39 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RR
Find us on Instagram

It was great to have this conversation with Shaun Reany, a performance poet, advocate for mindful living and founder of the Sober Af Poetry Night. He opened up about his journey through sobriety, creativity, and self-acceptance. He has used his experiences with mental health struggles and personal growth as a foundation for creating safe, non-judgmental spaces for self-expression. His story reflects the power of poetry and public speaking to help navigate complex emotions and foster a supportive community.

From Self-Investigation to Sobriety
Shaun’s journey toward sobriety started with a deep introspection after an incident that shocked him, and nearly got him into big trouble. He wanted to reconcile his true self with his actions. Therapy played a crucial role, allowing him to unpack years of cognitive dissonance—feeling disconnected from his values while under the influence of alcohol. After a long process, Shaun found clarity: to achieve the life he truly desired, he had to let go of alcohol. This decision marked the final piece of his puzzle, setting him on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

Creativity Unleashed: Poetry as a Healing Tool
Through writing and performing, Shaun found an outlet for expressing the emotions he previously struggled to confront. His poetry, initially inspired by song lyrics and personal reflections, became a therapeutic vehicle for self-understanding. Contrary to the myth that creativity thrives on substances, Shaun’s sober reflections have brought newfound depth and honesty to his work, proving that authenticity can drive powerful artistic expression.

Building a Judgment-Free Community
In January, Shaun launched *Sober AF Poetry Club*, an open mic event that offers a judgment-free environment for people to share their stories. Here, individuals from all walks of life present works that range from lighthearted humor to profound self-reflection, often touching on personal experiences with mental health, family dynamics, and sobriety. The club’s inclusive nature fosters a community where vulnerability is met with support, offering attendees a rare chance to connect over shared challenges.

Looking Ahead: The Unscripted Journey
Shaun’s future remains open, driven by a commitment to personal growth and creative exploration. While he acknowledges the value of planning, he emphasises staying true to what feels right, allowing each step to shape his path organically. For Shaun, the journey is about doing what brings him joy, from writing to creating safe spaces for others to express themselves authentically.

As Shaun continues to explore his creative potential, his story reminds us that embracing change and supporting one another can lead to unexpected and meaningful transformations.

Find the Sober Af Poetry Club on Instagram and dates for next events here.

Find Club Soda:
The Club Soda Tasting Room is at 39 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RR
Find us on Instagram

Denise has produced 18 editions of her new magazine dedicated to low and no alcohol drinks. Something she would never have considered if she had no re-evaluated her relationship with alcohol.

Welcome to the next round, where we speak to people about the next stage of their life once they have reviewed how alcohol impacts them.
You don’t have to be totally alcohol-free to gain benefits from rethinking your drinking. But as this week’s guest Denise Hamilton Mace has shown, you need to have a determination to change your life, and some ideas to get going with.
Denise has moderated her drinking habits, which led her to a degree in sports fitness and then she got brave, and started writing – something she was told way back when, that she may not be suited to. We love it when a guest proves their nay sayers wrong!

Exploring the Low and No Alcohol Revolution: Denise’s Journey of Discovery and Innovation

The rise of low and no alcohol options is transforming how we think about drinking, and Denise’s story provides a unique perspective on this cultural shift. As a hospitality professional turned advocate for mindful drinking and editor of Low and No Drinker magazine, Denise shares her journey of personal growth, career transformation, and creative exploration.

Redefining Life Through Moderating Alcohol

For Denise, the decision to cut back on alcohol wasn’t a dramatic turning point but a series of realisations.

“I started to notice how alcohol affected me over time. It wasn’t just the hangovers; it was the brain fog, the mood swings, and feeling like I wasn’t operating at my full capacity”
Her journey began with small lifestyle changes.

“I stopped eating red meat because it made me feel moody, and alcohol was the next thing I recognized as not serving me.”

Denise emphasises that she doesn’t identify as teetotal or in recovery but rather someone who found more balance by drinking less.

“It’s about discovering who you want to be and whether alcohol helps or hinders that.”

Find Club Soda:
The Club Soda Tasting Room is at 39 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RR
Find us on Instagram