Jen Varale samples a non-alcoholic spirit called Three Spirit Livener, noting its cayenne, agave and herbal notes and how she might mix it. She also explores social balance, discussing energy checks and showing up authentically in social settings.
Jen Varale is here for the Sober not somber hour. She shares what she's drinking for non alcoholic beverages. Today she highlights a beverage called three Spirit. Claims to provide energy and euphoric vibes.
This week we are focusing on social balance. Balance to me in the social setting is about energy. I really work hard to show up as my authentic self. And I encourage everyone to think about that and, you know, some of these beverages.
All right, all right, 406. Good afternoon, it's Jen Varale. We are here for the Sober not somber hour. If you're coming in, welcome, welcome. I am in Okoboji, Iowa today and I had a little issue kind of connecting to live stream. So you know, that happens, that happens. But here we are. Deep breath. Finding balance today. How's everyone doing? If you're coming in, welcome again, apologies for being a little bit late. R stigma. Hello, welcome. Yeah, so what I do in Sober not somber hour is I share a little bit about my sobriety journey.
I've had almost 11 years of an alcohol free lifestyle and I love to kind of sample what I'm drinking for non alcoholic beverages which in the last probably three or four years there's just a whole host of them. And I know for people I've talked to in recovery free and people who are just wanting to reduce their alcohol intake, these non alcoholic beverages are amazing. So today I'm going to highlight a beverage called three Spirit. This one is called Livener and it's a brand out of the UK they formed in 2018 and the founders are scientists and herbalists and they were going for not just alcohol free but adding some adaptogens to their beds.
So this one is claims that it provides energy. It's juicy and fiery. It's a functional spirit alternative. So yeah. Okay you guys. So this one here it is. I just have a little sample because it's wicked strong. It has cayenne pepper, agave and green leaf tea and all sorts of other good stuff in it. I'm loving it. Just it provides euphoric vibes. So they claim you can get the kick of cayenne pepper. So usually I'd be mixing this, making maybe a margarita with agave and some lime and a little bit of basil with this beverage.
As I mentioned, I'm traveling. I don't have access to all those things I have at home. Welcome in. I'm seeing you coming in. That's great. Happy Sober not somber hour. So one of the themes we're all talking about this month as Cadre contributors is the theme of balance. So last week I talked about emotional balance and this week we are focusing on social balance. What does that mean? And I think when I think about alcohol and how I misused alcohol in the past to create fun gen for networking and social activities, my, my fun meter, my balance of fun went way up for a while at an event like I would hit a high point and felt like I was the life of the party and the fun could only continue if I would keep drinking alcohol.
We know how that story goes. So today I'm thinking about balance in mindful choices around drinking and, and the balance of figuring out what feels right to me in a social setting. And I would say balance to me in the social setting is about energy. So I don't know if you notice when you come into a social space. One of the biggest things that I always do a check on before entering to any event or experiences. You know, where am I at, where's my energy? And I really work hard to show up as my authentic self.
And to me that means a lot of things. And I'll share with you some of the tips and things that I've learned. Maybe you've got some others to share. Not going into an event that is social in a way that I'm depleted or I'm low on energy. So what I mean by that is I have had experiences in the past and a lot of times if it is a happy hour, say networking, eventually it's at the end of your day, like on a Thursday. And oftentimes the energy level can be low or you're just tired, you're tired from the week.
So when I, over the last years as I've been doing events, when I show up, I think about how am I going to have the best energy possible to be authentic and to be in person with the people that I serve. So I also do non alcoholic bars at corporate events and I catch people at that time of the day where there may be low energy or low depleted. But I, prior to going to some of those events that I have scheduled, if I can, I will actually schedule some time right before that in the afternoon to take a nap, to do some self care, to disconnect from my computer and to actually just be completely alone if I can, if I can do that.
Because I feel like that is going to be for me as an introvert, the best way that I can show up in a social setting. So I notice that balance really is related to I love, you know, I am an introvert, but I love being together in community. So how does that balance, right? And I do think it's recognizing that I always used to label myself an introvert and told myself I only felt comfortable in social settings if I had alcohol because it loosened me up, it livened me up. And I know that's no longer true, but I've had 10 years to experience being in social settings where about 20 minutes into any event, you know, without alcohol.
And I feel connected. I feel like I'm there for community. So I would encourage everyone to think about that and, you know, some of these beverages. Again, the one that I'm highlighting today, Livener. It's a good one. It's a good one. There are options. I'm having this as I'm getting ready to go into a celebration tonight. My son is turning 20 on the 19th and we're gonna have a little birthday party for him. So I'm very curious to see what the na options are on the menu. But I'm thinking about that before I'm going into a social setting.
What am I going to have to drink? What do I think the options are going to be? At this restaurant, I plan things out so I can have a social experience that feels good and authentic to me. Yeah. So those are my kind of tips for today, thinking about balance. And I'm sorry I was late to the party today. If you try to chime in at 4, I hope you're catching this later on the live stream. And yeah, I hope you're finding balance in all your social activities. I feel like the month of June is just ramping up with so many things, especially in the summer in Minnesota, so many things to do.
So take care of yourself, nourish yourself, maybe go inward and recharge if that feels right to you, in order to be in these larger social settings and be present and show up in the way you want. Those are my thoughts for today. Happy finding balance, everyone. And n A Cheers. Have a great Tuesday and we'll see you next week. Right on time.
