Alcohol Use May Be Declining, But We Still Want That Buzz
The culture around alcohol is evolving. That doesn’t mean everyone’s getting sober
Illustration by Merijn Hos
At least once a month for the past three years, I’ve followed the same ritual: I wander over to 40 Maltby Street, London’s cult-favorite wine bar under the railway arches in Bermondsey, and prepare to wait a while. Until recently.
On my last couple of visits, the 40-seat space has had availability almost immediately, and occasionally I’ve even had my choice of places to sit. It’s one more piece of evidence, I suspect, of that phrase we’re hearing all the time now, as ubiquitous as a marketing slogan: People aren’t drinking.