Man begins beer diet for Lent; raises money for local businesses
‘I only have three to five beers a day’
CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - Lent begins Wednesday and in some Christian faiths, it’s often a time for people to give something up as a way to remember sacrifices Jesus made.
Popular sacrifices include food or beverage, or an activity that may not be good for you.
A Cincinnati man is giving up all food and most beverages to drink only beer for the next 46 days.
Del Hall is going on a beer-only diet (plus water, black coffee, and herbal tea) for the third year in a row during Lent.
He says the goals are simple: lose weight and help local restaurants and bars during the pandemic. And he’s asking you to help those businesses too.
“I only have three to five beers a day,” explains Hall. “It’s not like I’m drinking constantly. If you eat your standard diet, it gets boring, You don’t eat the same thing every day. So, I am definitely not going to drink the same thing every day.”
This is the third Lenten season Hall has been on a beer diet for Lent.
He says each year he loses 40 to 50 pounds getting all of his calories from beer. Not only does he lose weight each year, but he also lowers his cholesterol and blood pressure.
“The human body is an amazing thing,” explains Hall. “We’re used to going through as hunter-gatherers, feast and famine. The problem is we don’t go through the famine anymore.”
Hall is co-owner of 16 Lots brewery in Mason. He knows firsthand how the pandemic has affected bars, restaurants, and breweries.
This Lent, he’s going to raise money for those local businesses through Sgt. Del’s Virtual Tip Jar.
“This industry was damaged,” explains Fowling Cincinnati co-owner Joe Frank. “What Del’s doing for the bar and restaurant workers, it’s awesome.”
Fowling Warehouse is a unique bar and warehouse in Oakley. He says he went from 32 employees before the pandemic to 12 now.
“The employees were hit the hardest,” Frank says. “The business itself from an ownership standpoint, there’s loans and things you can get. But the employees only had a small window of help from the government.”
When Lent is over, Hall will take all of the money he has raised and share it evenly with the bars and restaurants that ask to be part of the fundraiser. And don’t worry, he says safety is important and he always has a designated driver.
“One beer today will affect me way differently than it will in a week,” explains Hall, “I kind of really have to stay cognizant of that. Last year I became Uber platinum because I use Uber so much.”
Copyright 2021 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
