What do you drink at the pub if you don’t drink alcohol?

[Footballmyarse]

I don’t drink anymore (I’ve had a huge health scare and it’s shocked me into a lot of changes). I don’t really go out anyway as I moved across the country and don’t know anyone, this will be the first time in about 5 years.

I have been invited out by some new friends though.

This will be the first time I’ve gone to a pub and not had alcohol. And I don’t want to make a big deal of it as they are all 10 or so years younger than me (i’m 42, they are all late 20s), we met through our toddlers. Not a massive deal I know but I have had the odd comment from them about being in my 40s and things, and it’s clear they are up for a big night.

So what do you do if you don’t drink? I don’t want to make a big deal of not drinking either. I know one of dh colleagues doesn’t drink, he orders himself a lemonade and pretends there is vodka in it to get round the people who keep going on and on at him to just have one. I always found in the past that if one person doesn’t drink, there is always someone who is like a dog with a bone and won’t leave it.

But equally, I don’t want to sit there with glass after glass of pop that I don’t want just so I have “something”.

And yes, I am overthinking! It’s lovey to have finally met some nice people and I don’t want to cock it up!

So, I had a couple of glasses of lemonade as it was so hot in the pub, they seem to take roaring fires very seriously!

Met them at the pub at half 9 and it was shots from the off. They wouldn't take no thank you for an answer and lots of cries of “don’t be boring, drink!” but luckily, everyone was already very drunk and it was really raucous and chaotic, so no one noticed I didn’t take a glass or that I wasn’t drinking anything else.

I didn’t follow on with them to a club after closing, I’ve got nightshift tonight and can’t sleep before hand due to the children and dh woking until I leave, so I was home at 11:30pm or I wouldn’t survive work tonight!

If anyone fancies dinner/pub/gig to just have a chat and a laugh, call me 😆

It was fun, but to be honest, that wasn’t my idea of a great night out even when I was younger, but it was great to get out with some new people for a bit.

Shots in a boiling room with people pressuring me to drink and calling me old and boring sounds like hell! I’m sorry.

Making like-minded friends in your 40s is TOUGH, harder still when you’ve just relocated. Well done for going. I hope in 20 years these women cringe a bit looking back!

I haven't drunk for 23 years.

It's usually ginger beer for me, fruit juice or lime and lemonade.

I don't drink alcohol so when we go to the pub I usually have lime and lemonade or a J2o, unless I'm in wetherspoons then I have coffee.

Something like a fentimans is my go to or I sometimes do alcohol free cider if available. If I can't get that I usually go for appletiser. Coke/lemonade is the last resort for me.
Coeliac here too 😊

I don’t drink either and I’m coeliac too. I think a Virgin Mary always looks convincing. But I usually have a tonic water with a slice of lime. No one knows it isn’t a G&T and they don’t usually make much fuss anyway. If I don’t want to tell people I don’t drink ever I just say I’m on antibiotics currently. After they’ve had a couple themselves people don’t really notice what anyone else is drinking anyway - or they stop caring. I haven’t drink alcohol for years. If someone gets really pushy I just say that I haven’t drunk alcohol for years and I’m much better company sober!