What do you do for a night out when you are sober?

[Leavingonapetjlane]

I'm just pondering this really. I've really cut down my alcohol consumption, and I would like to give it up completely. But what do you do when you go out for an evening? A typical night out for me is dinner and drinks, or drinks in a pub, or pub quiz with drinks. I don't want to do any of those things sober (although could do dinner sober). What evening things can you do as a couple or with a friend that don't include pubs or alcohol? (I can only think of the cinema but that's not really a social evening out as you sit in silence for the most part)

My partner and I don’t drink. We still go to bars, pubs etc…and just drink lemonade or coke, we still have a great time.

Sober pub quizzes are great, because you stay sharp all night! It’s an unfair advantage…

My DH still drinks, so I just do all the same things. Why don’t you think you can do them sober?

Hi @Leavingonapetjlane

I have an active social life that people often comment on, that i do interesting stuff,
if anything is coming up,

i also am someone who is not into drinking alchol,
not cause i am recovering alcoholic ,

i wish pubs and other night time establishments and restaurants would wake up and realise that there is a gap , in the alchol /beverages industries, for a lot more of range of low and non alchol beverages,

I like drinking non alcoholic Kopparberg mixed fruit cider,
tastes the same as the acholic version

I also drink fruit cocktails or mocktails, i think they maybe called to,

posh traditional lemonade drink bottle it's often sold in supermarkets , with a Rose bottle and Coke cola drink,
they are sold in retro type of glass bottle designs.

Appleitizer drink..

Thank you everyone, maybe I just need to open my mind to it more. I think I just associate pubs with alcohol.

I was also trying to think of places to go in the evening to be social that aren't pubs....I could only think of the cinema, but I suppose you could do concerts and comedy nights etc without drinking.

Being the sober one in a pub is great because you can tease others about their stupidity the next day.

You could do evening classes or a book club or the theatre or musical concerts or comedy clubs or a sporting activity or go clubbing. Some of these tend to still have alcohol at them but the evening isn't as focussed on alcohol as a pub. I drink but prefer all of these sober.

@JaninaDuszejko

Yes that's exactly what i think and actively do have a social life arounds activities not strictly related around socialising with alchol,

such as going to a life drawing classes or art and creative classes
Visting art gallery exhibitions,

Visting very popular open mike poetry readings , creative writing evenings or days ,

book clubs are popular as it naturally encourages discussions on interesting subjects that spring from doing this,

Dark histories talks and walks

Murder mysteries evenings events

doing voluntary work for a charity of interest it's not just working at a charity shop,

i used to do voluntary work at nature reserve in Clwdych with with well know bird society welfare charity,

you can even do charity work abroad too, for a short while or even longer such as wildlife conservation ect

You need to check up look at eventbrite. com

it's brilliant, so much stuff to see online and actively participate in , all kinds of interesting stuff .
It's like being a child wandering through a toy shop,

eventbrite. com

Elysium arts bar Swansea

this is the type of venue, or something similar in your area or next town or city where ever you live

you need to get into @Leavingonapetjlane

it's like a multi entertainment venue that does arts and crafts creative stuff hub , plus live good music and open mike poetry , creative writing
life drawing

I look up eventbrite. com

and i subscribe for free to be in the know about anything interesting in my area i can get actively involved...

You can do this as an option

I do the same things as I do if I'm drinking, plenty do here as rural so driving

Thank you so much for these suggestions! Makes me even more motivated to go alcohol free - I've wasted too many nights in pubs not remembering much from the evening.

There are some really good suggestions here - love the idea of poetry nights and book clubs. I'm going to check some events out now. Thank you!

Desert parlors and late night coffee shops seemed to be rammed late hours in my Northern City and getting even more popular. A nice way to treat yourself without alcohol and probably works out the sane calorie wise vs alcoholic drinks

There's even feminist book club ,

also get into alternate art house cinema type of venue in Swansea
that have a mixture of conventional mainstream cinema films , but mostly alternative art house films such as black and white vintage films, show also quirky interesting thought provoking documentaries such as the one i saw about the weird and wonderful world of fungi,
and about how essential to the environment and ourselves they are etc,
also every so often they will have alternative events such as a quirky well being events with spiritual slant to it, or even a pagan wicca event or something else,
Swish clothes swap event with a drink included with cheap price fee,
often Swish clothes swap events are free in community centres,

also they have a quirky date night theme every so often,
They also have alternative comedy nights arts exhibitions,
Art classes
Cinema &co Swansea

this is another type of venue need to get into , they have cinema &co venues in different cities in the UK ,
Maybe in towns too not sure

Look up similar type of venues in your area too

Also it's becoming popular to have themed retro/ traditional board games 🎲 evenings/nights at popular pubs/ entertainment places ,
during the week too.
in city's towns.

If where you live they don't offer cinema &co ?
is there in your nearest town or city something else along similar lines that's is different venue etc.

Also clothes swap events are usually and often, offer non alchol drinks as part of the evening or day time event you attend ..

Same as I did when I did drink but I hadn’t been much of a pubber. I will happily have some soft drinks in a pub no problem but it’s just not the kind of thing I want to do now, in a noisy/crowded/smelly place (really notice the smell of alcohol now) with people who are just there to get drunk

You could definitely do a pub quiz or dinner sober. An evening of just drinks might be dull. What about cinema, theatre, comedy night? Or a crafting evening, a hobby like a choir. I don't drink and I'll happily go to a pub or bar with a few friends. I've done festivals sober to!

The gym it's amazing for your mental health as well

These are really great suggestions, thank you! I do live in a City so there will be plenty going on that doesn't involve a pub.

@TooOldForThisNonsense this experience is what set me off with this thread - I had a night out with friends in a pub - but it was cold and crowded and I didn't begin to enjoy myself until my second drink. It just made me wonder what else is out there as I didn't fancy that kind of pub experience sober.

@babasaclover this is a good idea too! I have started a (morning) gym class and I always feel fantastic afterwards! :)

@cerisepanther73 there isn't a cinema&co near me, but there is another independent cinema, thank you!

I was thinking how popular general knowledge pub quizes are too,

Also traditonal playing darts and bingo being part of darts team.

Also look out for entertainment nights at pubs and clubs.

i think it's possible to have alchol free /low alchol evenings at a venue that does this,

Have you read The Outrun by Amy Liptrot, it's about her return to sobriety and what she filled her life with instead. A lot of wild swimming for one thing! But so beautifully written. And there's a film based on the book coming out soon with Saoirse Ronan as the lead.

I often meet friends in a really good hotel lounge, have tea/coffee/hot chocolate etc. Good armchairs, lots of space, nice and cosy.

Oh now that's a good idea too,

haven't thought of, meeting friends in hotel lounge ...
Thanks for the idea
@MidnightOnceMore

Where do you live? If in Manchester, Leeds, West Yorkshire. I can add you to some groups with great women all on similar journeys. All doing amazing fun stuff all booze free

Joing a popular choir that attends different venues to sings at ,and does fundraising sometimes/occasionally...

A choir can be a mix of traditional and more contemporary songs too

Board game cafe! Or a gaming club generally. I think a board game cafe is a good introduction.

Book club
Interactive theatre
Late nights at art galleries

I'm a massive fan of non alcoholic beer. All the psychological boost, none of the downside.

@Helluvawomen

Makes me feel a bit envious that i don't live in the areas you say about too.😄