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Drinks to drink at a bar that aren't... alcohol?
Talonrazor
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Registered User regular
So, I do not drink. Yes I know, boring and all that (and I'm even part Irish 
) but I don't. However, as I get more involved in rugby team/politics, a lot of team hanging out/business is conducted in a bar or restaurant over drinks. I really don't want to be sitting there sipping on a coke and I know there are good mixes out there that don't involve alcohol. What's some good drinks that you can get at a bar that don't make you look like a total bore but is a good drink to have in your hands for social reasons? I mean, I don't head out with "the guys" when they go to get smashed or bar hopping but when the team heads to the local Irish pub to watch international rugby or party officials meet for casual conversation, I'd like to be able to be there and have something to join them with.
EDIT: Hah, right next to the Beer thread! :P We will cancel each other out
) but I don't. However, as I get more involved in rugby team/politics, a lot of team hanging out/business is conducted in a bar or restaurant over drinks. I really don't want to be sitting there sipping on a coke and I know there are good mixes out there that don't involve alcohol. What's some good drinks that you can get at a bar that don't make you look like a total bore but is a good drink to have in your hands for social reasons? I mean, I don't head out with "the guys" when they go to get smashed or bar hopping but when the team heads to the local Irish pub to watch international rugby or party officials meet for casual conversation, I'd like to be able to be there and have something to join them with.EDIT: Hah, right next to the Beer thread! :P We will cancel each other out
Talonrazor on
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As for something to order at a bar that isn't alcoholic and not coke... umm... non-alcoholic beer? I honestly don't know.
You can also get 'virgin' drinks, but I honestly don't know anything about them, and I'm sure you would probably get some wierd looks ordering one.
Sneaky..
Ordering virgin drinks or soda will probably get you a few looks.
Stick with the H2O at a bar/pub.
As for the first, it's a variety of reasons. Health reasons for one. The second is I'm going into law enforcement and I figure if I eliminate it all together, then all the better. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying alcohol is EVILS or that everyone who drinks it is a criminal but I'm super focused on my ultimate goal (US Marshals) and anything that might even remotely hinder me gets axed. Another reason I don't really like drunkness, I do not believe it is being a good steward of your body. And I'm not really into the "bar scene" unless it's needed for some kind of social event. I made a personal commitment never to drink or do drugs and it's important to me. Wine perhaps once in awhile, fine, but just drinking a beer every night isn't something I'm doing. The way I see it, I don't need alcohol, it could possibly (however remotely) hinder my goal, it's a fun thing that I can deprive myself and live without, so why bother?
Anyways, for the second part, that's my problem. The only thing I really know of is non-alcoholic beer and I've tried that. That shit tastes so fucking terrible. I dunno, what's a good non-alcoholic beer? Plus, why drink a beer if it doesn't have alcohol. I dunno, I just need some ideas of drinks to order to keep up with drinkers who are working on a brew. It's somewhat awkward when you are talking with several suits who are all sipping on a drink and you are sitting there with nothing.
EDIT: Yea, exactly. Virgin drinks say "man total snob/loser/whatever". I don't know if there is like a "cool" virgin drink or something.
Hey, that's something I haven't thought of. Good idea.
Any club soda mixes at all that are pretty good?
If it's good enough for Sam Malone, then god damn it, it's good enough for me.
You are trying to order a drink that wouldn't make you stand out while others are drinking.
I would say ordering anything other than water or club soda will make you stand out even more. If there is food involved, soda would be perfectly acceptable.
Right, exactly. This is pretty much exactly what I was wondering. You think water is more acceptable vs. some kind of other drink or juice or something? I'm cool with drinking club soda and water, if that's what is going to "blend in" more then anything else.
There's nothing strange about getting a club soda at a bar. I do it if I'm tired, feeling sick, or driving.
:^:
You guys are awesome, answered exactly what I wanted to know.
most will be cool, if one is not, move onto another one
A friend of mine bought me a virgin something once just fucking around. I don't think it's really anything to worry about.
Buy some useless stuff at my Cafepress site!
You are the only other person I know who has tasted the pure thirst-quenching deliciousness of the LLB. You can't seem to get these here in the Great North, just glassy eyes and a stare full of what the fuck.
dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
Yep, it's the drink I have when I'm not having a drink.
I also grab a Dry (Ginger Beer) if I'm not drinking either.
Satans..... hints.....
Water is safe and club soda is good to alternate with. In fact, they're better than safe because one is usually free and the other will make it look like you're drinking something alcoholic. And yes, absolutely do the designated driver thing -- even offer it with your friends.
Finally, no matter what you order, most people won't really make a big deal out of you not drinking, especially if you don't discourage their drinking and you don't evangelize on it. It sounds like you're not doing either, which is great, but if someone asks you why you aren't drinking anything (say, on a night where you're not the DD, or if they point out that you never drink anything), just say "well i like hanging out but i'm not so into alcohol" or you're gonna be busy in the morning or, what I would do if it's early in the evening and people are actually up for conversation (as in, don't try it when people are drunk), is just tell them what you told us about the US Marshals program. Say you're gunning for it and you don't want to mess anything up before you've given it your all. You can even joke about it and say that it includes potentially embarrassing pictures
Yea, I'm not worried what other people think of me, it's mostly because it feels weird not having a drink when everyone else does. Telling the bartender you are the designated driver is a great idea, that's a cool tip I'll use.
Lime cordial and lemonade over ice with a dash of Angostura bitters.
This is exactly what I was going to suggest.
I drink a lot. I see people order cranberry juice when not drinking alcohol. Sometimes coke. There's nothing against coke really.
We twist it up with Rose's Lime Cordial, 7up or sprite over ice with a dash. Yummy.
Recipe for LLB.
Once you know how to make something (and test it at home to see if you like it), it's pretty simple to simply tell the bartender what it is. As long as it's not busy at the bar.
That's only if you want to be totally stealthy, and as many people said, being stealthy is dumb. Just get what you like. Fuck any assholes that give you shit about it.
but i mean, if you're hanging with these dudes on a regular basis they're going to know you don't drink anyhow so it really doesn't matter what you order. granted if you're at a pub often and you're just ordering waters that's kind of a dick move so there's nothing wrong with ordering a coke. a bar on the other hand a club soda/cranberry is a safe bet. i mean any drink you have save koolaid is going to look like some type of alcoholic beverage so it's not other people that are the issue.. it's your buddies (who are already going to know after a couple times out)
i didn't drink until i was legal and while looking back there was no real reason for me not to, i'm used to having to explain not drinking to people and you honestly you will look a little anal no matter what but the majority will leave it at 'personal reasons.' for all they know you had a friend die due to a drunk driver or something so most people would not prod too hard
If you like tonic water a tonic with lime is rather nice to sip on, and it looks like a real drink.
Oh and cranberry juice? What are you on your period? (it had to be said I don't think I have anything against cranberry juice.)
Satans..... hints.....
Yeah yeah we should all be ourselves and ignore what other people think
but sometimes that just doesn't happen.
So yeah, I decided to leave uni and knock the drinking on the head. At first it was incredibly difficult not to get a drink when all my friends were, if we were buying rounds (is that done in the States) I'd feel slightly ripped off and almost obliged to drink!
It's probably a different scene over here, but no bar bats an eyelid about you ordering a coke, and my friends, after the initial shock of knowing me knock back straight vodka/white rum turn to coke, were fine with it. They respected what I was doing and didn't tease me too much about it :-p
I did an entire year of not drinking (Including my 21st birthday, where I was designated driver) and in that time I drank:
Orange Juice, Coke, J20, Lemonade, Non-Alcoholic cocktails when in cocktail bars (Sure, you feel a bit of a pansy asking for it but once you've got it it looks no different to other peoples!) and if heading round for a 'posh' night with friends I'd take a bottle of non alcoholic wine.
J20 was a good one for clubs though (If you have that on your side of the pond), it looks like an alcopop due to the design of the bottle/label etc but has no booze in it. The designated driver thing works too, you normally have to be in a group of 4 for it to work, and you usually only get cokes, but i had many a free night due to that.
Oh and energy drinks such as Red Bull etc can be a pretty good alternative too.
I drink again now though, I didn't 'fall off the wagon' I just quit for health reasons and when I felt I was fine I returned to the sauce
I apologise, that was rather self indulgent but I've never really got the chance to write down before that I was a borderline alcoholic :-D
::also, don't knock Cranberry juice, it is the drink of Angel(s)......gettit?
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
I go online regularly for various info, help and assistance on various topics, and 9 out of 10 times I find the right answers for my q's online.
Due to fact I actually never ever contribute personally to any such forums, this time around I have felt it my duty to write a few lines out of pure gratitude.
I write from the country of Croatia, but I have lived in the U.S. for many years. I'm in my 30's.
I have never had an alcohol problem, but with years I started getting 'involved' with drinking, selecting drinks, spending time talking about them and just generally spending my money and time on discussing alcoholic drinks and studying/analysing which drink goes with which, the various brands of beer, whiskey, wine etc etc etc.
Basically, I came to LOVE alcoholic drinks and I noticed that I have begun to also shape my life socialising with people who enjoy the same 'passion'. Little by little I notice that - though I don't smoke - I have begun to like the idea of big fat cigars, coffein etc etc..
My point is, recently, on my 33rd B'day, I just thought to myself - WHY THE HECK AM I DOING THIS?
Okay, I never had any alcohol issue/problem, never was an alcoholic and actually never had such persons in family either. But, why should we drink alcohol AT ALL???
Inspired by that thought, I actually decided on my 33rd B'day that I was to quit drinking alcohol completely. Just like that.
I mean - one spends dear money on alcohol, even begins selecting bars/restaurants to go to based on the influence of 'which kind of alcohol is served where', begins selecting own friends based on who drinks what, etc etc.. but the point is - WHY?
Alcohol is definitely unnecessary in one's life. It brings nothing to the game, and influences EVERYTHING!
Okay, I'm sure someone will say that's not true and that 'alcohol brings much to one's life'.
Yeah, it brings an alternative state of consciousness to you, but it does so ARTIFICIALLY.
And as soon as you enter anything 'good' artificially (same with drugs etc), there must be many more problems than solutions involved than if caused naturally, through yoga, TM, meditation or similar.
Got it?
It's a trap. And alcohol basically starts dictating everything else. Imagine pulling out a fat cigar without a nice french cognac? or without coffee? That's right.
Not at all cool anymore.
Alcohol brings along thousands of other bad habits. Including your choice of friends, places, venues and how much money you end up spending, especially since - at least in my case - i get overly jolly when drunk and sort of lose touch with reality and begin thinking of the world in funny ways spending more money than i normally would if sober..
So, I have decided to quit alcohol for good. Why? Because I can.
And -similarly to the guy posting the topic - I, too, have set some really important professional goals for me (in politics), and I am beginning to wonder - how RESPONSIBLE can i really ever be if I allow alcohol to take over??
How can I face the Humankind, or my people, promising to them to be RESPONSIBLE, if I allow myself to hit the artificial state of mind that basically takes away my powers of self-control and self-discipline...?
Let's face it. I can say 1000's of time that I am going to be a responsible human being. But, if I drink - I am lieing!
Why am i lieing? Because I just CANNOT GUARANTEE that I will have maximum attainable control over my life after a couple of beers, for the beers will then take control and the alcohol in them will - which we all well know - soften my perception and basically I am handing over my responsibility to the alcohol.
And the alcohol will guarantee one thing to me - that bad things are possible to happen out of my control, and if they do happen, who am i to blame? the doomed FATE? nah, the blame will be on ME.
So, why bother drinking alcohol. It really is just a destroyer, and not a builder.
Now that I have shared my story with you, I just wanted to say thanks for this topic, for, indeed, I too was looking for suggestions on what to order socially that is NOT ALCOHOL, and that is not going to paint me as a pussy...
Club soda is something that I am already ordering at bars, and juices are obvious 'pussycraft' so i would say no to juices..
Frankly, I got the same problem.
I would really like to be able to order something very COOL and looking cool and modern, only without alcohol in it.
TONIC SCHWEPPES is not bad, but I am really after something that looks like a coke but is not coke (ice tea?) - coke is shit, too, very unhealthy beverage, the other day i had like, a litter of it at a friends' wedding at which i consumed no alcohol, but the COKE made me sick, too the next morning!!! it was the quantity of it...
Anyhow, the same problem here. looking for a suitable drink as to not stick out from the crowd, but to avoid alcohol and still be allowed to be cool and interact socially on an equal ground.
Club Soda (carbonated mineral water) with a lime wedge is fine, but I was looking for something more cool than that.
perhaps i should just make something up myself?? LOL
Like, Coke/pepsi + a Club Soda + some french special additive to make it 'sound' cool..
I will look into it.
Great topic. Thanks for posting.