Alcohol
plays a huge role in the United States’ society; it’s in restaurants, bars and
most social events. So if you’re someone who strives to live an alcohol-free
lifestyle, avoiding alcohol in the day-to-day life can sometimes be
challenging, particularly in social situations. After all, what other options
do you have?
There
are plenty of reasons someone might avoid alcohol, whether it’s for health,
season of life or wanting to live a safer lifestyle. Of course, it’s easy to
feel overwhelmed in social situations when you don’t drink alcohol.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other options out there for those who choose
to live alcohol-free—and they are not just water. To get you started, here are
a few ideas for what to drink when living alcohol-free.
First
and foremost, the simplest things to drink when living alcohol-free are juices.
There are a variety of different juices out there that tickle the taste buds
and even give you a bit of a placebo effect when in social situations involving
alcohol. Pick out some of your favorite juices to bring with you to events, or
carry juice mix with you in case the only option available is water. If you
don’t think a party or event is going to have alcohol-free choices, bring a
juice with you so you have another option on the go. Whether it’s lemonade,
fruit punch, orange juice or something even more creative, juice is a great
place to start for a delicious, non-alcoholic alternative.
Depending
on the season, hot drinks can also be a sweet choice to try when you’re out
with friends or family. For instance, if other party-goers are ordering brews,
wines or hot cocktails, ask for something hot to enjoy without alcohol, such as
hot chocolate, coffee or tea. In some places, bars even offer hot drinks to
patrons; all you have to do is ask. Give a hot drink a try during the cooler
months and see how you enjoy it.
Another
option great for parties and bars is the spritzer. Try a club soda, a tonic
water or a bitter lemon soda. All three of these choices can give you that same
bubbly feeling you might get from an alcoholic beverage, without the alcohol
included. When out and about in a social scene, they can even have a similar
placebo effect to alcohol, helping you relax and lower your inhibitions, but
through a healthier and safer alternative.
If
you’re at a professional venue like a bar, they probably serve cocktails, and
can easily swap-out some of the ingredients for a mocktail instead. Ask the
bartender to get creative and whip up something unique without alcohol for you
to try. If you want some ideas to get started, check out our article on
Alcohol-Free Mixed
Drinks Worth Trying
.
Finally,
if you want to join all the fun of the social scene but without any of the
alcohol, give alcohol-free alternative drinks a try. Whether it’s a
non-alcoholic beer or a non-alcoholic wine, you can have all the same great
flavor of some of your favorite beverages without having to worry about
alcohol. Most importantly, you can feel confident that non-alcoholic drinks are
made specifically with you in mind, to fit your needs wherever you’re at in
life and make you feel more comfortable and confident while living
alcohol-free.
If
you strive to live alcohol-free, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed about what
to drink, particularly in social situations which might contain alcohol.
However, fret not—there are plenty of other options out there to help you feel
included and comfortable. Try out some of these choices the next time you find
yourself in a situation with alcohol, and see how your alcohol-free lifestyle
can continue to flourish.