Considering this is a moms & dads forums, I’m surprised at how many people go to bars multiple times a week.
I go to a bar maybe twice a year.
For socializing, we got to restaurants or someone hosts it at their house.
I drink 2-3 times a month, 1-2 drinks each time.

Anonymous wrote:Still, no one has addressed the issue of drinking a glass of wine with a meal. Do most of you (essentially) non-drinkers rarely have a glass of wine (or beer) with a meal - even when dining out with others? Do you just drink water?

There are many other cultures that see wine as part of the meal experience. They do not drink for drinking's sake but to enhance their dining.

I'm thinking this must be a one-off DCUM thing since very few adults I know only have a couple of drinks per year...

Depends on the restaurant. We went out for Mexican last night -- DH had two beers and I had a coke. Very occasionally I'll have margarita at a place like that but not always. This was a casual restaurant with lots of families. I don't think not drinking made me an outlier at all.

If we go out for a nice meal with friends I will generally have wine or a beer with dinner. If the group want to order a bottle or two if wine, I will partake (small pours) and split the cost equally.

I have several friends who, like me, drink rarely, as well as a couple who don't drink at all. So it is not uncommon to be at a meal where half the people are drinking and half are not. I might be in either group depending on the situation.

I'm honestly baffled that you are so baffled by this. Do you really have a social circle where EVERYONE drinks, and about the same amount? I know more so we people as I get older, but even in my 20s I had at least one sober friend and that has continued to increase as I age. Now in my 40s I know so many people who no longer drink, often just for health reasons and having nothing to do with a dependency. One of my best friends and I often joke that around 42 we had to choose between sleeping well and drinking and chose sleep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many losers in this thread.Nondrinkers who are fat af.

drunkorexic says what?

NP. I don’t know why drinkers and non-drinkers have to be at loggerheads. Can’t we all just let everyone be?

Because folks are bored and want to fight with anonymous posters online.

This. The better thread would be “How many online arguments do you get in per day/week?”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a PP who usually has 0 drinks in a week, but who has an occasionally glass of wine, about 1 every month or 2. To answer the questions above:

When I eat, no matter where I am, I almost always drink plain (still) water.

Like most people (?), I socialize at my home or the homes of others, at restaurants, and occasionally at a bar. At these times, I usually club soda or sparkling water. I feel zero (0) weirdness about drinking non-alcoholic drinks while others are imbibing. Doesn't bother me in the least.

Do you tip extra? I wonder if waiters hate when people don’t order alcohol. When our family goes out, DH and I probably order $40-$50 in drinks if we don’t get a bottle of wine. So food only at a casual restaurant is probably under $100 but with alcohol it would add $10 to the tip.

DP but I am more likely to have a drink with a meal so often my restaurant bills include alcohol. Also my DH pretty much always orders 1-2 drinks with a meal. We tip normal amounts.

At a bar I will often tip extra if I wind up just having a soda or something. But a lot of places serve nonalcoholic cocktails that cost about what a beer would, so there's not much difference for the bartender.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20-30 generally. I'll usually drink 2-3 nights a week and drink 8-10 drinks on a drinking night. I'm in an interesting limbo where I would definitely drink every night if I could, but have enough self-control to be able to not drink any night I choose. Definitely mentally dependent on alcohol to socialize and have fun but so far have been able to avoid physical dependence.

It's fascinating to see how many nondrinkers there are out there. A while back the Washington Post had an infographic that showed that the top 20% of drinkers consume like 80% of all alcohol, and that fully 50% of people either never drink or drink extremely rarely. It seemed unbelievable at first since everyone I know drinks regularly but I guess that's because we've self-selected ourselves into our groups based on our consumption habits.

I'm really interested to know, what do all you nondrinkers do when you socialize? I basically have zero frame of reference for social interactions that aren't at a bar or a party.

I go to bars and parties and don't drink. It's truly not that difficult.

This. Occasionally I do have a drink but mostly I drink water or,if available, a non-alcoholic cocktail. Sometimes I have a coke for the caffeine.

I have never struggled to socialize while sober, if anything drinking makes it harder for me to make conversation with people I don't know well.

Anonymous wrote:I am a PP who usually has 0 drinks in a week, but who has an occasionally glass of wine, about 1 every month or 2. To answer the questions above:

When I eat, no matter where I am, I almost always drink plain (still) water.

Like most people (?), I socialize at my home or the homes of others, at restaurants, and occasionally at a bar. At these times, I usually club soda or sparkling water. I feel zero (0) weirdness about drinking non-alcoholic drinks while others are imbibing. Doesn't bother me in the least.

Do you tip extra? I wonder if waiters hate when people don’t order alcohol. When our family goes out, DH and I probably order $40-$50 in drinks if we don’t get a bottle of wine. So food only at a casual restaurant is probably under $100 but with alcohol it would add $10 to the tip.

Anonymous wrote:0-2

This.

Since hitting 40, one drink usually makes me very tired, so it takes a lot for me to have two. I also get migraines and even one drink can trigger one so I rarely risk it.

Even during the holidays, 0-2 is standard. Like this week I had two glasses of wine at a new year's day party and that's it. I drank non-alcoholic wine on NYE at a party where the hostess doesn't drink at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20-30 generally. I'll usually drink 2-3 nights a week and drink 8-10 drinks on a drinking night. I'm in an interesting limbo where I would definitely drink every night if I could, but have enough self-control to be able to not drink any night I choose. Definitely mentally dependent on alcohol to socialize and have fun but so far have been able to avoid physical dependence.

It's fascinating to see how many nondrinkers there are out there. A while back the Washington Post had an infographic that showed that the top 20% of drinkers consume like 80% of all alcohol, and that fully 50% of people either never drink or drink extremely rarely. It seemed unbelievable at first since everyone I know drinks regularly but I guess that's because we've self-selected ourselves into our groups based on our consumption habits.

I'm really interested to know, what do all you nondrinkers do when you socialize? I basically have zero frame of reference for social interactions that aren't at a bar or a party.

I go to bars and parties and don't drink. It's truly not that difficult.

To the PP who can't fathom what people who don't drink do. I can't. How ignorant are you? I'm sad for you.

I don’t know how many drinks it is, but I go through about a bottle of 1.75l spirits a week, more or less

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Zero.

I’m not your PCP so you can be honest.

What's the point of this thread?

And why is someone doubting a poster who replies "zero?"

Perhaps they're drunks who can't stop drinking.

OP just wants to get a sense if their drinking is "normal."

Or perhaps I dont like how alcohol makes me feel later or the next day —even just one. I don’t find alcohol or caffeine to add benefit to my life. I may choose to have a drink or two a year and I don’t get excited about it.

0-1

I am a PP who usually has 0 drinks in a week, but who has an occasionally glass of wine, about 1 every month or 2. To answer the questions above:

When I eat, no matter where I am, I almost always drink plain (still) water.

Like most people (?), I socialize at my home or the homes of others, at restaurants, and occasionally at a bar. At these times, I usually club soda or sparkling water. I feel zero (0) weirdness about drinking non-alcoholic drinks while others are imbibing. Doesn't bother me in the least.

Anonymous wrote:20-30 generally. I'll usually drink 2-3 nights a week and drink 8-10 drinks on a drinking night. I'm in an interesting limbo where I would definitely drink every night if I could, but have enough self-control to be able to not drink any night I choose. Definitely mentally dependent on alcohol to socialize and have fun but so far have been able to avoid physical dependence.

It's fascinating to see how many nondrinkers there are out there. A while back the Washington Post had an infographic that showed that the top 20% of drinkers consume like 80% of all alcohol, and that fully 50% of people either never drink or drink extremely rarely. It seemed unbelievable at first since everyone I know drinks regularly but I guess that's because we've self-selected ourselves into our groups based on our consumption habits.

I'm really interested to know, what do all you nondrinkers do when you socialize? I basically have zero frame of reference for social interactions that aren't at a bar or a party.

Sounds like you and your friends are really boring then.

You really can't comprehend hanging out with friends without alcohol? That sounds incredibly sad.

Anonymous wrote:20-30 generally. I'll usually drink 2-3 nights a week and drink 8-10 drinks on a drinking night. I'm in an interesting limbo where I would definitely drink every night if I could, but have enough self-control to be able to not drink any night I choose. Definitely mentally dependent on alcohol to socialize and have fun but so far have been able to avoid physical dependence.

It's fascinating to see how many nondrinkers there are out there. A while back the Washington Post had an infographic that showed that the top 20% of drinkers consume like 80% of all alcohol, and that fully 50% of people either never drink or drink extremely rarely. It seemed unbelievable at first since everyone I know drinks regularly but I guess that's because we've self-selected ourselves into our groups based on our consumption habits.

I'm really interested to know, what do all you nondrinkers do when you socialize? I basically have zero frame of reference for social interactions that aren't at a bar or a party.

I go to bars and parties and don't drink. It's truly not that difficult.

Anonymous wrote:20-30 generally. I'll usually drink 2-3 nights a week and drink 8-10 drinks on a drinking night. I'm in an interesting limbo where I would definitely drink every night if I could, but have enough self-control to be able to not drink any night I choose. Definitely mentally dependent on alcohol to socialize and have fun but so far have been able to avoid physical dependence.

It's fascinating to see how many nondrinkers there are out there. A while back the Washington Post had an infographic that showed that the top 20% of drinkers consume like 80% of all alcohol, and that fully 50% of people either never drink or drink extremely rarely. It seemed unbelievable at first since everyone I know drinks regularly but I guess that's because we've self-selected ourselves into our groups based on our consumption habits.

I'm really interested to know, what do all you nondrinkers do when you socialize? I basically have zero frame of reference for social interactions that aren't at a bar or a party.

Dinner parties
Restaurants
Game/cards nights
Concerts
Theater
Parties
Museums/art galleries
Comedy club
Exploring new towns or cities