I work in a heavy-drinking industry and used to switch to club soda with lime after having one or two drinks. But this was at catered parties or events with a bar, where I could discreetly order without people hearing me.

If you're not a problem drinker and instead just want to avoid for nerves' sake, I would order a glass of wine and just really slowly nurse it. Or a cocktail and let the ice melt. It shouldn't be this way, but non-drinkers are viewed as wet blankets/weirdos in social situations. Or pregnant, if you're a young-ish woman!

Club soda with lime.

And I’m laughing so hard at the thought of someone ordering a Shirley Temple at a business dinner 😂

Ginger ale and lime.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they're trying to conceal being pregnant. Otherwise nobody cares.

This. No one cares.

OP do you usually drink at work dinners? If so they may think you’re pregnant. My boss knew I was pregnant before I told her because I stopped drinking at work dinners. But I usually drank at dinners and happy hours.

You don’t owe it to anyone to consume mood altering industrial solvent in the name of dubious conviviality, nor do you owe them an explanation. If demanded to explain, say “I don’t drink.” If further explanation is demanded simply keep repeating “I don’t drink” until they get the message, or just walk away from them.

In addition to all the preceding good suggestions:

1. Tonic and lime.
2. Coke and lime
3. Virgin Mary

Just don't order something juvenile (shirley temple, mock pina colada) if you want to come across as somewhat sophisticated. If you don't care about that, nobody else will. The one thing you don't want to do is comment or discuss your choice of drink. Just drink what you want. I have a colleague who is obviously a recovering alcoholic, although he has never admitted to it. It's annoying only because he feels the need to "explain" every.single.time you're out with him on and on how he just doesn't like the taste of alcohol, never developed a taste for it, blah blah blah. (Noboyd believes this, he's a former military officer and in his 50s in an industry that drinks a lot). He also always asks if there is any alcohol in food because "he just can't stand the taste". GMAFB.


TL;DR Nobody cares if you don't discuss it, just drink what you want.

Soda water with lime in a rocks glass.

Anonymous wrote:I have never ever as an adult worked or socialized with anyone who paid attention to what someone else was drinking. Who are all these people that are preventing you from sticking to water or soda?

I’m so curious about this comment. How do you know what everyone around you is paying attention to?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:shirley temple
virgin mojito
virgin pina colada

No. Not at a work dinner where you want to be taken seriously.

No. Just no. No one over about 10 should order a Shirley temple especially not at a work dinner

Club soda with lime
Club soda with cranberry

I can't drink alcohol due to a medical/medication issue but work in a field where there is a decent amount of drinking at work dinners and events (more so pre-covid).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would order a bottle of the fancy sparkling water, pellegrino or whatever, which they'll serve in a separate glass.

I agree. Ask for a San pelligrino, for some reason being very specific about your sparkling water tends to put the alcohol drinkers around the table at ease.

I like the way you think.

- Alcohol Drinker

Anonymous wrote:Y’all are so weird. No one cares. I rarely drink because I have no tolerance. Half a glass of wine makes me tipsy. I ordered a Coke and don’t give it a thought.

Your cause and effect is reversed. Drink more and you'll develop tolerance.

Maybe they're trying to conceal being pregnant. Otherwise nobody cares.

if i’m at a work thing and i’m not drinking
i’m going to order what ever the heck my heart desires without any care about what it “looks” like

Anonymous wrote:I would order a bottle of the fancy sparkling water, pellegrino or whatever, which they'll serve in a separate glass.

I agree. Ask for a San pelligrino, for some reason being very specific about your sparkling water tends to put the alcohol drinkers around the table at ease.