Food & Dining what to drink if you don't drink alcohol?

Since we moved to Singapore 7 months ago, I realised how big of a drinking culture is back home in Aus. Every occasion, outing, event, dinner, etc has to have some alcohol. In Singapore, alcohol is ******* expensive and there's not many variety, plus people just don't drink.
My hubby and I have gone (almost) alcohol free (a couple of beers a month and no wine!) and we feel fresh, healthy, cleansed and fitness-focused. It's amazing. But then, I have a feeling we'll start drinking if we go back to Aus.
Got me thinking: is there anything else fun to drink, say if we go out for dinner, if we say no to alcohol from now on? Water? Tea? That'd be weird. Definitely no soft drinks, they're worse. Any genius out there inventing some sort of fun yet non-alcohol sugar free drinks? (Water comes to mind. *sigh*)

 

I don't drink at all.

When I go out, I look for something I wouldn't normally have at home....frappe, different juices, a new tea, Chai latte, hot chocolate etc.

Always willing to try something new, or quirky.

pinkboy

 

Lemon, lime and soda water. Cool, refreshing, nil calories and processed sugar free.

 

Water with lemon and or lime juice

 

If I'm on driving duty or just not drinking, I have a soda lime and bitters, lots of ice. Preferably with a bit of muddled mint. Very refreshing in the hot weather coming up.

 

Sparkling water with lime for me. Or a virgin mojito for something a bit specialer - but truth be told if I'm going to have a mojito it's going to be a proper one!

 

Thanks all for the different ideas. Definitely some inspiration.
But what about in Winter? What do you guys resort to? You know when you're having some nice stew or steak and mash? Any alternative for red wine?

 

+1 for Soda water. Squeeze some fresh lime or lemon in, great replacement for any alcohol in hotter climates.

 

Virgin Marys with a giant dollop of Worcestershire is great in winter if you're having a stew or a casserole. If I'm having Asian food, I have green tea which is great for cleansing the palette or miso soup as a drink.

 

Water.
Soda lime and bitters.
Jasmine tea.
Grapefruit juice.
Some kind of fizzy mandarin drink I've stumbled upon lately. Mmm

 

Fire engine
Milo
Jewish cocktail

 

Tell us about the fizzy mandarin drink please?

 

I think it's by Rice? or something like that. Usually I don't have sugar either but this would definitely be sugared up. The only place I've seen it is a petrol station in Cowra. Kind of irresistible. Reallly tastes like fizzy mandarins.

 

I've always had whatever I want and to hell with whatever others say; but I'm like that a bit. Once your friends know you don't drink, I find they generally don't care. These days most of my friends don't drink that much either.

If you think there's a drinking culture, try being on a strict diet. Almost every social occasion is around food, and avoiding that can really leave you out of the picture.

 

I have a colleague who is vegetarian. But then about every second Monday she does a fast, only having fruit during the day. Reason: To worship her husband... ummmm... huh?

So anyway, I brought food on a Monday to work to share with everybody and then she takes almost half of (the non fruit portion) away to save for Tuesday. (Including the seaweed snacks... thing is I can just bring more for Tuesday so there's no real reason for her to take half of it away). That annoyed me.

We just think differently. I have a science degree. No religion. That's the basis of my decision making. But people making decisions based on what their religion tells them to do? Sometimes those decisions seem nonsensical to me. Sorry for the rant....

 

I thought fruit was a food?

 

I know.... somehow that is excluded.