Declining Alcohol

sutavim2 · November 2014

Happy Saturday, Ladies. I'm going to a friend's birthday tonight and it got me thinking... with all the holidays coming up, what excuses have you used/thought about using when declining alcohol? Since we are waiting until Christmas to tell family, we are going to be mingling with the same crowds over the upcoming weekends and I'm sure I'll get a few strange looks when I say no to wine each time...

laurenlalap · November 2014

Hangover is the best excuse I've found.

foodie12rn · November 2014

I don't drink (it makes me super anxious when I'm drunk), so it's easy for me!

I'd say you could always feign a headache or make an excuse that you have to do something the following day and don't want a wine headache.

bumpuser8571475 · November 2014

Nothing is going to work for me. My family always drinks on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not a lot, but people are always drinking wine. The last time I didn't drink on Thanksgiving, I was pregnant and my cousins later told me that they suspected it because I didn't have anything. I thought I was hiding it well by pretending to drink! But I guess I can't fool anyone.

petrichor14 · November 2014

We were out with friends last weekend and I just said I had a migraine and didn't want to mix alcohol with the medicine, everybody seemed fine with the explanation.

I'm not normally one to turn down a drink, so I do worry a bit about Thanksgiving. But my plan is to garnish my ginger ale like it's a cocktail and offer everybody whiskey & ginger ales when I go to refill mine. I doubt anyone is paying enough attention to notice that I'm not pouring whiskey in mine.

winterbaby1210 · November 2014

So I was just at a wedding last weekend and I didn't turn down a single drink! I just carried them around for a bit and then passed them over to my hubs. He was pretty drunk by the end of the night but it was good of him to "take one for the team!" In between I would just get soda in a rocks glass with with a lime. Worked perfectly, my friends who love to call out people for not drinking never said a word!

catladymeow · November 2014

Last weekend I was at a dinner party and there were only 4 guests so it was super obvious I was the only one not drinking. I said I had taken an Excedrin for a bad headache earlier and I didn't want to mix the Excedrin and alcohol as it makes me feel sick (which it legitimately does).

law&order · November 2014

I blamed the "UTI" and antibiotics that were making me feel less than great ;-)

Gmomes05 · November 2014

I'm driving! Works like a charm!

BAYOUWIFE · November 2014

I am the DD or sprite or ginger ale with lime has worked for me.

luckystarr1 · November 2014

Tricks I've used have been switching out red wine for POM juice in the bathroom, drinking soda water with a twist of lime and claiming it's vodka soda, and filling up washed out Miller Lite aluminum bottles with La Croix.

sutavim2 · November 2014

Ha ha you guys are amazing! Thank you all for the great suggestions. I guess tonight will be my practice run with this

jlucal · November 2014

We are in the same boat! Prior to being preggo we went out a lot for drinks and time spent with friends/family ALWAYS involve cocktails. I did tell two of my friends that I was pregnant because the second I say "no alcohol" they will know why...

But for everyone else -

For anything during the week, I am telling people I'm on a clean eating detox plan and not drinking on week days. No exceptions. I'm trying to be healthier. On the weekends I either sneak to the bar or have my hubby get me a soda water with lime (looks like vodka soda or gin and tonic).

For Thanksgiving I bought non alcoholic wine. I will keep it in the back of the fridge behind stuff and fill my glass when no one is looking... Also a good idea to just take the drink and then when no one is looking fill it up with something else.... Most people won't pay attention to what you are doing

MisSmartyPants · November 2014

Tell them toy had a headache and tools some mess for it, and so you can't drink.

bumpuser8571475 · November 2014

jlucal said:
We are in the same boat! Prior to being preggo we went out a lot for drinks and time spent with friends/family ALWAYS involve cocktails. I did tell two of my friends that I was pregnant because the second I say "no alcohol" they will know why...

But for everyone else -

For anything during the week, I am telling people I'm on a clean eating detox plan and not drinking on week days. No exceptions. I'm trying to be healthier. On the weekends I either sneak to the bar or have my hubby get me a soda water with lime (looks like vodka soda or gin and tonic).
For Thanksgiving I bought non alcoholic wine. I will keep it in the back of the fridge behind stuff and fill my glass when no one is looking... Also a good idea to just take the drink and then when no one is looking fill it up with something else.... Most people won't pay attention to what you are doing

I was actually considering trying to switch my drink with something else this year.. we'll see. . Good luck OP.

WafflesFriendsWork · November 2014

I'm going with the soda and lime when out (I'm a g&t kind of girl anyways) and am bringing two things of home made beer with me to an upcoming book club - one will just be half filled with ginger ale or something and make sure not to use a clear glass.

There will be an ugly sweater party that I might just skip. Most people usually end up staying over so there wouldn't be and easy excuse.

hpoff33 · November 2014

I tried refusing drinks for various reasons during my first pregnancy and everyone knew right away. This go round I will get a drink and take a few sips. Then conveniently dump some out when I go to the bathroom (I have been at places where it wouldn't seem odd to take my drink there with me). So far it has worked like a charm.

Edit to add: I only do this with beer or wine. Not hard liquor.

mrspark812 · November 2014

I say I am doing a detox that doesn't allow alcohol. However that won't work at thanksgiving because basically everything but the turkey is a no no on the detox lol. But it was worked well when I've gotten together with girl friends.

RWPhoenix · November 2014

For thanksgiving we are stayin home but our group of friends always has a Friendsgiving. I plan on being the DD so that can be an excuse or taking a glass of wine and pretending to sip and then dumping it somewhere. Later in Dec I am doing a paint bar night with a gf and probably just tell her that night lol

AshenSky · November 2014

You can say you are in a detox! That always works.

tweldon08 · November 2014

I was thinking I'll say I'm on a cleanse lol

AshCHB · November 2014

Luckily, I've been working night shift so when we're getting together & everyone is drinking, I just have to point out that it's the equivalent of 9:00 am for me.

I've found that already having a drink in hand also stops the questions. For me, Sprite in a solo cup.

amystanbury · November 2014

I had this problem the other day! My family are all big drinkers and any time there's an excuse for us all to meet up for a drink, were there! This was the first time since finding out that I've been in this situation & I panicked like hell because before baby me and my partner would always be out for food and drinks! I'm waiting till Christmas to tell so I didn't want anyone to get suspicious! So when my dad asked what I wanted & I said a cranberry and vodka and didn't drink a sip, just pretended I had a few of them and always kept a full glass so no one bought me another! Luckily it was a party so no one noticed it was the same full glass all evening hehe!

WafflesFriendsWork · November 2014

I went to family friend's house for dinner last night and was offered wine with dinner. It was super helpful that my mom was also there and turned down a glass as well. This family has made comments implying I might be pregnant before and this kept them from noticing! Thanks to you ladies I was going to say I had a UTI and was on antibiotics if they pressed the matter. My goal is to make any one who can't be polite feel as uncomfortable/embarrassed as possible.

OctoberStars · November 2014

This thread is a treasure trove. Thank you everyone for the tips! I'm definitely going to try the POM juice thing, and refilling empty beer bottles. Woohoo!

adge629 · November 2014

Im using the excuse I have my daughter and have to drive and there are enough drunks out on the road I don't want to risk it.

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