Drinking culture and teetotalers

Very late to the party on this one, but in my experience it's less about whether or not you're drinking an alcoholic beverage and more about whether or not you'll turn up without the desire to drink an alcoholic beverage. From my experience (and I'm a drinker so I guess take it with a pinch of salt), it's always been find to just approach it as "No thanks, I don't touch the stuff! I'm sticking with --whatever beverage-- but appreciate the offer!". Just show that you appreciate they are offering to get you a drink but that you are turning it down because you don't enjoy it (I imagine sometimes people get "harrassed" because they think you're turning down a drink as to not allow another person to go out of their way to pay for it or something...they think you're just being too nice/polite so try to goad you into a drink. This is what I have observed at least).

As long as you don't have an issue being around those that drink, there should be no problem as long as you do make an effort to get out and socialise whether or not you're actually drinking alcohol yourself. If anything, you might be more of a hot commodity (if you drive) as you could wind up the DD lol (people DEFINITELY appreciate that) and even if you're not, I've never actually met somebody who balked at a person who just wanted a soda.

If you want to ease yourself into it and are worried about just saying it's not for you, when asked you could always just say "I'm taking it easy tonight" or something similar to that. Then when you get to know people better you can just say that you don't actually drink at all but weren't sure how others would react so you didn't come out and say it right away. Again, I don't think you'll have a problem. Most people now a-days won't be that bothered or try to pry (just in case - for all they know you might have a problem with alcoholism or something). If they give you a hard time, they maybe aren't people you'd want to be hanging around with outside of work anyways?

Yes! I would say it’s a bigger problem with treats at work.  People can know you are watching what you eat and will not let up about you having something.  Very annoying!

Oh man, that's my daily struggle...

I'm just curious where everybody works that they have people that want to go out and socialise! I'm always one of the younger people in the office (28) and I've only had one team of people where a handful of people would want to go out. Usually, if work covered a meal you'd get everybody to turn up because "free food" and then 4 of us (one that literally is 2 years older than me so quite close in age and very similar in personality and two that were early 40's and we had loads in common with) would go out and everybody else would go home because there was nothing else free at that point so they were done. We all drank but on occasion some of us just wouldn't be feeling well and wouldn't be in the mood to drink but we were happy to all go out for the socialising.

Out of curiosity, those of you who say everyone else drinks at your work nights out, how old are your coworkers on average?

I work with a lot of younger adults (you don't need a degree to do most jobs in my department, and some of them just started working at 18).  I'm 27 (well, I'm turning 27 tomorrow) and the three of us who are 27 are the oldest ones in the department except the head of department, who doesn't tend to work evenings and doesn't come out with us.  And a lot of the young ones don't drink at all!  Some of them obviously drink enough that if I drank that much I'd be dead...but there are a surprising number who just seem to enjoy the company and having a lemonade or something at the pub instead.  Some of it might be budgetary but I know that some of the ones who don't drink make the highest salaries, so perhaps it's a trend.

I don't know, when I was their age like 4-7 years ago I definitely drank a lot more than now, if it's a trend it's definitely a new one since I was college aged.

It sounds nice that you (and others) seem to actually work with people that want to be social outside of work and not just when it was catered.

I'm just curious where everybody works that they have people that want to go out and socialise! I'm always one of the younger people in the office (28) and I've only had one team of people where a handful of people would want to go out.

Thirsty Thursdays!   

You are in with the wrong crowd!!!   

Thirsty Thursdays!   

You are in with the wrong crowd!!!   

I am definitely in the wrong crowd! I am FULLY aware of this! I need to be steered in the direction of the *right* crowd (whether or not they are drinking alcohol hahah)