Meeting up to get drinks is one of the most common first dates people go on. 

If you’re trying to do a dry January, or you’re dating someone who is, it can be surprisingly difficult to date without drinking. But if it’s important to you, you shouldn’t give up on it. 

One of the main reasons you might struggle with it is that dates can be nerve-wracking. 

Meeting a new person, especially someone you might really like, is exciting, but can also be stressful. 

We often handle this with a drink at the start of the date, and struggle when this option is taken away from us. 

But it is possible to date without drinking. 

How To Do Dry January And Still Date:

Be Upfront About The Fact That You Aren't Drinking

You shouldn’t feel like you have to hide the fact that you’re not drinking from people you want to date. 

Some dating apps will have options to include that you’re not drinking on your profile, and you can then filter searches based on that. 

You can always write it into your bio to make sure people see that you’re doing dry January. 

Focus On Who You’re With

One of the downsides of drinking on a date is that it impairs your judgement. It can change how you react to things, it can impact your memory, and can make you say or do things you normally wouldn’t.

Not drinking means that later, when it comes to reflecting on how the date went, you’ll be able to judge it accurately, rather than how you remember it after three or four drinks. 

Avoid Bars

This might sound obvious, but if you’re doing dry January, don’t go on a date at a bar. The temptation to have a drink will be strong, and if the person you’re seeing is drinking you might give in. 

If you’re really interested in each other, it won’t matter where you go or what you do. 

On any date, it’s important that both people be comfortable, so let them know if you don’t want to go to a bar or a pub. 

Ideas For Dates That Don’t Involve Drinking:

Go To The Cinema

Going to the movies together is a great way to spend quality time together without the temptation to drink. You can get cosy while watching the movie, and then talk about it afterwards. 

You can tell a lot about someone by their opinions on movies, if you both loved it, that’s definitely a good sign. 

Go For A Walk

It might be cold outside, but going for a walk together can be a great first date. 

You can talk and get to know each other, get some fresh air, and explore somewhere you might never have been before, all without a drink in sight. 

Go To A Museum Or Gallery

Take in some culture by going on a date to a museum or art gallery. Even if neither of you know anything about art or history, you can still have fun together, and you might even learn something!

Go To A Fitness Class 

Part of dry January is getting healthier, and there’s nothing healthier than an exercise class. 

This probably isn’t a good idea for a first date, but if you’re both looking to get in shape for your New Year’s Resolutions, this could be a way to spend time together and get fit at the same time.

Visit A Market

A visit to a craft fair or vintage market can be a great date, and with so much to see you won’t even have time to think about drinking. 

Visiting a market is a good way of seeing what their tastes are like, if they’re a smart shopper, or if they love tacky clothes as much as you do. 

Dating without drinking can take some getting used to, but it’s definitely something you can do if you want to try dry January. 

Read more about how to have a good first date, or learn about why you should update your dating profile this January.