Let me set the record straight: I’m not a high-maintenance diner.
I hardly ever complain. But few things ruin my night out more than heading to a bar or restaurant with friends, ordering a mocktail or non-alcoholic drink, and encountering raised eyebrows from the bartenders.
“You know that doesn’t have alcohol, right?”
“Oh, you mean the MOCKtail?”
Yes, the mocktail. Does it need to be so obvious? Meanwhile, my friends exchange those uncomfortable glances as if to say, “You’re not drinking with us.”
The truth is, I’m tempted to drink. I’d love to enjoy one or two drinks without spiraling into anxiety or sending regrettable texts. Having started drinking young, I realize it’s time for a rethink. One drink becomes two, two turns into three, and suddenly I’m wondering why I’m out until 3 a.m. I’ve built a complicated relationship with alcohol, and I’m fully aware of it.
That’s just my narrative. Consider someone who’s pregnant and trying to keep it under wraps, or someone on antibiotics who prefers not to explain their choice, or even an individual in recovery striving to make healthier choices. A single comment from a bartender can throw them off course.
I don’t seek judgment or odd stares for choosing sobriety. I’m grappling with my own feelings.
And bartenders, the worst-case scenario here is serving a mocktail when someone actually wanted a cocktail. No harm done. There are subtle ways to confirm a drink order without spotlighting that it’s non-alcoholic. It would be refreshing to see us move in that direction.
