Dating with Soda water
The date started the way many of them do when you don’t drink: with a menu that doesn’t really have anything for you. The wine list was long and thoughtful, the cocktails sounded beautiful, but when it came to non-alcoholic options, there wasn’t much beyond soda water. So that’s what I ordered. He chose a glass of wine, and I stuck with the boring soda water option.
He was cute, though. Good smile, easy conversation, strong start.
I’ve been alcohol-free long enough that the choice feels completely normal to me. There’s no inner debate, no feeling of missing out, no explanation I feel compelled to give. It’s just what I sometimes drink now. But across the table, I can feel the shift.
“Are you sure?”
“You don’t want a glass?”
“Just one?”
The questions aren’t mean or pushy. They’re almost always well-intentioned. Curious. Maybe even a little nervous. But they come up again and again, like a quiet hum in the background of the evening.
And I realized something important: the discomfort rarely belongs to the person who isn’t drinking.
I’m confident in my choice. I’m comfortable with someone else having wine. I’ve built a life, a business, and a community around the idea that celebration doesn’t require alcohol. Sitting there with a soda water, I feel completely at ease.
But when someone else is on their second or third glass, alone, the dynamic shifts. The contrast becomes visible. Suddenly, drinking isn’t just the default background behavior. It’s a choice that stands out. And sometimes, that can make the person drinking feel more self-conscious than the person who isn’t.
Also, somewhere around glass two, the cute factor started to fade and the slightly-douche energy started to rise. You know the one. A little louder. A little more confident than necessary. A few opinions that probably would’ve stayed inside if the wine hadn’t kept coming.
And I couldn’t help but wonder: if I’d been holding a proper non-alcoholic wine or beer, something that looked the part, would it have quieted him down a bit? Would it have balanced the energy at the table?
I get it. I used to drink heavily, too. I know exactly how that second and third glass can change the tone of a night. But still.
It’s not about judgment. It’s about balance.
When both people have something beautiful in their glass, that mirrors the look and even the taste of alcohol, the tension disappears. The conversation flows. The focus returns to the connection, not the contents of the drink.
That’s the real power of good non-alcoholic options. They aren’t just for the sober or the sober-curious. They create a shared experience. They quiet the questions. They remove the awkwardness. They let everyone at the table feel included and comfortable, exactly as they are.
Then fast forward a couple years later, after I had started the business, and something interesting happened.
The very restaurant where I had been sipping soda water called me. Le Select Bistro reached out asking about Pour Sport. They wanted a premium non-alcoholic sparkling option for their guests. Now they sell it, and it moves.
I’m hoping it’s helping create less awkward dining and date experiences between the drinkers and non-drinkers of alcohol.
It felt like a full-circle moment. The place where I once sat with the only alcohol-free option being soda water now pours elegant 0.0% sparkling wine in proper glassware. No explanations needed. No awkward questions. Just another beautiful drink on the table.
That’s what this movement is about. Not restriction. Not rules. Not labels. Just better options, better experiences, and more inclusive tables.
Because when everyone has something special in their glass, the only thing left to focus on is the person sitting across from you.
I strive to help awkward ‘soda water’ date nights, one glass of non-alcoholic wine at a time
Cheers