The Rise Of Sober Dating

When you think of a first date, what do you picture?

For years the stock-standard getting-to-know-you format for has been sitting at a bar together asking each other questions while sipping on a chronically overpriced cocktail. Perhaps things progress to a dinner, where you keep things socially lubricated with a bottle of wine, and then when it feels too soon to go home, you kick on to another bar, for another round.

But that’s changing.

The rise of sober dating has been building up for some time, with people keen to meet and mingle with their potential ‘person’ away from the booze to get to know them properly. No Dutch courage, no ice-breaker tipple – just stone-cold sober chats.

And it’s working. For many reasons, but the most crucial is that it’s simply the hottest way to date nowadays.

Dry dating is, without a doubt, a manifestation of the sober-curious movement, which encourages people to question their relationship with alcohol and consider the benefits of sobriety. While some people may take that further and go fully teetotal, lots of us linger in the occasional sobriety, making conscious choices to dodge drinks for certain occasions.

With one of those occasions now being the all-important first date.

But where do people go on sober first dates? Well, there are a few options that keep things fun but also allow for chats, and I’ve mapped them all out for you here.

Sober Dating: Jog On

BEFORE YOU CRINGE, I know that this can feel like a very abrupt turn away from dates in bars, to pulling on your runners and jogging, but this is a legit thing. Run clubs have become the new dating apps, with singles meeting each other and having semi-official first dates during a sunrise session.

Going for a light run, or even just a stroll, for a first date is a great way to get to know someone – especially because you’re not face to face for most of it, making it a less intense chat dynamic. Then if things go well, you can roll into a cute breakfast or smoothie sesh and if you’re not vibing, then say you’re puffed and need to take a shower. Easy!

Sober Dating: Heartbreak(fast)er

This one is super easy to implement because it’s just a regular dinner date, flipped to the start of the day. Instead of going out at night, set up a breakfast date! Pick out a cafe you love (or get them to suggest a local haunt they think will be good) and make a booking – that way you can declare if you want an outdoor or indoor table, and feel comfy about where you’re gonna be sitting.

Moving a first date to breakfast immediately lowers the stakes: you can dress super comfy and order yummy pancakes and find out their go-to coffee order. Extra bonus points if either of you bring along a dog.

Sober Dating: A dating event!

Okay, now this is a genius move, and by far my favourite as it takes all the admin and stress out of first dates but leaves every morsel of hotness. Seasoned singles will know about dating events that pop up around the capital cities, but as these are usually held at a bar where the expectation is that everyone will be drinking, dedicated sober dating events are here as the antidote to that.

Think the same clever set-up, where you can meet an entire room of cuties one by one, but knowing full well that everyone is just sipping on tasty soft drinks and the night doesn’t end up in a messy spot.

There are actually two incredibly cute events, hosted by House of Angostura (aka the inventors of your favourite bitters and the Aussie icon the Lemon, Lime and Bitters), happening in Chippendale, Sydney on July 25th to celebrate Dry July where you can get your sober flirt on with some tasty mocktails and Angostura Bitters infused food.

House of Angostura came up with the idea after seeing that 89% of us are intrigued by Dry July and keen to give it a go, and they wanted to make sure there were still opportunities to meet and mingle with fellow no-lo drinkers while committing to Dry July.

The events are for everyone of any sexuality aged between 18 and 30 – one is a singles mixer and the other is a speed dating event – giving so many cuties a chance to come along and refresh their dating experience. You can nab your tickets to the Angostura Bitters Dry July Dating event hosted by Dating Apps Suck right here.

Image credit: Shrill + Punkee