I don't drink alcohol. Should I still go to a pub? What do you recommend as an alternative?

Won't be a problem. You can order tea, sodas, whatever. See this recent thread re non-drinker at pubs:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34479527

Agree with yk, no-one bats an eyelid if someone orders non-alcoholic drinks. Our drink/driving laws here are very strict, and there is always someone driving who orders a coke or orange juice etc. Non alcoholic beers are available such as Kaliber, but the taste is something you have to get used to! Its more uncommon to order tea in a pub, but most will oblige with coffee as there is usually a coffee machine which provides for the pub meal or restaurant patrons.

My wife is not much of a beer drinker (she might have one on occasion), but she has enjoyed any number of ciders (hard) in British pubs. So have I.

They even have diet coke in bottles (great treat!) in pubs. If you drink just a wee bit of alcohol, you might try a snowball.

If you don't drink alcohol, don't try the cider's. They're great, but they'll knock you over! Anything you'd drink at home, you can drink in a pub..

I never had a problem. Pubs are often gathering places for a wide segment of the population. In some areas they even serve as the neighborhood clubhouse.
True, they are licensed distributors of alcholic beverages, but they are not exclusively for drinker to the exclusion of others.

I never had a problem getting a coke in a pub. Just be sure to ask for ice. Some places knew we were Americans & added ice without asking. Other places we asked. It was no problem being a non-drinker. The smoking part was bad though. We seemed to find the smokiest pubs!

Hi bb,

>I don't drink alcohol. Should I still go to a pub? What do you recommend as an alternative?<

Instead of a pub, you could go to a restaurant.

Dear buzzybuzz,

Just don't drink a glass of milk while smoking a cigarette! Brings back a bad visual.

Tam

P.S. The traditional music in Ireland's pubs are great.

I thought they put the smoking lamp out in the Irish Pubs at the end of March?

I've lived in Ireland all my life and have never had to ask for ice in coke - it comes automatically (with lemon too!). The smoking ban will be introduced on the 29th. Only 10 days to go - YAY!!

For those who drink alcohol but not beer, a great treat in an Irish Pub is Hot Whiskey. Warms the body and the heart.

I find lemonade and lime a pleasant alternative to alcohol and it's something I don't get at home.

Favourite drinks for a lunchtime (if you have to go back to work later!) to go with good pub food - like a ploughmans, or toasted sarnie:

lime & lemonade .. yes!! or lime & soda.
Grapefruit & Tonic Water (esp summer).
Ginger Beer (not beer at all ..)

For a very light alcohic hit - a shandy (but not out of a bottle) and even better a ginger beer shandy - ie bottle of ginger beer mixed with small amount of draught beer.

Try to avoid "theme" pubs - so many traditional watering holes ruined this way.

Surfergirl,
What's a snowball?

J20 (Jay two oh) drinks are very popular soft drinks in English pubs these days.

They are bottles of fancy fruit juice concoctions (orange and cranberry, apple and mango etc)and if looking cool is important, they look pretty cool.

Just don't expect the price of non alcoholic drinks to be much less that of an alcoholic one. You can pay a fortune for a soft drink in a pub these days.

In London, ask for a Saint Clements
It's equal parts of bitter lemon and orange juice.

Marcy: a snowball is Advocaat and lemonade. Its the sort of drink that your Grandma may drink at Christmas

....Just found the recipe for Snowball for you:

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Advocaat
8 - 10 oz cold Lemonade
1 slice Lemon
Ice Cubes



Directions
Place one ice cube in the glass and add 1 1/2 oz of Advocaat. Fill up the glass with lemonade and decorate with a slice of lemon. Serve at once.