It’s no big secret that first dates aren’t much fun, but the torture hopefully will be worth it in the end when a love connection is made, right? At least that’s what I keep telling myself. But while people love to say a first date should be much more exciting than just grabbing a few beers after work on a Friday night, that’s not the way that I see things. In fact, I won’t go on a first date if it doesn’t involve drinks.
- I need to keep it simple. My mind is going a million miles a minute on a first date, and that’s just going to get worse if we do some so-called fun activity. I can’t focus on the guy and play mini-golf/watch a movie/walk around the city at the exact same time. Keeping it simple is my game plan, and that’s definitely meeting for drinks.
- I need the distraction. Yeah, dates are pretty nerve-racking. I’m chatting with a total stranger and trying to figure out if he’s worth a second go-round. That definitely requires a glass or two of red wine.
- Alcohol helps with crappy dates. Just a fact. When the date makes a detour into a new contender for the worst evening ever, my two drink rule goes out the window and a third glass of wine might happen. Thanks alcohol, you’re the best.
- You can tell a lot about a guy by what he drinks. Does he order something super manly and casual like a beer, proving that he’s laid-back? Is he more of a hipster who cares deeply about the kind of beer — someone who is obsessed with IPA and all that? Does he give the waiter a hard time about designing some complicated cocktail? It’s pretty helpful info.
- It’s easy to leave. Is the guy a total tool, or worse, the creepiest human being on the planet? Drinks dates are usually at least an hour, so it’s pretty easy to make a graceful exit after enough time has passed. It’s not like he’s going to expect you to stay for the entire afternoon like a date that takes place at a film or food festival or something.
- It’s super chill. It’s just drinks, no big deal. I already put enough pressure on myself to meet the right guy, although that’s something I’m trying to change because who needs that? It’s less upsetting to go on a bad drinks date than any other kind of date, because I didn’t have to put much effort into the whole deal. I’ve got a list of go-to places and it’s as simple as possible.
- It can lead to more. Having the best time ever? It’s easy to suggest catching a movie or going somewhere else for dinner or dessert. My best first date ever involved just that scenario. So I’ll keep going on drinks dates, holding out hope for that to happen once again. In the meantime, I have my beloved wine to keep me company and make the moment much less painful.
