Dating in 2025 is hard — especially when a glass of wine is now considered a non-negotiable.
One TikTokker says her date bailed just 30 minutes before they were supposed to meet up — all because she doesn’t drink booze.
“The guy I was supposed to be on a date with right now decided to cancel our date less than an hour before it started,” Steph (@stephfromjersey) said in a viral clip posted on July 17.
In the viral video, Steph explained that everything was going smoothly. The two were texting and getting excited to meet up when he popped a seemingly innocent question: “Are you more of a cocktail girl or a beer girl?”
That’s when Steph revealed she doesn’t drink — for medical reasons. But she made it clear she didn’t mind if he did: “But I don’t care if you drink, and I always find something!”
Apparently that was still too sobering for him.
“Oh… yeah, idk if that’s gonna work for me, we should cancel now,” he texted back — and then went totally silent, leaving Steph on read.
Fellow TikTok users flooded the comments with support and speculation about the mystery man’s motives. One user wrote, “Translation: ‘you mean I can’t get you drunk? I’m out.”
Another commented, “He had something for your drink, I’m sure.”
“As a sober person, before I was sober… I would have not been stoked to date a mocktail person because they would see who/what I was,” someone else chimed in.
“Now, when I’m cancelled on, that tells me everything I need to know about them.”
An additional commenter assured Steph that “Rejection is protection.”
But not everyone was ready to raise a red flag.
Some pointed out it might just come down to lifestyle and compatibility.
“My boyfriend and I are getting wine tomorrow and going to sit in the jacuzzi and drink it,” one noted. “Sure, I could do that with someone who doesn’t drink. But I’d prefer to do it with someone who does.”
“I guess I see it both ways,” one other said. “My husband and I LOVE wine tastings and things like that. Mutual enjoyment. I can see how a partner that doesn’t drink could complicate things.”
Others compared it to being “super outdoorsy” — you want someone who shares your passions. Just sub out the hiking boots for a bar tab.
But nearly everyone agreed: ghosting someone at the last minute isn’t exactly gentlemanly.
As The Post previously spilled, Gen Z is shaking up drinking culture — and ditching the booze. The youngest legal drinkers are trading bar tabs for matcha lattes, wellness shots and cold brews on tap.
According to Keurig Dr Pepper’s first-ever State of Beverages report, it’s not about getting buzzed — it’s about feeling better.
Just 39% of Gen Z adults say alcohol is their go-to social sip, while more than 60% now reach for non-alcoholic options when hanging with friends — the driest stats of any generation.
Gen X, meanwhile, is still clinging to their cocktails — with 57% saying booze is their go-to social fuel.
In 2025, it seems the biggest buzzkill isn’t the hangover — it’s getting stood up for skipping the alcohol. Cheers to finding a date who drinks to your vibe, not just their own.
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