Going out on a first date, especially a first online date, can certainly be nerve wracking. That's why it’s understandable that some folks need a little liquid courage to make it through. This may be why singles are doing a lot more imbibing than those who aren’t looking for love.
A survey by Zoosk dating finds that 72% of singles say they drink alcohol as compared to 65% of all people, on average, with 77% of Millennials admitting they drink alcohol on a first date. There’s no doubt a few drinks can make a first date a bit less awkward, and even those who don’t drink know it. In fact, 32% of non-drinkers say not drinking on a date makes things difficult. It gets so bad that 10% of non-drinkers admit they’ve pretended to drink on a date so things would go better.
Of course, all this drinking could be happening because most people choose to meet for drinks on a first date. The poll finds that 46% of people say drinks is “easy and less formal” than going out to dinner, while 27% say it’s “a good way to let your guard down and have a conversation.” But there are limits, with 55% of singles saying both parties should stick to one to two drinks maximum, although 19% are okay with three drinks and 17% say one is enough.
So the real question is, can drinkers and non-drinkers date each other? The poll finds that a third of non-drinkers admit it’s difficult to date someone who drinks, but 81% would still date them. Meanwhile, 86% of those who do drink alcohol would be open to dating someone who doesn’t drink.