Friday night. The group chat says 9 PM at that new bar. You're going, but you're not drinking tonight. Maybe you're driving. Maybe you're on medication. Maybe you just don't feel like it. Doesn't matter — the reason is yours.
But here's the part nobody warns you about: the social pressure of holding an empty hand.
"Why aren't you drinking?" "Come on, just one." "Are you okay?" "You're not pregnant, are you?"
The questions come fast. And they're exhausting. Not because anyone means harm, but because alcohol is so deeply baked into socialising that not having a drink makes you a topic of conversation.
Here's the fix. Order a SOMA. Ask for a rocks glass, ice, and a lime wedge. Maybe a cocktail straw if they have one.
Now look at your drink. It's fizzy. It's clear. There's a lime in it. It looks exactly like a gin and tonic. And nobody asks questions.
This isn't about hiding. It's about redirecting attention away from what's in your glass and back to the conversation. You're there to have fun, not to explain your choices.
And here's the underrated part: SOMA actually tastes good in this context. At a bar, with music playing, a cold fizzy drink with lime is genuinely enjoyable. You're not suffering through a warm Coke or a depressing glass of tap water. You're drinking something that feels intentional.
Some bars in Bangalore already stock SOMA. If yours doesn't, ask them to. Or bring your own — most places are cool with it if you're buying other things.
Pro tip: order your SOMA first, confidently, like you've done it a hundred times. "SOMA with ice and lime, please." No hesitation. The energy matters.
The sober-curious movement is growing. More people are choosing to drink less, or not at all. And they don't owe anyone an explanation.
What they do deserve is a drink that doesn't feel like a consolation prize. SOMA isn't a substitute for alcohol. It's just a genuinely good drink that happens to have zero alcohol in it.
Go out. Have fun. Hold your SOMA. Let them wonder.