Brisbane is home to some incredible bars and restaurants that shake up delicious cocktails, curate the best wine lists and stock amazing beers on tap, but sometimes a night off the sauce is just what the doctor ordered.
With Dry July underway and Sober October coming soon, maybe it's time to give booze the flick for a day or two. Luckily, Brisbane is also home to some excellent escapades that don’t require a blood alcohol volume of over zero. So when your friends say 'what are we doing this weekend?,' here are 9 things to do that don't involve drinking (at least for you).
Swing A Hole In One
It’s official, Brisbane's mini golf scene is lit. From Holey Moley’s pop culture themed holes to the 18-hole glory of Victoria Park, you’ll be too busy holding your club with both hands to notice you’re not drinking. And unlike pool and darts, your mini golf game actually benefits from sobriety. Find more courses to putt around here.
Smash Your Friends At Arcade Games
You know the benefit of not drinking when all your friends are? Hand-eye coordination. Put it to good use at a Brisbane bar where you can do more than just drink—think pinball machines, arcade games, board games or even bowling. And when you win, make your friends buy you a (non-boozy) drink.
Tell The DJ To Turn It Up At Hot Yoga
Drunken dancefloors aren't the only place you'll find a DJ playing live and loud—Pilgrim Hot Yoga in South Brisbane has one too. Every Friday night at 6pm, DJ Cadell B takes to the turntables for Vinyl Vinyasa, getting your chakras in line for the weekend with a downward dog drop. You will get sweaty, but since you're not drinking, you can stay properly hydrated by drinking water instead of join. Classes are $35 for non-members and you can book in here.
Unleash Your Inner Viking
Brisbane's first axe-throwing arenas launched onto the scene a few years back, and while Vikings probably wouldn’t steer away from the booze, it’s definitely not recommended to swing sharp blades around with a beer in hand. Whether you hit Maniax or Lumber Punks you’re guaranteed a good time.
Bust Your Way Out Of An Escape Room
While we can’t guarantee your friendship will get out unscathed, escape rooms are another great activity to do dry. You’ll need to keep your wits about you to decode messages and bust your way out again. Brisbane is serving up plenty of options in the escape room realm, from mystical, magic themed to the more friendly Sherlock-style sleuth missions.
Chase Some Gains
We get subbing cocktails for exercise isn’t quite what you imagined when signing up for a dranks-free day, but trust us when we say bouldering is actually exercise in one of its most fun forms. That doesn’t mean it’s not hard though, so prepare accordingly. Here are our favourite spots to go go bouldering and rock climbing in Brisbane. You can thank us for the abs later.
Get Drunk On LOLs
Laughter gives you the glow of a few red wines, just without the hangover. Get down to Greaser every Thursday for weekly open-mic comedy acts, or make your way to Brooklyn Standard on Tuesdays for comedy night, both run by Don't Choke Comedy Club. You'll also find the Good Chat Comedy Club underneath Fritzenberger in Petrie Terrace putting on shows a few nights a week. And no alcohol means you can make it through the whole show without a toilet break.
Binge At A Buffet
When we suggested taking a day off the grog, we didn’t say you couldn’t eat to excess. Eat your stomach into oblivion at one of Brisbane's best all-you-can-eat spots featuring everything from wings to bao and pasta. There's even an unlimited meat degustation to prep your body for.
Make Like A Virgin
If you're the only one taking the plunge into Dry July, and you don't want to lose your friends in the process, you can easily get around it by ordering up a killer mocktail. These days, plenty of venues even offer non-alcoholic wines and beers, so you can feel like you're drinking, but stay sober no matter how many pints you down. Check the drinks list and get around it.
Spook Yourself Silly
When it comes to evening activities, there is nothing that will leave you amped up like a ghost tour. Although, while you might pass out after a night of drinking, after a spooky stroll through a cemetary in the dark, you may just never sleep again. If you're willing to take the risk, find a few of Brisbane's best ghost tours here.
Dry July not your thing? Here's the best bars in Brisbane.
Image credit: MANIAX