No thanks, I’m an alcoholic is the absolute can’t fail refusal - even the most pished individual will respect that.
Will work better for the first drink offer than the fifth 
Trying to force drinks on someone who doesn’t want one isn’t a friendly act .
Its like those people who try to get non smokers to have a cigarette .
If the offerer is a male and the offeree is female , I’d suspect their motives .
Otherwise try asking for an expensive soft drink .
Drinking can cause hypertension (high blood pressure) in most folks, so you could tell him that you have a tendency towards hypertension and have to watch your alcohol intake.
Um, no. Of course it’s a friendly act. It’s saying “lets hang out and talk more.”
Offering is friendly. Not accepting the answer is not.
I stand there shaking my head back and forth while the rude, stupid pushy person delivers their spiel. I don’t care how long it takes, they eventually go away.
As Lora Brody put it “For a number of reasons, a guest may refuse your offer of a drink. The reason doesn’t have to be explained to anyone, including you.”
Accept the drink. When it arrives, hold it up to the light and examine it analytically. Swirl it around a bit in the glass, then sample the bouquet with a few careful sniffs. Take a small swallow, and hold it in your mouth for a minute to taste it, then swallow.
Then puke on his shoes. Then wipe your mouth, and say, “yup, just like last time.”
Glad to help.
Regards,
Shodan
If you’re bellied up to the bar, tell the bartender you’re done. (Either in private, or right in the middle of dude trying to order another round.) Any non-lousy bartender will either stop serving you outright or hand you a ‘drink’ with no alcohol in it. If at a table or something, accept the drink but don’t drink it. Then, when dude’s ready to order the next round, you can point out that you’re still milking the last one.
Off topic, but why is that crazy talk, assuming you’ve played hockey before and actually like playing hockey?
Although, in all fairness, a couple of acquaintances from my regular bar got so drunk one night they actually thought I was going to cross both rivers every sunday to play on their flag football league in Brooklyn.
It’s sort of along the lines of why it’s considered bad luck to toast with a non-alcoholic drink.
My understanding of official guy code is that, strictly speaking, (alcoholic) drinks are the only acceptable form of exchange for drinks (or for the offer of drinks). If I buy a round of drinks, your obligation is to buy the next round (as opposed to simply reimbursing me). If you pick up the bar tab, the assumption is that next time we go drinking, I’ll pick up the tab.
Not in my world. The next meal; lift tickets; gas for the car; all acceptable.
Nope.
There is no “official” guy code and even if there were, not everyone would follow it.
And why do you assume it that this would only pertain to men?
In my circles, someone, male or female, might buy a round for a number of reasons without expectation of repayment. It may be because of a birthday, a promotion, etc… or they may just want to hang out.There’s no one keeping score or tallying drink totals or obligation to buy the next round.
Some friends reciprocate, either with drinks, cab fare, etc… some may not. Some can afford to buy a round, some cannot.
FTR, it is never been considered bad luck to toast with a non-alcoholic drink specifically.
The superstition is that it is bad luck to toast with water or an empty glass because it would give the impression you did not share the sentiments expressed in the toast. In the days, of kings and queens this type of offense could lead to a knife in the back or war.