I've heard it suggested in this subreddit, that if you are at a bar you should avoid drinking alcohol to stay on top of your game. What do you do if you find yourself at a bar, to meet up with a lady-friend for a drink?

The only solutions I can think of would be to drink non-alcoholic, but that seems kind of suspicious "here babe, have a shot while I enjoy this smooth refreshing glass of water". Or else skip that and go for coffee, but I find bars / lounges are a more relaxing atmosphere for conversation