Let’s face it: life has been weird since COVID, and for many people, it was a turning point—some discovered sourdough, others discovered sobriety. If your group includes a groom who’s traded green tea shots for plain old green tea, that's normal and they are not alone. Many guys dont drink for health, religion, or for personal reasons. But, how will it affect your Bachelor party?
Planning a bachelor party without alcohol or other substances might seem tricky at first, but the truth is, you can still get into it without the hooch, plus you can skip the hangovers. Whether you’re staying close to home or getting out-of-town, BachTix has some recs to set up any party for success, no matter the budget. Here are some of our killer ideas for a sober bachelor party:
Go Big
Sometimes, a bachelor party is about doing something you’d never do otherwise. And since the typical drunken bachelor parties have turned into 4-figure vacations, don't be afraid to consider these bucket-list-worthy ideas:
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Take a trip: Coincidentally, there are about tons of bachelor party city guides on the website, albeit they are pretty boozy. Take a look at all that info and see if there's the beginning of a trip for you there. You can always join or supplement my ideas across articles or with ideas of your own. I also think that a golf or ski trip is a great way to get together with the homies, especially if yall live in different cities.
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Rent a Private Movie Theater: Bring your favorite films or gaming console, and spend the day in a luxe theater with burgers, fries, and mocktails.
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Skydiving: Send it, bruh. Nothing says “last days of freedom” like jumping out of a plane.
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Test Drive Cars on a Closed Course: Did you know you can do this? I didn’t. Check out if there's a place near you that offers this once in a lifetime opportunity and get behind the wheel of a car you can’t afford! You can also rent cool cars on Turo, just avoid the exploding Cybertruck.
Channel Your Inner Athlete (or Inner Fan)
Just because you're sober doesnt mean youre a NARP (non-athletic regular person). You don’t need to be a pro to enjoy activities like:
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Pro and College Sports: Go watch your favorite team play in person! Even better, watch em play a rival and paint your chest or something.
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Cameo: Buy a cameo from your favorite player. I loved cameo right when it came out and can confirm it's easy and effective. I had Brandi Love sing happy birthday to my buddy John lol
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Sport Shooting: The first bachelor party I went to was clay shooting in Minnesota. It was a blast and BachTix endorses clay shooting, hunting trips, or trips to a range.
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Paintball or Laser Tag: As we've established, Shooting stuff is above board and welcome. But if you want to lower the stakes a little bit, Paintball and laser tag will scratch that itch too — because who needs booze when you’ve got a battlefield?
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Mini Olympics: Is there a gym you can rent out nearby? Or maybe one of your buddies has a huge back yard? Create a mini olympic circuit: bags, badminton, Horse, relay races, maybe olympic lifting if thats your crowd.
Foodie Experiences
Who needs booze when you’ve got great food? Plan your party around eating and exploring:
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Cooking Class: Go to Sur la Table and learn how to make stuff taste good. Learning how to cook with a a pro chef is actually pretty affordable and you get to bring those skills home with you. Better yet, split the cost to hire a chef for a night. I hear that's cool.
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Progressive Dinner: Every city has at least some tremendous food places. Hit all of them in one night by having a different course of your meal at a different restaurant.
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Food Festivals: Track down a food truck rally or a local culinary festival and treat the group to an all-you-can-eat taste test. Bonus points if your community is known for something and the festival is a celebration of that thing (BaconFest in Des Moines or the Great Lenexa Cookoff in KC).
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Root Beer Keg: Kegs just radiate a good time, and a root beer keg is a stellar choice if you want to bring the party without the alcohol. Keg stands, keg tosses, keg rolling?
Channel Your Inner Kid
Rewind the clock a decade or two and relive the good times with some nostalgia, Or - maybe go back and do something that you wish you could have done but never did.
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Go-Karting: I don't know if you know this, but go carts have gotten BANANAS. It is not some high teenager repurposing old lawn mower engines down at the fairgrounds anymore, oh no. Go Karting places have adult tracks now where you can hit 50 mph. Elevate this one by visiting a closed track and racing some exotics. I heard about this through Exotics Racing in Vegas, but there are other companies too. And Porsche has a thing in Atlanta too right next to the airport. Go release your inner Max Verstappen.
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Escape Rooms: If you haven't done them before, Escape rooms are a really good way to kill an hour or two competitively and as a team.
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Axe Throwing: Throwing sharp things into wood is tight. It's like darts but for vikings.
Get your Gaming on
Where we dropping, Boys? A sober bach party is a great chance to upscale a laid-back gaming night:
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VR Gaming: Look for VR arcades or experiences—this high-tech option will blow your mind.
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Board Games night or Poker: Rent an Airbnb and run a black-tie games night. You could be James Bond and play some poker, or set up DnD and finish up that quest. You can elevate here by bringing in a professional dealer, or gifting something Wyrmwood for a Bach party keepsake (I hate plugging products that I dont sell but their stuff is good).
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Retro Gaming: Find a place that lets you rent vintage consoles and replay your childhood favorites. If alcohol is not a trigger or temptation, those barcades are a great time and are filled with retro games.
The Great Outdoors
If you’re the outdoorsy type—or want to pretend you are for a day—nature is your best friend. Some ideas include:
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Camping: Pitch the tents, build the fire, and just hang out in the middle of nowhere.
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Fishing: Relax by the water, cast a few lines, and see who can land the biggest catch of the day.
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Backpacking or Hiking: Go get lost in the woods somewhere. Pairs well with camping.
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Beach Day: Hit the waves with jet skis, play some sand football, or just kick it and enjoy the sun. No stress, all action.
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Ropes Course: A ropes course is a way for the granola bunch of us to test your limits. You can tell your fiance you free solo’d El Cap.
Your bachelor party doesn’t have to involve booze to be memorable. The key is tailoring it to what you enjoy and sharing the experience with your closest friends. Whether you’re hitting the golf course, solving puzzles in an escape room, or just chilling at a gourmet dinner, your sober celebration can be just as memorable (if not more so).