My friend and family groups have been making a consistent effort to stop romanticizing alcohol and have gatherings without it. There's no denying alcohol is a social lubricant that can be very enjoyable.
It's delicious and it lets you collectively guard down in a way that creates a bond of trust. It's a difficult thing to substitute.
When one of my friends went to China on business and came back with "stories" I realized that KTV visits (prostitutes) performed a similar function, but honestly a glass of wine seems a bit more wholesome.
If you are turning down attending events because they are dry ... you have a problem.