The rise of dry dating, a new study has revealed that 31 percent of the nation’s young singletons rarely drink alcohol on dates, while 32 percent ALWAYS stay sober.

28 percent of under 40s say that sober dating is better than drinking and dating, and nearly three in ten young Brits (29 percent) prefer to get a better sense of who someone really is when alcohol isn’t involved.

And even for those who are yet to experience a sober date, 84 percent say they are open to the idea of ditching Dutch courage.

The data found that 27 percent of modern British daters prefer to stay sober during their search for love, admitting that boozing on a date means you don’t get a real sense of what the other person is like.

22 percent even confess that enjoying too many drinks means they sometimes FORGET how the date went by the next morning.

A quarter (26 percent) of Britons are also keen that their date doesn’t get a bad first impression of them after indulging too much with alcohol.

In fact, seven in ten Brits say they will frequently ‘dry date’ – enjoying a romantic evening alcohol-free.

The study found that one quarter (24 percent) of British singles said that they wanted to go on dry dates to be more authentic and meaningful – and to allow people to really get to know each other.

Ahead of Sober October, the survey of 2,000 singles by dating app, Plenty of Fish, found four in ten (41%) would prefer to stay in complete control, with 21% of men admitting it helps them feel safer on a date. This doubles to a staggering 45% for women.

Nearly a third (32%) worry that getting too boozy on a date could lead them to do things they might regret. In fact, being tipsy has led over a quarter (28%) to hook up with someone they’re not that keen on, and a fifth (22%) have stayed on a date longer than they would have liked.

When it comes to activity-based dates, 38 percent said an evening at the cinema together is the best way to enjoy a dry date, proving there’s still space for the more traditional date options on the dating scene. 36 percent would also recommend a romantic walk, while 30 percent of Brits would love to indulge in a delicious dinner for two.

The research also reveals that young Britons prefer to get in between the sheets without alcohol too, as 17 percent of millennials claim that sober sex is infinitely more sensual.

24 percent say being able to really connect and remember the experience of a date is better, and 17 percent don’t want to wake up with alcohol guilt.

Kate MacLean, Relationship Expert at Plenty of Fish says “Drinking has long been considered a big part of British culture and therefore dating too, however, as people continue their quest for love post-lockdown it’s refreshing to hear they aren’t relying on alcohol to lower the pressure on dates. It’s important to be authentic and true to yourself when meeting someone new and singles recognise they can find more meaningful connections without a dose of Dutch courage which is something we love to see.”

And it’s not just bad impressions and blackouts single Brits want to avoid, as one in four (24%) prefer to stave off a hangover or a guilty feeling (18%) the next day and 22% opt to stay sober to improve their productivity at work. Wellness reigns supreme for one in 10 (9%) who purposely keep off the booze to hit an early morning gym session.

A fifth (19%) of single Brits feel that dating a non-drinker would be a refreshing change and open them up to new dating experiences (11%).