My move, diet soda in a drink glass with a red straw. Bartenders will usually oblige and then it looks like you’re drinking. If you tip well and/or you tell the bartender that this is the only drink you want tonight, you can join people for rounds and “just get the same”. I read this in an interview with a big time agent who talked about tips to navigating business events with food and drink to be more effective. Eat first and fast and walk with your faux drink—your audience will be forced to listen to you and semi-immobile while they eat and will get themselves tipsy too. Sounds kinda predatory, actually, but it’s effective.