In my country 'drinking together' is also a very important part of the culture, and on Friday's ~4.30pm work stops and the company drinks together. I don't drink and have never encountered any issues with simply saying no (but still attend the event). Curious what negative responses people have encountered.
I wonder too because although I do drink, there have been times where it's just poor timing. I simply say "Sorry, I can't tonight because: antibiotics, driving home, dinner with family, etc, etc" and have had zero issues.