Yeah, that's the trick. Walking into the pub/bar/brewery solo and striking up or strking out. You gotta do it though. A reliable drinking pal is nice, but not always in the cards. I was okay going in with pals but never got the hang of going alone.

I also like to mess around with concoctions. I usually have someone else who might like the drink in mind when I learn a new mix. I can then "mix" the drink into the next hang out with them. There are so many old drinks that can be brought back for this. A great example:

which is a 1920s variation on a Manhattan.