This does seem to be growing into a problem. I have a friend who is a recovering alcoholic and recently he went to a tech meetup where not only was it centered around alcohol but there really wasn't anything else provided. He rightly chided the organizer for not considering that there might be people who want to attend who don't consume alcohol.
I agree with this, it's especially hard in a place like Wisconsin where everywhere is "two bars and a church". I personally drink and don't have any problems with it but I also don't enjoy when every meet-up or company sponsored event is in a bar (not the company I work for but this is a common thing). Have the event at a hotel or establishment with a bar in a separate area if people want to drink. Or have the event and after the main event is concluded say, "As an after event from hours 3 to 6 we'll be doing cocktails at location XYZ if anyone is interested."
