1) Are there any good, cached buzzword phrases I can use that'll make it socially acceptable to not drink? "I just don't like it" seems to draw disdainful stares, and while I haven't tried it I get the sense that saying I'm morally opposed to it would make me look even more like a stick in the mud. Saying "it's ridiculously expensive" makes me look like a cheapskate.

Useful option: Don't explain. Don't attempt to justify. It is amazing what people will accept if you act like what you are doing is natural. A casual "I don't want to drink" more than sufficient answer - even to the question "Why don't you want to drink?".