For the first few months I just said "I'm not drinking today." After the first three months if someone would ask if I wanted a drink I just said, "no thank you." I never really had to say I was an alcoholic (alothough I'm sure many knew already), my friends/family just stopped asking. I made a bigger deal of it in my mind than anyone else ever did.
Today if I am in a new situation I just say "no thank you" and if I am pressed I will say that I have a medical condition that prevents me from drinking. Some of my AA friends just say they are allergic. In my situation, I do have a medical condition that reacts badly to my drinking 1. I had gastric bypass and I don't handle alcohol well at all. 2. My other medical condition, is that I'm an alcoholic and I truely am allergic to alcohol. I turn into a person I don't want to be. I'm being honest. Not drinking is saving my life.
I just started out, "one day at a time" though.
When you are ready, you can do that too.