I would reflect on the feeling and urge that alcohol was meeting for me (at least temporarily) and looked for some type of alternative.
The urge was usually deeper than I initially thought it was. To use one example, I used to go to the bars and I would think I was missing loud music and camaraderie but it was something deeper than that. What it was for me was is I was using the bar and alcohol as a break from a too heavy work routine so what I was really looking for was a night out with no schedule, unpredictability and the excitement of knowing that anything could happen. Loud music on a jukebox was a part of the scenario and it was something of a trigger but it was more a symbol of a deeper need.
So I would look for sober things I could do that might meet that need. Less work, more relaxing, more open ended outings with people and a recognition that the initial buzz of alcohol was not likely to be entirely recreated because its a substance I was putting in my body to alter my mood. I also wasn't going to get that out of control behavior, lost days, blackouts and awful hangovers either.