Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a teetotaller, a total abstainer; also attrib.

[1884		Sporting Times 12 Jan. 1/2: The clergyman had warmly espoused the cause of the Blue Ribbon Army].
[1894		A. Chevalier ‘Blue Ribbon Jane’ 🎵 She promised to be true to ’er bit o' ribbon blue / An' take but water neat].
[1894		Truth (Sydney) 10 June 2/7: ‘Blue Ribbon Jane, a teetotal donah’ is the subject of one of Mr Chevalier’s new songs].
1903		J. Furphy Such is Life 168: ‘You’re not a blue-ribboner, I suppose?’ And he tendered the replenished glass to Bob.
1908		Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ) 17 July 1/5: Mrs Shearer makes the greatest root beer ever [...] two dozen bottles of blue ribbon delight.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 3 Apr. 3rd sect. 17/4: ‘Ginger’ socks away the quids and lets the shickerers lose the steady jobs. Nathless, he isn’t a bigoted blue-ribbon saint.
1914		Wash. Times (DC) 9 Jan. 4/3: The prosecutor indicted the blue-ribboner’s beverage [which] contains 8.617 per cent alcohol and that cannot be sold in ‘dry territory’.
1919		J. Buchan Mr Standfast (1930) 513: He marched to a cupboard and produced a black bottle and glass. ‘I’m blue-ribbon myself, but ye’ll be the better of something to take the taste out of your mouth.’.