One Drink At Work, One Too Many?

In our culture there are many drinks: the relaxing-after-work beer, the celebratory glass of champagne, the with-dinner glass of wine, and the social-lubricant cocktail. However, in most office environments booze and work don’t mix, so what do you do when there is drinking at a mixer, happy hour, or office party when the line between a work event and social event is unclear?

The advice on this issue ranges from some saying it’s safe to consume one or two glasses of alcohol at an office party and others warn to not be caught with a drink in hand or even getting a photo taken NEXT to someone with a drink in hand as it may end up on Facebook. Yet in a culture that is consumed with alcohol consumption, is this manageable? Should you dive out of photos before the camera click due to another’s Corona Light?

Of course, as young professionals we must consider the stereotype of college kids binge drinking, and differentiate ourselves from that if we are to be seriously considered colleagues and not “the same age as the children of your boss.” However, in avoiding all alcohol, does this make one appear up-tight or unfriendly? It appears to be a thin line to walk for young professionals… no pun intended.

My suggestion: rather than kicking back three or more cocktails, simply sip the same drink for the entire night. In this way, things won’t get out of hand, yet you’ll be holding a drink and therefore feel less awkward. Of course you could also order a soda tonic with lime with little notice. One thing you DON’T want to do, is to protest the ordering of more drinks as it will draw unnecessary attention to yourself.  Instead, sip slowly.

Besides, since when isn’t the glass of scotch and cigar the businessman’s BFF (at least for rich, white males)?  And I have it on good authority that there are still liquor drink carts in advertisement agencies linked back to the days of Mad Men.

Maybe the debauchery that oftentimes follows drinking isn’t as easily forgotten in a world where we’re continually tracked by Facebook, whether it’s from your own postings or a friend or even a friend of a friend’s postings that you’re tagged in. Where office party blow-ups were once simply posted on the bulletin board, now they are posted online. 

In a world in which we are closely tracked, it’s important to keep things in perspective. So if you have your eye on that next promotion, maybe stick to just one drink. Trust me, if your coworkers are drunk they won’t be able to tell that you’re sober.