To ask what you’d think of a colleague drinking 0% beverages at work?

Bit weird but wouldn’t bother me. Orange juice is also up to 0.5% alcohol as are bananas and bitter shandy pop which is given to children.

made me laugh, someone suggested a marketing campaign to make it the norm, they could have kid in trouble. See the head , sitting there with her bottle of alcohol free pino and knocking it back, or thr guidance teacher clutching their bottle of alcohol free corona as they made their way into assembly at 8.30. Andy burnham charing a cobra committee with a six pack on the table beside himm as raynor sipped her alcohol free prosecco . 😂

I’d do a double take if I saw someone with a can of non alcoholic beer or a bottle of non alcoholic wine on their desk and drinking it, I’d find it a very odd thing to do. Very few people drink them as a choice as a soft drink, normally they are drunk to replace alcohol but give the taste 0f it. On saying that I’ve never ever seen anyone do it.

It’s a strange thing to do simply because they’re marketed as an alternative to an alcoholic drink. You can say ‘but why is it different to a coke or….’ as much as you like, it doesn’t make it any less strange. I would no more pop a bottle of non alcoholic champagne at my desk and pour myself a flute than I would a bottle of bolly.

...but you wouldn't take a can of beer into work would you?... "bit different"

I tried this last year just to try and wind up our CEO and tie him up in knots.

Sat at my desk with a can of Guinness 0 poured into a pint glass. It took until the 3rd can before he actually noticed at which point I got a "You can't drink that in here?" I pointed out it was non-alcoholic and he was still "But you can't...."

It sparked a really interesting conversation about why not and professional standard etc, which has had the effect that he's stopped coming in wearing sandals (and so isn't picking his feet at his desk! Which is a win.)

Vaping is completely different because other people have to breath in the clouds of weird smelling vapour.

The thought of my teachers drinking 0% coronas while teaching just made me laugh 😂

I’d personally say no to vaping at the desk too, for the same reason, as well as the stink for others!!

I don’t think it’s appropriate at work.

There may be people who are having their struggles with alcohol and they don’t need a reminder at the main place they can escape them.

Wait until after work.

As in, Appeltizer ? Or cracking open a 0% beer?

My GP when I was a child would always offer my parents a sherry during my appointments if it was after midday. He had a decanter and glass set on a trolley.

It’s essentially fizzy water it’s better than energy drinks at work

If we are talking about at your desk then it I fear it comes across as hugely unprofessional. Hard to say why except I suppose the perception is that zero beers are for people who’d quite like to be drinking beer (i.e. on some level they’d quite like to be having alcohol)… perhaps not a good look at 11am on a Tuesday

Very much depends on the job surely, I work with people with learning difficulties and feel it would be very inappropriate because they wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell the difference between the alcohol ones and alcohol free ones. The young man I mainly work with can’t read for instance so he wouldn’t know it wasn’t alcohol. Assuming I told him it wasn’t he could then see the alcoholic version which to him would look identical in the shop and assume it was the one I had.
I would also feel that any job where you should be being a role model (teaching, youth work etc) to vulnerable people it wouldn’t be a good idea as it’s made to look like alcohol. However I would feel the same about thinks like Monster- drinking them while being presented as a role model isn’t a good idea.

Is it?
Isn't it just meant to be sparkling apple juice?

Good question, it feels wrong but logically it's a soft drink. Maybe because I associate drinking with socialising and good times, and work is neither of those things.

How about a nicotine free vape? Is it ok to vape at your desk as long as you're not inhaling nicotine?

I’d find someone drinking alcohol free beer at their desk at 10am a bit odd but wouldn’t think badly about them.

I have been in a call with a client drinking alcohol free beer, I didn’t even notice it but he did stare at the beginning of the call that it was non alcoholic.

I think it depends on the context. Obviously, on a really technical level, it is absolutely the same as drinking a lemonade. In fact, I’d much prefer a 0% lager to a Monster in terms of image.

Culturally, it’s very normal to drink AF drinks during the day in some places in Europe (also fine to drink alcoholic drinks in many of the same places).

I once had a colleague apologise for drinking a 0.0% lager during a Teams meeting. It was during one of those 30c days last summer and his home office was in his shed. He said it was the only cold drink left in the fridge and he was boiling. We were equal grade to each other and it was a very casual meeting. Would have been different if it was a junior colleague or a meeting with outside collaborators or something. Also he acknowledged it was maybe a bit weird.

That said, it’s a bit strange to make a big deal of it and for anyone else to know. I’m a recovering alcoholic. I used to drink alcoholic drinks during work back in the day. 😂 I didn’t go wafting around with my wine glass in hand. If I wanted to have an AF drink because I really wanted one (which personally I don’t during the work day), I’d just pour it into a glass and have it. I wouldn’t be pounding cans of 0.0% Stella at my desk one after the other. That does a little bit scream, I have a drinking problem and I’m struggling to cope.

It can make you smell like you've been drinking though. I recently went to an event that was "dry" but I didn't realise. We hid DHs beer but my table were slightly embarrassed by my zero alcohol wine.

If it's client facing then they are going to smell of it. If it's just office based then it's a bit wanky and possibly deliberately so. Of course, it's the perfect cover smell for someone who drinks actual alcohol for breakfast or lunchtime beers...

I'd mention to HR you're worried they're using it to cover alcoholism.

I’d think it was a bit odd, but there’s nothing actually wrong with it.

Expensive & bad tasting?
I'm not paying for it so why should I care.

Thats weird

@TheSeventh "I think it's fine, wouldn't want to do my job sober but I'm not going to judge those who do."

You're not going to judge those who do their jobs sober! Please tell us what your job is.

Definitely! This is much more of a thing in Germany and I suspect the attitude to NA beers is quite different as a result. For example, "ERDINGER Alkoholfrei is often on hand after you cross the finish line at many running events. It is a natural, isotonic sports recovery drink that is low in calories and has a perfect balance of minerals and B-vitamins. It is also free from fat, cholesterol, chemicals and preservatives and low in sodium… a perfect natural isotonic recovery drink for everyday workout warriors and Olympic athletes alike." From ERDINGER Alkoholfrei: ‘The benefits of isotonic drinks’ - Ultra Runner Mag

Then again, alcoholic beer is seen as a much more acceptable thing to drink in moderation during the working day there. See builders showing up on site with beers for their lunch breaks, etc.